Learn how to roast vegetables in the oven with the most flavourful balsamic vinegar marinade! These tender, caramelised Balsamic Roasted Vegetables are perfect for meal prep and easy weeknight meals .
It’s amazing how many ways there are to cook vegetables. Steamed, boiled, grilled, sautéed… but of all the different methods, roasting is definitely my favorite.
Consider this post both a recipe and a template. You can make these Balsamic Roasted Vegetables as-is, or switch things up with different vegetables, marinades, and sauces.
Roasting is quite easy, and much more hands-off than sautéing or grilling. Once you put everything in the oven, you’re free to prep a main dish or scroll through your Instagram feed and zone out a bit. (Your choice!) That oven time is when the magic happens—crispy raw vegetables transform into tender, caramelised, flavour-packed little morsels.
Now, I used the veggies I had on hand in the fridge, but you can roast pretty much any vegetable successfully. Feel free to try it with sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts…the world is your (veggie) oyster!
Notes on Ingredients
Please note that this is important information on the ingredients and instructions and the FULL recipe with amounts and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
- Zucchini
- Eggplant
- Bell peppers – Use any color you like.
- Red onion
- Beefsteak tomatoes – Halved grape or cherry tomatoes will work, too!
- Carrots
For the balsamic marinade:
- Balsamic vinegar
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Lime juice – Lemon juice can be used instead if you prefer.
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper – Freshly ground pepper has much more flavour than the kind you buy ground at the grocery store.
How Can You Tell a Good Balsamic Vinegar?
Aged balsamic vinegars are best, and the more thick and syrupy they are, the better! Look for bottles that don’t list other vinegars, caramel, or flavourings on the ingredient list. Another tip? If you see grape must in the ingredients, you’ve got a winner! This means the vinegar is made the authentic way.
How to Roast Vegetables
Some recipes will have you cook the veggies at a very high heat, but this results in vegetables that are burnt on the outside, rather than caramelised, and still have the bite of a raw vegetable, not the tender texture you want in roasted veggies. In my experience, 425ºF is the perfect temperature—not too low, not too high!
Make the marinade . In a small bowl, whisk the balsamic marinade ingredients until the mixture is emulsified.
Prepare . Preheat your oven to 425ºF. If you’d like, line your baking sheets with foil or parchment paper for easy clean up.
Sauce the veggies . Place the vegetables on the baking sheets, making sure none of them overlap. Pour the marinade over the vegetables and rub it in.
Roast the vegetables . Place the baking sheets in the oven and roast the veggies according to the times listed below. Note that some of them may look blackened, but they aren’t burnt—it’s the balsamic vinegar!
How Long Does It Take to Roast Vegetables?
A few different factors may influence your cooking time here. First, the amount of time needed for roasting can vary from veggie to veggie, oven to oven, and cut to cut. It’s important to cut uniform pieces of vegetables so they cook evenly.
Here are some rough cooking times for different types of vegetables:
- Tomatoes, Eggplants, Zucchinis and Bell Peppers : 15 to 20 minutes
- Carrots & Onions : 25 minutes to 30 minutes (check at 25 minutes)
- Broccoli, Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts : 15 to 25 minutes
- Sweet Potatoes: 30 to 45 minutes
Tips for Success
Here are a few additional tips for perfect roasted veggies!
- Give them room. I know it’s tempting to fit everything onto one sheet pan, but when you cram too many vegetables together, they’ll steam instead of roasting.
- Don’t drown them in sauce. If the marinade is pooling on the pan, it will burn in the oven, making a mess to clean up! Rub the marinade into the veggies for the best flavour.
- Make them your own . Feel free to add thyme or rosemary during the cooking time, or fresh basil or parsley afterwards. Herbes de Provence are good too!
Serving Suggestions
I love using these Balsamic Roasted Vegetables for meal prep, but they can also be paired with so many different meals:
- Toss them with pasta, olive oil, and vegan Parmesan for a simple weeknight dinner.
- Serve them in a Buddha bowl with couscous or cauliflower rice and Baked Tofu .
- Use them as a topping for vegan pizza or sandwiches.
- Nestle them on top of a bowl of creamy vegan polenta or grits.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
You can store these veggies in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days in the fridge. They can be eaten cold, at room temperature, or warmed up in the microwave or a 350ºF oven.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
You can freeze Balsamic Roasted Vegetables for up to 3 months. Place them in an airtight storage container or freezer bag. I recommend letting them thaw in the refrigerator before reheating, as this will help them cook more evenly.
