Perfectly simple, Roasted Carrots and Cauliflower give you two side dish options in one effort, that pair well with any main course! Roasting brings out the best flavor in these humble vegetables, easy enough for a weeknight and elegant enough for the holidays!
- Roasted Vegetables, Big Flavor! - If you're not quite sure you're a cauliflower fan, make sure you've tried it roasted! Roasting brings out flavors in cauliflower and carrots that you didn't know were in there! The deeper the golden brown, the more delicious caramelized flavor!
- Weeknights to Holidays - Roasted Carrots and Cauliflower makes a beautiful holiday side dish, while keeping them separate on the platter gives your guests two options. They are prepped and roasted together in the oven, doubling your efforts in the kitchen! For a quick side dish, try my Roasted Potatoes with Broccoli and this Roasted Frozen Green Beans too!
- It Goes with Anything! - Serve roasted cauliflower and carrots with the turkey, ham, steaks or any weeknight main course. We love to add this Butternut Squash Casserole and this Blue Cheese Apple Walnut Salad for the holidays!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
This extremely basic vegetable roasting recipe transforms humble carrots and cauliflower into rich golden deliciousness, fancy enough for the holiday table!
- Cauliflower - It's nothing special raw or steamed, but roasted cauliflower is so delicious! The deeper the color, the better it tastes. The contact with the hot pan gets that caramelization you're looking for! If you love cauliflower, try my Creamy Cauliflower White Bean Soup.
- Carrots - Cheap, simple and easy, the natural sugars in carrots get sweeter when roasted. Cut them in large pieces so they cook the same amount of time as the cauliflower.
- Olive Oil - A good amount of olive oil is needed to coat the veggies for roasting. Your hands are the best tool for tossing!
- Salt and Pepper - This recipe is super basic in its seasonings, so salt and pepper are really important to let the natural flavors of the veggies shine through.
- Fresh Herbs - These are optional, but especially pretty for the holidays! A pop of green color and extra flavor, try fresh thyme, rosemary, or sage. If you don't have fresh, I would just leave them out and not use dried herbs.
- Parmesan Cheese - A little extra garnish, I really like shaving big pieces from a block of Parmesan cheese with a vegetable peeler, and then crumbling them over where the carrots and cauliflower meet. That way guests can take it or leave it.
See recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
This recipe gets back to basics in preparing vegetables. Just wash, chop, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast in a hot oven!
Step 1 - Prep the cauliflower. Wash well, then cut it in quarters down through the core.
You can then remove the core with a diagonal cut into each piece. Use your hands or a knife to pull apart the florets.
Cut the larger ones in half or quarters so you have similar bite sized pieces.
Step 2 - Prep the carrots. Scrub them with your hands under running water. You can peel them if you like, but I rarely do.
Cut off the ends and slice the carrots in half or quarters lengthwise, depending on thickness.
Then cut the long pieces into thirds, giving you roughly 3 inch sticks.
Step 3 - Add the carrots and cauliflower to two separate large sheet pans and toss well with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Two sheet pans allows you to spread the veggies out so they aren't crowded. This ensures they don't steam in their own liquids instead of roast.
Step 4 - Bake in a preheated oven at 425°F, convection bake if you have it.
Bake 25 to 35 minutes until they are deeply golden brown and caramelized. If one vegetable is done before the other, you can take it out early.
You can check the veggies and give them a flip with a metal spatula after 20 minutes.
Step 5 - Arrange the roasted cauliflower and carrots on a large platter, each to its separate side. Garnish with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler and crumbled with your hands.
Helpful Tips
- Roast in a Hot Oven - Roasting implies a hot oven, at least 400°F to 425°F. I like to use the convection bake setting which means the fan is blowing the hot air around. This gets the veggies even crispier. At a lesser temperature, or if the oven isn't preheated, the veggies will cook slowly, releasing their liquid and steaming instead of roasting.
- Don't Crowd the Pan - This is the same reason, crowded veggies on the pan can steam in their own liquid instead of roast. Using 2 large pans may seem excessive, but it also gives you the ability to take one out early if one veggie seems to be finished before the other.
- Adjust the Amounts - This straightforward roasting method can be used for any amount of veggies. So if you're serving a larger or smaller crowd, just use more or less vegetables and adjust the seasonings accordingly.
- What to Serve it With - The perfect vegetable side dish for the holidays, we always add Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes, something orange like this Sweet Potato Casserole, and something green like this Green Bean Au Gratin. Simple veggies pair nicely with any main course.
- Storage and Prep Ahead - Roasted vegetables are best served hot and crisp from the oven, but around the holidays, there are ways to prep ahead!
- You can chop the veggies a day in advance and store them in the fridge.
- You can also prep them on the sheet pans and just leave them on the counter an hour or so before you're ready to bake.
- You can also fully roast them, transfer them to a casserole dish covered in foil, and transport them to the host's house to keep warm in their oven. They may not be quite as crisp, but will still be good.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3 days and reheated in the oven.
Recipe FAQs
If you wash them well by scrubbing with your hands under running water, peeling carrots is not necessary. You could also make this dish with store-bought baby peeled carrots in a bag. Make sure to drain off the water from the bag so it doesn't steam your carrots.
Yes, these simple roasted carrots and cauliflower are already gluten-free. With big holiday parties, there is often a guest or two eating gluten-free, and this dish can be enjoyed by everyone!
Yes! This very basic roasting recipe will work with many vegetables. If roasting 2 or 3 veggies together, choose hearty veggies that will roast in about the same amount of time. Try subbing the carrots or cauliflower with Brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, or butternut squash. Try to chop the veggies roughly the same size so their cooking times will be the same.
More Vegetable Side Dishes!
If you made this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it! Be sure to leave a star rating by clicking the stars in the recipe card, or leave a comment below!
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Roasted Carrots and Cauliflower
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 6 carrots
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 grinds fresh black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme or rosemary to garnish
- 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese shavings, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉ convection bake (if your oven has it).
- Wash cauliflower, cut the head into quarters and make a diagonal cut to remove the core. Use your hands or a knife to pull apart the florets, cutting them in half or quarters so they are bite-sized.
- Wash the carrots well by scrubbing with your hands under running water, peeling them is optional. Trim off the tops and ends. Cut in half or quarters lengthwise, depending on thickness. Then cut the long pieces into thirds, ending up with about 3 inch sticks.
- Add veggies to two separate large sheet pans, spreading them out so they aren't crowded. Toss evenly with olive oil, salt and pepper. Use your hands!
- Roast about 25 to 35 minutes until dark and deeply caramelized. You can check and flip them with a metal spatula after 20 minutes.
- Arrange each vegetable on half of a serving platter. Garnish with fresh chopped thyme or rosemary, plus more sprigs around the platter. Use a vegetable peeler to get big shavings of Parmesan cheese and then crumble them over the veggies (optional).
Notes
- Don't Crowd the Pan - It's best to give the veggies room to spread out on two large pans so they don't steam in their own liquid instead of roast.
- Toss with your Hands - Use enough olive oil to fully coat the veggies without being soggy. Use your hands to toss well, evenly distributing the seasoning.
- Prep Ahead - Veggies can be washed and chopped a day in advance and kept in the fridge. It's best to serve roasted vegetables hot and crisp from the oven.
- How to Tell When They're Done - If you're not sure, keep roasting! You want the cauliflower to be as deeply golden brown as you can get it without burning. Check and flip after 20 minutes, then keep roasting.
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