Roasted Root Vegetables with Ranch Sauce

Name: Roasted Root Vegetables with Yogurt Ranch Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 pound baby potatoes (or fingerlings, halved lengthwise); 1 pound carrots (peeled, halved lengthwise); 8 ounces cippolini onions (halved and peeled); 2 tablespoons olive oil; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; 4 sprigs thyme; 4 sprigs rosemary; ½ cup plain Greek yogurt; 2 tablespoons milk; ¼ teaspoon garlic powder; ¼ teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon dijon mustard; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon chopped chives; 1 tablespoon minced parsley; 1 tablespoon chopped dill

Delicious roasted root vegetables served with a creamy homemade yogurt ranch sauce. This is a healthy recipe made of seasonal ingredients like potatoes, carrots, and onions.

Roasted root vegetables served with a bowl of ranch sauce for dipping.

Recipe Science

Potatoes, carrots, and onions bring a balanced mix of hearty, sweet, and savory flavors, creating a satisfying and flavorful dish.
A high smoke point oil prevents smoking and off-flavors, ensuring a clean, flavorful roasted vegetable when roasted.
Roasting vegetables at 400°F balances caramelization and tenderness, allowing natural sugars to brown and deepen flavor.

Why It Works

Roasting root vegetables is one of my favorite ways to bring out their natural flavors and add warmth to any meal. With colorful cippolini onions, baby fingerling potatoes, and rainbow carrots, this dish is as beautiful as it is delicious. And for an extra treat, I love pairing these veggies with a healthier version of creamy ranch sauce for dipping!

To keep things simple, drizzle high-quality olive oil over the vegetables, then season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Fresh rosemary and thyme add an aromatic touch as they roast, filling the kitchen with mouth-watering aromas. Cooking at a high temperature, around 400 degrees, helps the vegetables become tender and slightly caramelized for extra flavor. It’s an easy, nutritious side dish that’s sure to be a hit!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Fresh cooked potatoes, carrots, and onions.

Potatoes: When in season, I like to roast a mix of colorful baby potatoes or creamy fingerling potatoes. Waxy potatoes like red or Yukon gold hold their shape when roasted. I cut them in half to cook them quicker and promote browning on the surface.
Carrots: Look for thinner carrots to cut in half or slice large ones into about 1/4-inch thick pieces. Go classic with orange carrots, or use purple carrots if available.
Onions: Small cippolini onions are ideal for roasting due to their natural sweetness. They intensify and caramelize beautifully. Cut them in half to ensure that the surface browns.
Oil: Fruit olive oil is used to roast the root vegetables.
Seasoning: Salt and pepper enhances the earthy flavors of the roasted root veggies.
Herbs: Sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme add a fragrant aroma.
Ranch Dressing: A creamy combination of Greek yogurt, milk, garlic, onion, salt, mustard, pepper, chives, parsley, and dill. Try my ranch dressing for a classic version.

See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).

Ingredient Substitutions

This roasted root vegetable recipe is easy to customize! Try these tasty options:

Vegetable Options: Try red beets or golden beets, rutabagas, parsnips, sweet potatoes, or turnips. Gourds like butternut squash are tasty additions.
Onions: Other types of onions can be used, such as sweet onions, red onions, or white onions. Cut large onions into 1-inch bite-sized pieces before roasting.
Oil: Use a high smoke point oil like avocado oil, grapeseed, canola,clarified butter, or ghee.
Seasoning: Add ground cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, sumac, cayenne, or make it spicy with cajun seasoning. Add dried herbs like Italian seasoning.
Sauce: Add with balsamic vinegar or reduction, pesto sauce, or chimichurri before serving. Drizzle with honey or maple syrup.
Add Cheese: Sprinkle with grated parmesan, feta, or goat cheese.

How to Roast Root Vegetables

Step 1: Heat the Oven

Position the oven rack in the center to ensure even heat distribution, and preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C) for optimal caramelization. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly grease it with olive oil or cooking spray; this prevents sticking and helps the vegetables roast evenly for a golden, flavorful finish.

Rosemary, thyme, potatoes, carrots, and onions on a sheet pan.

Step 2: Season the Vegetables

Combine the potatoes, carrots, onions, olive oil, salt, and pepper, tossing until the vegetables are evenly coated. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on the prepared sheet tray to promote even roasting and caramelization. Place sprigs of thyme and rosemary across different sections of the tray to infuse the vegetables with aromatic flavors as they roast.

Step 3: Roast

Roast the vegetables for 15 minutes, then gently stir to ensure even cooking. Continue roasting for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned. Remove and discard the rosemary and thyme sprigs before serving to retain their subtle, infused flavor without overwhelming the dish.

Roasted root vegetables seasoned with rosemary and thyme.

Step 4: Make the Ranch Sauce

Whisk together the yogurt, milk, garlic, onion, salt, mustard, pepper, chives, parsley, and dill until smooth and well combined. This creates a lighter, herb-infused ranch sauce that pairs perfectly with the oven-roasted root vegetables.

Serve alongside for a fresh, tangy dip! This vegetable dish is perfect for serving with Greek chicken skewers or juicy salmon burgers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which root vegetables take the longest to roast?

Root vegetables with a dense texture, like carrots, potatoes, and beets, take the longest to roast. Their firm structure requires more time for heat to penetrate fully, ensuring they become tender and caramelized. To help them cook evenly with other veggies, try cutting these harder root vegetables into smaller, uniform pieces.

How long to roast veggies at 400 degrees?

Roast the veggies at 400ºF for 15 minutes, then gently stir them to promote even cooking. Continue roasting for 10 to 15 minutes until tender and lightly browned. This two-step process ensures the perfect balance of caramelization and tenderness in your vegetables!

Should you cook slightly greened potatoes?

No! The green surface color happens because the potatoes have been exposed to light during storage. The natural defense mechanism creates chlorophyll and indicates a toxin build-up called Solanine over time. In nature, potatoes turn themselves green to prevent them from being eaten by insects and predators and to respond to damage and disease. It’s better to toss them out instead of risk getting sick. Store potatoes in a cool, dark place (50-64°F/ 10-18°C) to prevent this. At temperatures below 40°F/4°C, the starch in the potato converts to sugar. This can cause the potato to look gray and streaky when cooked or burn when fried because of the increase in sugar in the potato.