P.S. Here are some of the items I used to make this recipe if you’d like to use them too: | WHAT YOU’LL NEED // SHOP MY FAVORITE INGREDIENTS & PREP PRODUCTS |
Ingredients
Veggies, all uniformly cut
- 1 large zucchini , chopped and diced
- 1 eggplant , sliced
- 2 bell peppers , chopped
- 1 large red onion , sliced or chopped
- 2 beef tomatoes , diced
- 2 carrots , chopped
Balsamic Marinade
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic , finely diced
- juice of lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
How To Roast Vegetables (With Balsamic Vinegar Marinade)
- In a small bowl, mix the Balsamic Marinade ingredients together. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line the veggies up on your baking sheet. Ensure that you give your veggies some room to roast. I actually split everything in the picture onto three different baking sheets to give them some space. You may even want to split them based on cooking them.
- Pour the marinade over the veggies and rub them into the veggies. You can do this separately, or just mixed them all in. I kept mine separate for the pictures. Try not to leave a pool of marinade on the baking sheet, and instead, try to rub all the marinade into the veggies.
- Roast the veggies according to their appropriate times. Remove from oven once roasted. Some of the veggies may looked blackened but they aren’t burned: it’s the balsamic vinegar.
Cooking Times
- Tomatoes, Eggplants, Zucchinis and Bell Peppers: 15 to 20 minutes
- Carrots & Onions: 25 minutes to 30 minutes (check at 25 minutes)
- Broccoli, Cauliflower and Brussels sprouts: 15 to 25 minutes
- Sweet Potatoes: 30 to 45 minutes
Notes
Learn how to roast vegetables in the oven with the most flavourful balsamic vinegar marinade! These tender, caramelised Balsamic Roasted Vegetables are perfect for meal prep and easy weeknight meals .
It’s amazing how many ways there are to cook vegetables. Steamed, boiled, grilled, sautéed… but of all the different methods, roasting is definitely my favorite.
Consider this post both a recipe and a template. You can make these Balsamic Roasted Vegetables as-is, or switch things up with different vegetables, marinades, and sauces.
Roasting is quite easy, and much more hands-off than sautéing or grilling. Once you put everything in the oven, you’re free to prep a main dish or scroll through your Instagram feed and zone out a bit. (Your choice!) That oven time is when the magic happens—crispy raw vegetables transform into tender, caramelised, flavour-packed little morsels.
Now, I used the veggies I had on hand in the fridge, but you can roast pretty much any vegetable successfully. Feel free to try it with sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts…the world is your (veggie) oyster!
Notes on Ingredients
Please note that this is important information on the ingredients and instructions and the FULL recipe with amounts and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
- Zucchini
- Eggplant
- Bell peppers – Use any color you like.
- Red onion
- Beefsteak tomatoes – Halved grape or cherry tomatoes will work, too!
- Carrots
For the balsamic marinade:
- Balsamic vinegar
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Lime juice – Lemon juice can be used instead if you prefer.
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper – Freshly ground pepper has much more flavour than the kind you buy ground at the grocery store.
How Can You Tell a Good Balsamic Vinegar?
Aged balsamic vinegars are best, and the more thick and syrupy they are, the better! Look for bottles that don’t list other vinegars, caramel, or flavourings on the ingredient list. Another tip? If you see grape must in the ingredients, you’ve got a winner! This means the vinegar is made the authentic way.
How to Roast Vegetables
Some recipes will have you cook the veggies at a very high heat, but this results in vegetables that are burnt on the outside, rather than caramelised, and still have the bite of a raw vegetable, not the tender texture you want in roasted veggies. In my experience, 425ºF is the perfect temperature—not too low, not too high!
Make the marinade . In a small bowl, whisk the balsamic marinade ingredients until the mixture is emulsified.
Prepare . Preheat your oven to 425ºF. If you’d like, line your baking sheets with foil or parchment paper for easy clean up.
Sauce the veggies . Place the vegetables on the baking sheets, making sure none of them overlap. Pour the marinade over the vegetables and rub it in.
Roast the vegetables . Place the baking sheets in the oven and roast the veggies according to the times listed below. Note that some of them may look blackened, but they aren’t burnt—it’s the balsamic vinegar!
How Long Does It Take to Roast Vegetables?
A few different factors may influence your cooking time here. First, the amount of time needed for roasting can vary from veggie to veggie, oven to oven, and cut to cut. It’s important to cut uniform pieces of vegetables so they cook evenly.
Here are some rough cooking times for different types of vegetables:
- Tomatoes, Eggplants, Zucchinis and Bell Peppers : 15 to 20 minutes
- Carrots & Onions : 25 minutes to 30 minutes (check at 25 minutes)
- Broccoli, Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts : 15 to 25 minutes
- Sweet Potatoes: 30 to 45 minutes
Tips for Success
Here are a few additional tips for perfect roasted veggies!
- Give them room. I know it’s tempting to fit everything onto one sheet pan, but when you cram too many vegetables together, they’ll steam instead of roasting.
- Don’t drown them in sauce. If the marinade is pooling on the pan, it will burn in the oven, making a mess to clean up! Rub the marinade into the veggies for the best flavour.
