I have a secret weapon. Yes, I do. And since I am feeling very generous – probably because my tummy is full and my tongue is happy – I will share that secret with you.
But first….
Oh my goodness! These veggies are so amazing! I ate them for lunch, supper, and bedtime snack today. 😋
My affinity for roasted vegetables grows daily, and I love playing around with herbs, spices, and seasonings. It’s not because veggies aren’t tasty alone, but when they get roasted, toasted, and coated with herbs, they just are better.
Since I’m also the kind of gal who really likes variety, I tend to mix things up with herbs and spices. The potatoes and beets are roasted with a blend of fresh rosemary and thyme. The fennel, leeks and mushrooms are tossed with fennel spice blend. Put them all together, and it’s a great big party for your tastebuds.
Peel and cut beets and russet potatoes. Toss them with a little olive oil and fresh rosemary and thyme. Spread on a baking sheet, put in a 425 degree oven, and allow them to get a head start while you prepare the other veggies.
The simplest way to cut up a fennel bulb (also known as anise), lop off the long stems. Stand the fennel bulb on end and cut in half, then quarter. Each of those quarters are easy to cut at an angle to remove the hard core. Then they can be sliced.
Cut up the leeks, fennel, and baby bellas. Toss with olive oil and 1-2 Tbsp of the fennel spice rub. Spread on another baking sheet and allow them to roast about 15 minutes, until the veggies are tender-crisp.
And now for the secret weapon….
Even with herbs, roasted vegetables can seem a little bland and almost 2 dimensional. To ramp up the flavour, crunch, and FUN I add something called “flingsalt” in Swedish.
“Flingsalt” is large flakes of incredibly tasty salt, often seasoned with herbs. The blend I like best includes wild garlic. YUMMMM!!! I was able to purchase Falksalt at a higher-end deli and at IKEA, but if you can’t find it near you, the webstore is very convenient.
Just a pinch of those babies makes roasted vegetables sing! No more boring veggies!
PrintHerb Roasted Vegetables
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 2 large russet potatoes
- 3 medium sized beets
- 1 Tbsp each, fresh rosemary and fresh thyme
- 2 leeks
- 1 package baby bellas
- 1 large fennel bulb
- 1–2 Tbsp fennel spice rub
- Olive oil
- flingsalt (Falksalt)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Peel and cut potatoes and beets into bite-sized cubes
- Toss with olive oil, rosemary, and thyme, and spread on a baking sheet
- Put in oven – use convect roast setting, if you have it
- While they get a head start in the oven (about 10 mins), clean and slice the leeks into 1″ slices
- Quarter the fennel bulb, cut away the hard core at the centre, then cut into 1/2″ slices
- Toss leek, fennel, and mushroom slices with olive oil and fennel spice rub (I like strong flavour, so I use a generous 2 Tbsp of the spice rub)
- Spread on a baking sheet
- When you put the leek, fennel, and mushrooms in the oven, take a moment to stir the potatoes and beets
- Allow all the veggies to roast another 15 minutes (25 total minutes for beets and potatoes, 15 minutes for the others)
- Remove the veggies from the oven when tender-crisp and beginning to brown
- Toss with a 1/2 Tbsp “flingsalt” or brand Falksalt for extra crunch and flavour
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
