These oil free rainbow roasted vegetables are so delicious, healthy, low in fat and easy to make. It's one of my favorite side dish recipes!
To roast vegetables without oil is possible and they taste amazing. I used balsamic vinegar, but soy sauce, tamari and lemon or lime juice also work. If you're on a diet or just trying to avoid oils, these oil free rainbow roasted vegetables are for you.
I try to eat as many different fruits and veggies as I can, I adore them and they nourish my body. I love these colorful rainbow veggies, they're full of antioxidants and nutrients, but there's no need to use so many vegetables, it's totally up to you.
When I tried this recipe for the first time, I couldn't believe it was oil-free, the veggies were so juicy and I only added the balsamic vinegar and dried thyme, but please feel free to add your favorite herbs and spices.
This recipe is ridiculously easy to make, you just have to place the chopped vegetables onto a baking sheet, add dried thyme and balsamic vinegar to taste and bake for about 25 minutes or until they're cooked. Besides, it's the perfect side dish! I love to eat these veggies with brown rice and some tamari or soy sauce, but they're also delicious with potatoes, pasta or quinoa.
If you like these oil free rainbow roasted vegetables, check out these recipes: spicy roasted chickpeas, and roasted red pepper hummus.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment below, share it, rate it or tag a picture @simpleveganblog on Instagram and hashtag it #simpleveganblog. We'd love to see what you cook!
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Oil Free Rainbow Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 and ⅔ cups chopped red bell peppers
- 2 cups chopped carrots
- 1 and ⅓ cups chopped yellow bell peppers
- 1 and ⅔ cups chopped zucchini
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup chopped red onions, 200 g
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- Balsamic vinegar to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 ºF or 200 ºC.
- Place the chopped vegetables onto a baking sheet, add the thyme and balsamic vinegar to taste.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.
- Store the veggies in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Notes
- Feel free to use your favorite veggies, herbs or spices.
- Tamari, soy sauce, lemon or lime juice or any other type of vinegar can be used instead of the balsamic vinegar.
Kathryn Grace says
Terrific recipe! I've always added a small amount of olive oil to my vegetables before roasting them. The other night I tried your method, except that I forgot and mixed the balsamic with the vegetables before laying them out on the pan. I didn't have thyme on hand, but I did have fresh dill and home-dried rosemary (smells wonderful), so I added them instead. Delicious! I am sharing this today as my pick for Recipe of the Day on YayYay's Kitchen Facebook page, Twitter, and elsewhere. Love sharing good, whole food recipes like this. Such a pleasure!
Iosune says
Hi Kathryn! Thanks a lot 🙂 Have a nice day!!!
Barbara says
I grow and dehydrate kale. Then I use a Blentec to turn it into powder. I add this kale powder to olive oil and fresh garlic. I stir the oil mixture into a bowl of fresh veggies, then roast. Yum!!! I will try roasted veggies using balsamic vinegar this week.
Iosune says
Hi Barbara! That sounds amazing, thanks for the idea 😉
Christine says
How do you figure out the nutritional content on this? I made it last night and it was yummy!
Iosune says
Hi Christine! This web is great: https://www.caloriecount.com/ I'm so glad you liked it 😀
Wendy says
These look so wonderfful! I love roadted veggies with eggs, pasta or hummus. I mt never occured to me to skip the oil, can't wait to try it.
http://www.keepmovingmama.com
Wendy
Iosune says
Hi Wendy! Hope you like it! Veggies and hummus make a good team 😀
Karin M says
This is the way we eat veggies often! Love Love!! It may sound like a small thing, but I love the way you lined them up in rows. It makes it so pretty and less "offensive" to my kiddos who love a particular veggie one week and despise it the next! "Ew! It's touching the broccoli!!"
The other thing I love about this presentation is that it's a great way to deliver roasted veggies to a friend who is in need of a meal. Love it!
Karin M says
A prior post mentioned looking forward to this as a summer staple. (yum) I forgot to add that at this chilly time of year, the same is amazing with roasted root veggies! (winter squashes, carrots, parsnips, sweet potato...) I just add a little time, maybe 10 minutes, cook all the way. Warm and yummy...
Iosune says
Hi Karin! Thank you so much for your kind words 😀 I love root veggies, they're great! Have a nice day 😉
Ann turner says
I've been making this dish for years it's great
I've used olive oil but will try yr version with the vinegar . I've never tried carrots or broccoli but I always put plum tomatoes in . Just delist .
Ann
Iosune says
Hi Ann!!! I hope you like it! I'll add plum tomatoes next time, thanks for the idea!
Claire says
Made this dish last night and really enjoyed it! I invested in a high-quality balsamic vinegar especially for this recipe. I tossed the veggies a little bit half way through cooking time to distribute the vinegar and waited until the last 5 minutes to add the thyme (to prevent scorching). The result was delicious! And beautiful. I served the veggies alongside red quinoa and black beans.
Iosune says
Hi Claire! Wow, it sounds like the perfect meal to me! I love quinoa and beans <3
Anna says
Hi Iosune,
I love the way you have made this recipe.Special hats off to Alberto who infact did his part well.I think it is taken from a perfect angle.Special congrats to both of you.
Iosune says
Thanks a lot Anna!
Elly says
Looks delicious! It would be healthier with some good fats though. Fat is necessary for the absorption of certain vitamins, such as vitamin A. Olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, or grass-fed butter (if you aren't vegan) will help you get the most nutrition from this tasty dish.