- Make them your own . Feel free to add thyme or rosemary during the cooking time, or fresh basil or parsley afterwards. Herbes de Provence are good too!
Serving Suggestions
I love using these Balsamic Roasted Vegetables for meal prep, but they can also be paired with so many different meals:
- Toss them with pasta, olive oil, and vegan Parmesan for a simple weeknight dinner.
- Serve them in a Buddha bowl with couscous or cauliflower rice and Baked Tofu .
- Use them as a topping for vegan pizza or sandwiches.
- Nestle them on top of a bowl of creamy vegan polenta or grits.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
You can store these veggies in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days in the fridge. They can be eaten cold, at room temperature, or warmed up in the microwave or a 350ºF oven.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
You can freeze Balsamic Roasted Vegetables for up to 3 months. Place them in an airtight storage container or freezer bag. I recommend letting them thaw in the refrigerator before reheating, as this will help them cook more evenly.
P.S. Here are some of the items I used to make this recipe if you’d like to use them too: | WHAT YOU’LL NEED // SHOP MY FAVORITE INGREDIENTS & PREP PRODUCTS |
Ingredients
Veggies, all uniformly cut
- 1 large zucchini , chopped and diced
- 1 eggplant , sliced
- 2 bell peppers , chopped
- 1 large red onion , sliced or chopped
- 2 beef tomatoes , diced
- 2 carrots , chopped
Balsamic Marinade
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic , finely diced
- juice of lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
How To Roast Vegetables (With Balsamic Vinegar Marinade)
- In a small bowl, mix the Balsamic Marinade ingredients together. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line the veggies up on your baking sheet. Ensure that you give your veggies some room to roast. I actually split everything in the picture onto three different baking sheets to give them some space. You may even want to split them based on cooking them.
- Pour the marinade over the veggies and rub them into the veggies. You can do this separately, or just mixed them all in. I kept mine separate for the pictures. Try not to leave a pool of marinade on the baking sheet, and instead, try to rub all the marinade into the veggies.
- Roast the veggies according to their appropriate times. Remove from oven once roasted. Some of the veggies may looked blackened but they aren’t burned: it’s the balsamic vinegar.
Cooking Times
- Tomatoes, Eggplants, Zucchinis and Bell Peppers: 15 to 20 minutes
- Carrots & Onions: 25 minutes to 30 minutes (check at 25 minutes)
- Broccoli, Cauliflower and Brussels sprouts: 15 to 25 minutes
- Sweet Potatoes: 30 to 45 minutes
Notes
Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients
Veggies, all uniformly cut
- 1 large zucchini chopped and diced
- 1 eggplant sliced
- 2 bell peppers chopped
- 1 large red onion sliced or chopped
- 2 beef tomatoes diced
- 2 carrots chopped
Balsamic Marinade
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic finely diced
- juice of lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
How To Roast Vegetables (With Balsamic Vinegar Marinade)
- In a small bowl, mix the Balsamic Marinade ingredients together. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line the veggies up on your baking sheet. Ensure that you give your veggies some room to roast. I actually split everything in the picture onto three different baking sheets to give them some space. You may even want to split them based on cooking them.
- Pour the marinade over the veggies and rub them into the veggies. You can do this separately, or just mixed them all in. I kept mine separate for the pictures. Try not to leave a pool of marinade on the baking sheet, and instead, try to rub all the marinade into the veggies.
- Roast the veggies according to their appropriate times. Remove from oven once roasted. Some of the veggies may looked blackened but they aren’t burned: it’s the balsamic vinegar.
Cooking Times
- Tomatoes, Eggplants, Zucchinis and Bell Peppers: 15 to 20 minutes
- Carrots & Onions: 25 minutes to 30 minutes (check at 25 minutes)
- Broccoli, Cauliflower and Brussels sprouts: 15 to 25 minutes
- Sweet Potatoes: 30 to 45 minutes
Notes
Nutrition
Balsamic Roasted Vegetables https://jessicainthekitchen.com/how-to-roast-vegetables-with-balsamic-vinegar-marinade/ June 8, 2022
These Sticky Sesame Shiitake Mushrooms are the perfect mix of sweet, salty, and umami! The mushrooms are crisped up, then coated in a sticky-sweet sauce for an easy plant-based dinner.
“Sticky” is usually an undesirable quality, but when it’s used to describe food, you know something delicious awaits. When it comes to this shiitake mushroom recipe, the sticky descriptor means a sweet-and-savory sauce that clings to the shiitakes, coating them in flavour. Yes please!
In this dish, mushrooms are pan-fried until they’re perfectly crispy, then tossed in a sticky-sweet sesame ginger sauce. (You’ll recognize this sauce from my Sticky Sesame Cauliflower Wings , a reader favourite here on Jessica in the Kitchen!)
