Colourful roasted Mediterranean vegetables make for a flavoursome and healthy side dish. It goes well with many summer recipes and you can also incorporate the veg into various main meals. In this recipe I combine a mix of aubergine (eggplant), courgettes (zucchini), red onions and peppers, but it’s versatile and you can easily swap some of the veg for others. Roast in an air fryer or the oven.
When the sun starts to shine and the weather gets warmer, the food I want to eat changes. Something lighter than winter stews and casseroles is required. Mediterranean vegetables aren’t yet in season here in the UK, but they are in many parts of Europe. At any rate, I’ve started to get them in my veg box and that gives me a green light.
Dive Right In
- Why Make Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables?
- Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables
- Ingredients
- How to Make Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables
- What To Eat With Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables
- Leftovers
- Other Mediterranean Vegetable Recipes You Might Like
- Keep In Touch
- The Recipe
Why Make Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables?
Roasted Mediterranean vegetables is a delicious, healthy, and versatile recipe. It’s easy to prepare and you can enjoy it in many different ways.
- Delicious – Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness and intensifies their flavours. Combine them with the herbs and spices commonly used in Mediterranean cooking and your palate will thank you.
- Easy To Prepare – Roasting vegetables is a simple cooking method that requires minimal preparation. All you need to do is chop them up, toss them with oil and spices and roast in the oven or air fryer until tender and slightly caramelised.
- Healthy – Mediterranean cuisine is known for its emphasis on fresh vegetables. They contain any number of beneficial vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Roasting vegetables helps to make them easier to digest.
- Versatile – Roasted Mediterranean vegetables can be used in a variety of ways. You can serve them as a side dish or incorporate them into any number of main meals. They make great leftovers too.
Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables
Roasting is such an easy way to enhance the flavour and texture of vegetables. We eat quite a lot of them cooked this way. I use my air fryer to roast veg as it’s so quick and easy, but you can use an oven instead. I’ve given both methods in the recipe.
Summer vegetables are so easy to prepare compared to winter ones, that the whole recipe takes virtually no time to make. Win win.
These roasted Mediterranean vegetables work well with lots of other summer recipes, so they’re an excellent dish to have in your repertoire. For lots of ideas I’ve a section on what to eat with roasted Mediterranean vegetables further down this post.
Ingredients
Mediterranean vegetables are low calorie and nutrient dense and thus packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre. Choose ones that give a good mix of colour, flavour and texture. They’ll offer maximum impact. Apart from the vegetables I’ve used here, you can try fennel bulbs, sweet potatoes, mushrooms or even cherry tomatoes.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact ingredients and quantities used.
Red Onion
Red onions are sweeter than their brown counterparts. But, more crucially they offer colour which pleases both the body and the eye. In addition to the usual nutritional benefits you get from onions, they’re particularly high in anthocyanins. These may help to prevent heart disease, certain types of cancer and diabetes. (Ref: Healthline)
Courgette (Zucchini)
Courgettes (zucchini) are one of my favourite summer vegetables. They’re so easy to grow and are prolific producers. Most years we manage to grow enough in our allotment to keep us going for several months. Green ones are the most common and I like the colour in this veg medley. However, you can get yellow, white and almost black ones too.
Sweet Peppers
Bell peppers are the best sweet peppers for roasting in my experience. Not only are they intensely sweet, but they’re also thick fleshed, which gives them more body and bite. Choose a mix of red, orange or yellow peppers to maximise both colour and flavour.
Aubergine (Eggplant)
The dark purple skin and white flesh of aubergine give a nice colour contrast when chopped into chunks. The flesh is particularly good for soaking up flavours and the purple skin is full of protective compounds.
Harissa
Harissa is a blend of hot chilli peppers and other spices from North Africa. I like to use it in this recipe as it’s a Mediterranean flavour bomb and packs a punch. I use a dry harissa spice mix for these roasted Mediterranean vegetables. However, if you prefer to use harissa paste, use two teaspoons and only one teaspoon of olive oil.
If you don’t like harissa or don’t have any to hand, there are plenty of other seasonings you can use instead.
- Dried Herbs – a teaspoon of dried herbs such as oregano or thyme. Or go for a mix such as herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning.
- Fresh Herbs – three to four sprigs of rosemary, thyme, marjoram or a mix work well. Chop them finely and add to the veg instead of harissa.
- Paprika – do a direct swap and use either sweet paprika or smoked paprika instead of harissa.
- Spice Blends – there are any number of lovely Mediterranean spice blends out there. If you don’t like harissa, try zhoug, ras el hanout, charmoula or baharat.
Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the one to go for here. It’s the oil made from the first cold pressing of olives and is unrefined. It has all of the flavour and more nutrients than refined olive oil. What’s more it’s an excellent oil for roasting.
How To Make Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables
Although it takes a while to roast these Mediterranean vegetables, prep time is minimal. A bit of quick chopping and stirring is all that’s required.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for cooking temperatures and quantities of ingredients used.
Step 1. Chop Veg
Peel the onion and cut it in half lengthways. Cut each half into quarters and then each quarter into two giving you eight wedges in total.
Top and tail the courgette and aubergine then core and deseed the peppers.
Chop all the veg into bitesized pieces of more or less the same size. Around two centimetres (three quarters of an inch) is about right.
As you chop transfer the veg into a large mixing bowl. Larger than the one I used.
Step 2. Mix
Add the harissa (or alternatives), the salt and olive oil.
Then give everything a good stir to ensure that all of the veg pieces are evenly covered. You can use your hands for this if you prefer, but a large metal spoon works well for me.