Iosune says
Hi Elly! Thanks a lot for the ideas 🙂
Britt says
That's false. You do not need to add processed fats to get the nutrients from your food. The vegetables
are healthiest in their natural state and all vegetables contain their own fats. See the below link
https://www.drmcdougall.com/health/education/health-science/hot-topics/nutrition-topics/vegetable-fish-oils/
Vegetable & Fish Oils
In nature there are no “free” vegetable oils; all are obtained by man-made processing. These important nutrients are bound within the substances of plants and in this complex form are essential for good health. When these oils are processed free of their surrounding fibers, vitamins, minerals and other phytochemicals, they become medicines at best, and toxic at worst. Some of the common consequences of consuming these so-called “good fats,” even flaxseed and fish oil, are obesity, type-2 diabetes, bleeding, immune system depression and cancer.
Iosune says
Hi Britt! This recipe is made without vegetable oils, so I don't understand your comment :S
Sue says
I believe Britt was responding to Elly's comment about adding oil to your recipe. Britt is correct. Oil is unnecessary and unhealthy.
Iosune says
Hi Sue! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Katy says
Why on earth would you believe that you need oils to get nutrients from nutrient-packed foods? That's not even close to accurate.
Iosune says
Hi Katy! I don't think that at all! I don't consume oils in my daily basis 🙂
Laura says
I think Katy was replying to the comment Elly made. 🙂
Iosune says
Hi Laura! Thanks for your help 😀
Dan says
According to an MIT nutritionist who worked for the UN - WHO, it is only when a person is suffering from extreme malnutrition, that is, starving to death, that their intake of oil is insufficient to metabolise vitamins. Let's put that myth to bed forever please. Yes, hard to find fatfree vegan receipes Thanks!
Iosune says
Hi Dan! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Farah says
You shouldn't mix oils(fats) with carbs(carbs burn like sugar) and so mixing them both together is very bad for the body. Extensive studies have been done on his and will create problems down the line. Either do a high fat high/low carb or high sugar diet(fruit and vegetable). NEVER MIX!
That's what ketosis is about.
Thanks for this recipe. Hard to find oil free vegan recipes. Nice to see someone doing it correctly.
Farah says
Nothing wrong with eating natural oils. There have been NO studies ever done that has shown natural fats (olive oil for eg) is bad for you. In Fact it is good for you however. It must not be mixed with carbs. This is where people go wrong. Fats leave you fuller for longer and you won't want to snack. It's long to write the scientific explanation on here but my husband is a health coach and nutritional expect and worked with biologists around America doing different studies on food effects with the body. His dad had type 2 diabetes and he took him off insulin and medication just from a high fat diet with oils and raw vegetables in moderation. People need to do more research before writing their comments.
We did a ketosis diet for 4 months and now moving over to vegan (with no fats) for the summer.
I would recommend researching ketosis because its good to further educate oneself and understand how the body functions.
Hope that helps 🙂
Iosune says
Hi Farah! Thanks a lot for your comment 😀
Janice Ayer says
I will will do this recipe as is. I know that I will love It! But I do eat chicken
fish and occasionally stake and pork tender loin grilled. I feel confused Is
though that this was healthy to eat together?
Janice
Iosune says
Hi Janice! We're vegans, so we don't eat animals and we don't think animal food is healthy at all. You should watch Fork over Knives, it's a life-changing documentary. Have a nice day!
sally says
Here is the science, see the work of Drs. John McDougall, Caldwell Esselysten, Colin Campbell, Dean Ornish-Nancey Addison-nutritionist. The popular title of one of the main studies is "The China Study," (thousands of people participated in this study-1960s) but once you find the work of these doctors above, there will be links to a multitude of other studies from legitimate and well respected peer-review medical journals and then you can decide for yourself. Oil is a highly processed food (not in any natural state) and, according to this group of doctors (and others), adds fat to your arteries, cells and organs-the result, heart disease, diabetes, cancer (inflammation), arthristic etc. Eat fat from nuts/avocados (in small quantities)
Iosune says
Hi Sally! Thanks a lot for your comment 🙂 Have a nice day!
Jain Sphinx says
Janice - you eat STAKE??? That must be really hard on your gums.
dmitri says
better to just eat some olives or avocado along side. You'll get the fat plus a little fiber and probably some other micronutrients.
Iosune says
Hi Dmitri! Sounds great 😉
Antoinette says
Tried this with grilled steak for dinner tonight. One word...YUMMO!!!!! And SUPER easy!!!!! This is going to be a summer time staple at my house!
Iosune says
Hi Antoinette! I'm glad you liked it! 🙂
Jain Sphinx says
Antoinette, I'm sure Iosune is too polite to tell you but having even a grilled steak defeats the object of this recipe! Saturated fats clog your arteries. That's why this recipe has no fat! And this is also a vegan site so perhaps you might consider that you glee about eating dead animals might be offensive to some of us. Thank you for your future consideration.
Iosune says
Hi Jain! Thanks a lot for your comment 🙂 Have a nice day!
Kelly says
Taking the words out of my mouth, Jain. Haha.
Iosune says
Thanks Kelly 🙂
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Would fresh thyme here just be a waste since you are roasting the vegetables? or would it burn?
Iosune says
Hi Alice! I'd add the fresh thyme in the last 5 minutes or even when the veggies are cooked 🙂
Ana @ Ana's Rocket Ship says
Wow- this looks so SUPER amazing!! Especially that last picture with the roasted broccoli!
Iosune says
Thanks a lot Ana! 😀
Ashlie Gossett says
The other recipes I've read mention placing the veggies on the baking sheet "not touching". This keeps me from making this recipe too often because it makes it difficult to fit enough for my large family in the oven at one time. It seems your recipe doesn't require that. I wonder if it's because your recipe is oil free?
Iosune says
Hi Ashleie! I've also made this recipe using oil and it also works great 😉
Filipina Az says
Hi Iosune nice idea.
I will try this sometime.
Iosune says
Hi Filipina! Thanks a lot 🙂 Hope you like it!