These mushrooms taste amazing by themselves, but they’re a treat on top of veggie burgers , rice (traditional or cauliflower rice !), or quinoa . They’re also an excellent addition to Buddha bowls and salads!
Notes on Ingredients
Please note that this is important information on the ingredients and instructions and the FULL recipe with amounts and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
- Dried shiitake mushrooms
- Cornstarch
- Sesame oil
- Maple syrup
- Liquid aminos – Tamari, coconut aminos , or low-sodium soy sauce can be used instead.
- Sesame seeds – Use black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds, or a combination of both.
- Ground black pepper
- Ground ginger
- Scallions
Can You Eat the Whole Shiitake Mushroom?
No, you can only eat the caps of the shiitake mushroom. Technically speaking, the stems are edible, but they’re too fibrous and tough to chew. They can be simmered in water to create mushroom stock, but otherwise they should be discarded. If your dried shiitakes still have stems on them, you’ll need to cut them off after you’ve reconstituted them.
How Do You Reconstitute Dried Mushrooms?
This recipe calls for dried shiitake mushrooms, so you’ll need to reconstitute them before starting the recipe. Here’s how to do it:
- Place a cup of shiitakes in a bowl or jar and pour hot water over them so they’re completely submerged. If needed, you can place a smaller bowl on top to make sure the mushrooms stay submerged in the water.
- Let the mushrooms soak until they’re plump. Depending on the age of your mushrooms, this can take anywhere between 5 to 20 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the mushrooms and dry them on paper towels. You can reserve the soaking liquid to make mushroom gravy , soups, or for simmering grains; it’ll keep in the fridge for a week, or you can freeze it for up to 6 months.
How to Make Sticky Sesame Shiitake Mushrooms
Once your mushrooms are ready, the rest of this dish takes minutes to make!
Prep the mushrooms . Cut the reconstituted shiitakes into thick slices and toss them in cornstarch.
Pan-fry the mushrooms . Set a skillet over medium-high heat and add the sesame oil. Once it’s warmed, add the mushrooms and fry until crisp on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl.
Make the sauce . Return the pan to the stovetop and reduce the heat to medium. Add the sauce ingredients and whisk; continue to whisk as the sauce cooks to prevent it from burning. Once thickened, taste and add additional maple syrup, if desired.
Finish . Add the mushrooms back to the pan and toss to coat. Continue to cook until the sauce becomes thick and sticky, about 2 to 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly before serving.
Tips for Success
Here are some hints and tips to help you make perfect sticky shiitakes—and to make the recipe your own!
- Dry the shiitakes well . If they’re water-logged when you place them in the frying pan, they’re likely to create oil spatters, and they also won’t cook up as crispy.
- Make it spicy . Add sriracha or dried red pepper flakes if you want to add a kick to this recipe.
- Meal prep ideas . These sticky shiitake mushrooms are ideal for meal prep lunches. Serve them with your favorite grain, steamed veggies, and Crispy Teriyaki Tofu .
How to Store and Reheat
You can store these mushrooms in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They’re best reheated in the microwave until warmed through, although if you don’t have a microwave, you can heat them in a skillet set over medium-heat and add a splash of sesame oil to keep them from sticking.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
You can freeze Sticky Sesame Shiitake Mushrooms for up to 3 months. Place them in a small freezer bag or airtight container; you can microwave them from frozen or let them thaw in the refrigerator first.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms , 1 jar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup*
- 2 tablespoons liquid aminos
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- chopped scallions & sesame seeds , for garnish
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch + ½ teaspoon water
Instructions
- First things first, you’re going to want to reconstitute the dried mushrooms. Add 1 cup of mushrooms to a bowl or jar and pour hot water over them. Ensure the mushrooms are pushed down – maybe put something on top to ensure they are pushed into the water. Leave them to soak until plump, anywhere from 5 minutes to 20 minutes.
- Dry the mushrooms as best as possible with some paper towels, then slice into thick slices. Coat them in the cornstarch until totally covered.
- In a pan over medium high heat, heat the sesame oil. Add in mushrooms and fry up until completely crisp on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes until the cornstarch is totally cooked out and the mushrooms are crisped up. Remove the mushrooms to a bowl (you can use the same bowl you tossed them into.
- In the same, pan, add all the ingredients for the sauce over medium heat. You can either whisk them together in a small bowl before, or in the same pan, because dishes. Stir to prevent burning and let is thicken up, about 2 to 3 minutes. Taste the sauce and add the extra tablespoon maple syrup if you want it sweeter
- Add back in the mushrooms, and toss to coat, until they become thick and sticky, about 2 to 3 more minutes. This may take a bit longer based on your mushrooms, so be sure to watch them.
- Remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly. Serve with noodles, hot rice or anything else you want to serve them with. Enjoy!