Step 3. Roast Veg
Roast or air-fry the veg until the pieces are tender and starting to caramelise. They’re best served soon after cooking, either warm or at room temperature.
Oven
If roasting in the oven, use a large roasting tray or two smaller ones. Either lightly oil the tray or line it with baking paper. Baking paper reduces mess, but is wasteful.
Place the veg pieces in a single layer on the tray. They won’t roast well if the tray is too crowded. If using two trays, swap them over on the oven shelves half way through cooking.
Air Fryer
However, if using an air fryer, just pile the veg into your basket. There isn’t room for a single layer.
Just shake the drawer well or give the veg a good stir every five minutes and although they’ll initially steam, you will get nicely roasted veg in the end. It’s surprising how much the veg reduces.
What To Eat With Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables
As well as serving roasted Mediterranean vegetables as a side dish, there are any number of ways you can use them to create a delicious meal. They are just as tasty at room temperature as they are warm which makes them ideal leftovers.
I like to eat roasted Mediterranean vegetables as a main meal on a bed of garlicky homemade hummus, sprinkled with chopped parsley and served with homemade flatbreads. This roasted tomato and white bean dip works in much the same way as does this non-vegan whipped feta. There are plenty of other ways to eat this colourful veg medley though.
For other protein packed main meal options, add a drained can of chickpeas five minutes before the end of roasting. Serve them with rice, quinoa or other grains. Alternatively, top the roasted veg with crumbled feta cheese, fried halloumi or a fried egg.
They go well with sausages and mash and work particularly well in a Buddha bowl. They also make a great addition to a tapas or mezze spread.
Roasted Mediterranean Vegetable Leftovers
Leftovers can be a real joy and these roasted Mediterranean vegetables are one of them. I always try to make more than I need to ensure we get leftovers. Here are a few ideas on how to use them:
- Stir into pasta
- Toast in quesadillas along with grated cheese.
- Use as a pizza topping
- Fill sandwiches along with hummus or cheese
- Add to salads
- Blend with tomatoes to make a pasta sauce
- Turn into soup
- Add to an omelette or frittata or make a quiche out of them
Other Mediterranean Vegetable Recipes You Might Like
- Barley bowl with spiced aubergine, chickpeas and tomatoes
- Best chickpea salad
- Courgette strata
- Tomato galette with homemade basil pesto
- Vegetable frittata
- White bean salad: Spanish style
Keep in Touch
Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make these roasted Mediterranean vegetables, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or advice for roasting veg in either the oven or air-fryer?
I’d very much appreciate it if you could rate the recipe. If you post pictures of your creations on social media, please use the hashtag #tinandthyme so I can see them.
For more delicious and nutritious recipes follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest. And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter. Or why not join the conversation in our Healthy Vegetarian Whole Food Recipes Facebook Group?
If you’d like more side dish recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables: Air Fryer Or Oven
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 red onion trimmed and peeled
- 1 courgette (zucchini) (medium sized or use two small ones) – trimmed
- 2 bell pepper (a mix of colours is good) – cored and deseeded
- 1 aubergine (eggplant) (medium sized) – topped and tailed
- 1 ½ tsp harissa spice mix (dry) or use 2 tsp harissa paste instead (see note 1 below)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (only 2 tsp if using harissa paste) use an additional tbsp if roasting in oven
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Cut the onion into eight wedges, then chop the remaining veg into bitesize pieces of about 2 cm (¾ inch).1 red onion, 1 courgette (zucchini), 2 bell pepper, 1 aubergine (eggplant)
- Transfer the chopped veg to a large mixing bowl as you go along. Add the harissa, olive oil and salt and give the whole lot a really good stir ensuring the veg is well covered.1 ½ tsp harissa spice mix, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, ¼ tsp sea salt
- Air Fryer Method – Pile the veg into your air fryer basket and set the temperature to 190℃ (375℉). Fry for 25 minutes, making sure you give the pan a really good shake or stir every five minutes. Although the veg steams initially, as long as you keep shaking it, you’ll get lovely roasted veg by the end of the process. They’re done when the veg is cooked through and starting to char around the edges.
- Oven Method – Set the oven to 200℃ (180℃ fan, 400℉, Gas 6). Divide the veg between two lightly oiled or lined roasting trays and arrange in a single layer. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until the veg are cooked through and starting to caramelise. Swap the trays after the first ten minutes so they both get evenly cooked.
- Best served soon after cooking, either warm or at room temperature.
Kristen Wood says
The spices in this were just perfect. So flavorful and delicious! Will make again for sure!
Choclette says
Glad you liked the recipe for roasted Mediterranean vegetables and thanks for letting us know.
Anna says
What a delicious idea for a light lunch or side dish. Thanks for providing different ways to prepare those roasted Mediterranean vegetables. It’s so easy to roast them in the air fryer and they turn out perfectly crispy.
Choclette says
Exactly Anna. Roasting them in the air fryer is my favourite way of preparing them. So glad you liked them and thank you for feeding back.
Holly says
Perfect addition to our pasta olio dinner!
Choclette says
Oh yes, I can see these roasted veg would work really well with that.
Katie says
Oh I am obsessed with these Mediterranean vegetables!
Choclette says
I can quite see why Katie. They’re so easy and so useful.
Sam says
This recipe is delicious! The flavors are amazing together. We really enjoyed it. Thank you!
Choclette says
Glad you liked the roasted veg and hummus Sam. Thanks for letting us know.