The Ultimate Guide to Roasted Vegetable Meal Prep

The tastiest way to healthy meal prep

Eating vegetables is something everyone should do more of. In this plan, I help you knock out all your vegetable prep for the week in a single morning on the weekend. You only wash one bowl. You only turn the oven on once. In the end, you have a gorgeous fridge full of colorful, roasted vegetables!

Why add vegetables to your weekly meal prep?

Grab-and-go meals – life can get busy, and these roasted vegetables lighten the load when it comes to making lunch or dinner fast and healthy!

Time efficient – by washing and chopping all the vegetables in one session, you’re saving time by only washing your knife, cutting board, baking trays, and vegetables once!

Energy efficient – the oven goes on once, is on to roast multiple pans of vegetables, and then is off for the rest of the week!

Highly customizable – easily swap your favorite veggies for the ones in this recipe.

The tastiest – roasted vegetables is arguably the best tasting way to prepare vegetables. That’s good news for picky eaters.

A healthier YOU – when vegetables are already cooked (deliciously!) and ready for you, you’re more likely to insert them into your daily diet!

Which tools you'll need

3 large baking sheets (21″ x 15″ or 53 cm x 38 cm) – Nordic Ware is my favorite
3 sheets of parchment paper (to fit in the baking sheets) – I recommend these ones that are precut
A large mixing bowl, anything that’s deep and about 12″+ (30 cm+) in diameter
A big spoon – a big soup spoon is fine
Large cutting board
Chef’s knife or Santoku knife, at least 7″ (18 cm long) – here’s mine
Serrated utility knife, preferably with a pointed tip like this
Oven mitts and hot pads (or a cleared off stove top for hot pans to go)
12″ (30 cm) Cast iron skillet – I love my Lodge
Fish spatula – just a type of pancake flipper, like this
8″ (20 cm) Mesh strainer and optionally, a bowl to rest it in – I use this strainer
1-2 Kitchen towels

Vegetable prep grocery list

1 pint of cherry tomatoes
3 bell peppers
1 small red onion
2 10-12 oz bags of fresh broccoli
2 10-12 oz bags of cauliflower
14 oz can of chickpeas / garbanzo beans
1 bunch of green onions
Kosher or sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil

Overview of vegetable prep

Rinse produce

First, use a colander or just hold your vegetables under cool water to clear any dirt and rinse any bacteria away. Then, transfer them to a baking sheet lined with a kitchen towel and pat them dry.

Slice! Break! Chop!

After washing your vegetables, slice or cut (or snap!) them into smaller pieces in batches. When working on the cherry tomato or bell pepper batch, use a serrated knife for easy, safe cutting. For broccoli, you can either cut off the ends to make smaller pieces, or just use your hands to break the stem off. Use a chef’s knife or santoku knife for cutting everything else.

Season with salt and olive oil in a big bowl

Seasoning vegetables is simple and easy. All that is needed is olive oil and salt. Toss the vegetables in a bowl with olive oil and salt until each piece or slice is lightly coated. You can use the same bowl for all the vegetables you’re trying to knock out in this meal prep, no need to wash in between batches. Every batch will use the same bowl.

Spread it on the pan and bake it

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, dump the seasoned vegetables on, and pop it in the hot oven. The key is to not overcrowd the pan. Vegetables are mostly water and can steam each other if they are too close together or overlapping instead of crisping up nicely!

Step-by-step guide to roasting vegetables

Wash Fresh Vegetables

First, some housekeeping. It’s helpful to line one of the baking sheets with a kitchen towel so you have a “landing pad” for your freshly rinsed produce. This prevents a sopping mess on the cutting board and preserves paper towel waste.

Now, the first batch of roasted vegetables will be the cherry tomatoes. Start by dumping the pint of cherry tomatoes into a colander and rinse for 10-15 seconds, using your hands to remove any debris. Pull off any stems still attached.

Transfer the tomatoes to the towel-lined baking sheet and wash the bell peppers next, then the green onions, transferring to the towel-lined baking sheet when finished rinsing.

If you bought bagged, pre-cut and washed broccoli and cauliflower, there’s no need to rinse those. But, if you bought a head of cauliflower and some broccoli heads, repeat the rinsing for these as well.

There is no need to rinse the red onion.

Preheat the oven

You can roast vegetables anywhere from 350 F (177 C) for a long time to 450 F (232 C) for a short time. This method will set the oven at 425 F (218 C). I highly recommend using an oven thermometer to see how close to the set point your oven actually is. My oven is a bit older and less efficient, and so it runs a bit cool. When I set it for 425 F, the oven thermometer will read around 400 F. If your oven runs true to the temperature you set it to, preheat it to 400 F (204 C).

Batch#1: roasted Cherry tomatoes

Pull the cherry tomatoes from the towel-lined pan one at a time, using the serrated knife to halve each cherry tomato. Continue doing this until all the cherry tomatoes are halved.

Transfer the cherry tomatoes into a cast iron skillet. Sprinkle in 1 tsp of salt and 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Give the pan a shake so the cherry tomatoes are all coated in oil and have salt on them. Slide into the oven to roast for 30-40 minutes.

