Roast vegetables with Christmas or Sunday roast are only the second most important trimming after roast potatoes. These flavoursome carrots and parsnips are the classic and the basic roast vegetable tray to accompany any roast.
What vegetables to roast?
There's a simple reason why a selection of roasted root vegetables is a staple on Christmas table: not much else is in season apart from root vegetables, leeks and cabbage. All year round we can cook whatever sides we fancy with our Sunday roasts but in mid-winter it's bound to be mainly carrots and parsnips.
That is not to say we must limit ourselves to those two: by all means cook some turnips, sweet potatoes, squash and even beetroot. Beware of the latter though: it will try to paint all their immediate neighbours crimson. They also take longer to cook so I don't usually use them in my roast selection. And anyway, carrots and parsnips are in my view the best of the bunch.
How to season roast vegetables?
I find the simpler the better they are. Perhaps surprisingly, they benefit from being seasoned early in the day and stand developing the flavours, marinating after a fashion. If you want to go basic, plenty of salt, pepper and olive oil will make good roast vegetables.
By I suggest you try my spice combo. I like to add a judicial amount of harissa, which gives it a subtle kick. The rest is the usual: herbs, dried and fresh on sprigs, a little sweetness and a little acidity.
The crucial addition though, that your diners will fight for, is whole garlic cloves. They will gorgeously roast in their skins to be messily squeezed out on your plate. They also are a good addition to roast potatoes - sometime I put them in both for my Christmas dinner.
Can roast veg be prepped ahead?
The vegetables can certainly be prepared ahead which is always a bonus on Christmas Day. You can peel, cut and mix them with the dressing to sit in the fridge even overnight, but they'll need to be brought back to room temperature before roasting. Make sure to preheat the roasting tray as well before they go in.
Cooking them straight from the fridge, and that goes also for potatoes, might result in a tray of mush, or at least a wrecked schedule as they will take much, mush longer to cook and crispen.
More Christmas dinner trimmings recipes
Green bean casserole is so good when homemade and cooked from scratch! Creamy mushroom sauce is easy to make, while blanching then drying fresh green beans stops them from being soggy.
Brussels sprout heads and Brussels sprout tops, two side dishes out of a sprout stick. The sprouts are roasted in olive oil until caramelised and gorgeous, and the tops are blanched and tossed with toasted almonds.
Christmas pork, apricot and fig stuffing for turkey, duck, goose or chicken. This stuffing has a wonderful flavour, sweet with the dried fruit and spiced with nutmeg and mace, but is very easy to make.
More roasted vegetable recipes
Parmesan roasted turnips flavoured with thyme and rosemary salt, crisp, tender and caramelised, are the less common but as delicious option for a Christmas dinner side.
Roasted savoy cabbage wedges with Parmesan and thyme, charred in the pan then oven roasted. It’s a perfect side for fish or pork.
Roasted sweet potatoes with chorizo and bacon are the perfect blend of sweet, salty and spicy. Served with sour cream topping for a main course, or on its own for a side.