The exact time will depend on how hot your oven is, so it’s important to keep an eye on the cherry tomatoes. You’ll know they are done when the skin has blistered and the tomato flesh looks jammy. Let it cool and then transfer to a container.

Batch #2: roasted bell peppers and onions

While the cherry tomatoes are roasting, work on the second batch of vegetables: the bell peppers and onions!

The best way to cut a bell pepper is to hold it vertically on a cutting board, cut a hole around the stem, pry the top off, pull out the core full of seeds, then cut the pepper into long strips. You’ll definitely want a serrated knife as bell pepper skin is very slippery.

If there are seeds stuck at the bottom, turn pepper upside down and gently tap with your palm it until the seeds come out.

Red onion makes a great addition to roasted bell peppers. To add red onion, start by slicing the top and bottom off. Next, peel away any dried layers. Then, set the onion down on the cutting board so you see its rings and cut the onion in half. Rotate each half 90 degrees so you see a semi circle from the side. Slice into 1/8″-1/4″ slices and combine with the bell pepper slices.

Toss the peppers and onion with 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil and 1 1/2 tsp of salt. Stir with the spoon to coat all the slices with oil and salt. Then spread the vegetables onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes at 425F.

You know it is done when the tips are a bit charred. These are great with grilled chicken or steak!

Batch #3: Roasted broccoli

Fresh, bagged broccoli is a perfect way to streamline vegetables. However, sometimes it’s still cut a little too large, even from the bag. I like to dump the bag (or bags) of broccoli onto the cutting board and look for big pieces that I could trim into several smaller pieces.

One large baking sheet will be able to hold 20-24 ounces (560 g – 670 g) of broccoli, though your mixing bowl may not! It’s best to do one bag at a time.

Those dense broccoli heads soak up enormous amounts of delicious olive oil. add 1/4 cup of olive oil and 3/4 tsp of salt for every 10-12 ounce bag of broccoli you have.

Mix with a spoon and transfer to another parchment lined baking sheet, making sure the vegetables are not crowding each other so they crisp up in the oven.

Roast for 40 minutes at 425 F, or until the broccoli is crispy and charred.

Batch #4: Chickpeas and Cauliflower

Start with the cauliflower. If you have bagged cauliflower, you can empty the bag straight into the large bowl. If you have a head of cauliflower, chop it into bite-sized pieces before transferring them to the large bowl. I use about 20 ounces of cauliflower, which is two 10 ounce bags.

20 ounces of cauliflower will take about 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil and 1 tsp of salt. Add and toss in the bowl. Then transfer to one side of a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Pop the pan in the oven (it’s the last roasting batch!) and bake for 30-40 minutes. The longer you bake, the crunchier the chickpeas will be, and those make excellent salad toppers.

Batch #5: Scallions!

Okay, no roasting involved for these. But, to me, green onions are the ultimate condiment. They give flavor, color, freshness, and a little bit of green leafy vegetable to a salad, bowl, taco, egg, or whatever else your heart desires.

The preparation is simple: rinse, trim the bulb, and slice. Store in a container up to a week in the refrigerator.

Packing it up

Let each batch of roasted vegetables cool for about 10 minutes before transferring to a container. I love these glass Pyrex containers for storing.

Then, you’re ready to cover and refrigerate! Use these vegetables in everything and anything you eat for the week! Side dishes, salads, fajitas, frittatas, whatever you set your heart on eating.

Frequently asked questions

How long will the roasted vegetables last in the refrigerator? I use mine within a week.

Can I freeze them after roasting? I’ve never tried it, but my instincts tell me it probably wouldn’t work. Vegetables are mostly water, so when you’d go to thaw, they’d probably be really soggy. Let me know if you experience it otherwise!

Can I use other seasonings besides just salt and olive oil? Absolutely! Depending on the flavor you’re going for, the sky is the limit. Mexican-inspired spices could be cumin, chili powder, garlic, oregano, and turmeric. Italian-style vegetables could include basil, garlic, sage, oregano, and parsley.

How long does it take to roast all these vegetables? The prep work typically takes me one hour on a Saturday morning. Then it’s just switching the pans in and out of the oven.

Can I swap out some vegetables for other ones? For sure! I would just watch the bake time since not all vegetables are created equally in their ability to stand up to heat! The instructions I’ve made here are specifically for these vegetables I’ve chosen.

Can I double up pans? I don’t recommend it. You’ll end up having to rotate them and they’ll spend more time in the oven than if they had just gone in one at a time.

Where in the oven should I put the pan? The center of the oven is the best spot. Middle rack is my go-to!

What goes with roasted vegetables?

We like to build our own bowls with roasted vegetables, chicken, and some kind of starch, typically rice, whole grain pasta, or potatoes.

In addition to weekly vegetable meal prep, I also highly recommend boiling, baking, or otherwise preparing 3-4 lbs of chicken each week. Then you have a grab-and-go option to make anything you want!

However, roasting vegetables can apply to every meal, every event, and every holiday. Thanksgiving is a perfect time to pull this guide up and roast a lot of vegetables!

Happy Roasting this week

I hope this post was helpful and adds value to your weekly meal prep! Working in vegetables into your day 3-5 times a day can be challenging, but I find that meal prepping via roasting vegetables is the easiest way I can meet that goal and enjoy it.

What are you meal prepping for the week? Let me know!