These Moroccan vegetables are seasoned with a Moroccan spice blend and then roasted to perfection for an easy and flavor-packed vegetable side dish.
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What is ras el hanout?
What makes this recipe Moroccan-inspired is the seasoning.
Ras el hanout is a blend of spices from North Africa.
There is no single recipe for ras el hanout. Instead, each brand or family has their own blend.
Common spices included in ras el hanout are cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, coriander, ginger, cumin, black pepper and turmeric.
Some of my favorite blends also include dried flowers such as rose petals and lavender for a floral note.
Large supermarkets carry ras el hanout in the spice aisle or in the international foods aisle.
If you have a well-stocked spice cabinet at home you can also make your own blend of ras el hanout - there are many recipes online.
Which vegetables to roast?
To make these simple Moroccan roasted vegetables, just toss fresh veggies in ras el hangout-spiced oil and roast them in the oven.
The choice of vegetable to roast is really up to you.
Use your favorite vegetables or make this recipe to use up any leftovers in your fridge.
When creating this recipe I used sweet potato, carrot, broccoli, zucchini and red pepper.
Other options are cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, turnip, radish, butternut squash, onions, or potatoes.
Ingredients
This simple recipe is adaptable to whatever veggies you like or have on hand. Feel free to substitute!
Vegetables: For this recipe I used sweet potato, carrots, broccoli, zucchini and red bell peppers.
Ras el hanout: Ras el hanout is a Moroccan spice blend. You can find it in the spice aisle of well-stocked supermarkets or in the international food aisle.
Garlic powder: I don’t like roasting garlic since I tend to accidentally burn it. A touch of garlic powder adds nice flavor.
Olive oil: Vegetables need to roast in some type of oil.
Salt: Season the veggies with salt to taste.
How to make Moroccan vegetables
Moroccan roasted vegetables are easy to make but there are a couple tricks to make sure that the veggies come out nicely crisp and caramelized!
Prep: Start by prepping the veggies. Separate your vegetables into those that are denser (sweet potato, carrot, broccoli) and those with a higher water content (zucchini and bell pepper).
Roasting them on separate pans will ensure that they caramelize instead of steam.
Peel the sweet potato and carrot. I like the veggies cut rather small so that they roast faster.
Dice the sweet potato into ½ inch cubes, slice the carrots, and chop the broccoli into florets. These three veggies can be roasted together.
Dice the zucchini into ½ inch cubes and chop the red pepper into squares. These two veggies can be roasted together.
Season: In a large bowl, add 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of ras el hanout, ¼ teaspoon each of garlic powder and salt. Mix well to combine.
Add in the sweet potato, carrots and broccoli. Stir to coat the vegetables in the seasoned oil.
Transfer to a baking pan and spread them out in a single layer.
Now add the remaining olive oil, spices and seasonings to the bowl and mix.
Add the red pepper and zucchini and stir to coat in oil. Spread them out in a single layer on a second baking sheet.
Roast: Heat the oven to 400F / 200C.
Place the pan with the denser veggies - sweet potato, carrot and broccoli - in the oven.
Roast for 10 - 15 minutes, until beginning to soften. Then move the pan to the lower third of the oven and place the second baking pan with the zucchini and red pepper in the top third of the oven.
Roast until the veggies are soft and browned in spots - about another 10 - 15 minutes.
When all the veggies are roasted, combine them on one pan and serve.
Variations and substitutions
Vegetables: You can add or swap out any of the veggies. Other options include: cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, turnip, radish, butternut squash, onions, or potatoes. Just keep in mind which vegetable have a higher water content and roast them separately from the denser vegetables.
Protein: Plants have protein but if you want more you can add chickpeas to the dense vegetable mixture. Roasted chickpeas are delicious.
Seasonings: You can add dried herbs to the seasoned oil mix: mint, oregano, parsley, etc. You can also add some chopped fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice after roasting.
Make ahead and storage tips
Moroccan vegetables can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can freeze roasted vegetables but they become soft and soggy upon freezing. It’s usually recommended to freeze roasted vegetables that you’ll be using as an ingredient in another recipe, not to serve as a side dish like these Moroccan roasted vegetables.
How to serve Moroccan vegetables
These Moroccan roasted vegetables are a great, flavorful side dish to any main dish.
Serve over couscous or toasted quinoa, alongside bbq tofu, polenta, or to top a Buddha bowl.
Moroccan Vegetables
Ingredients
- 4 cups diced dense vegetables (sweet potato, carrot, broccoli)
- 4 cups diced soft vegetables (zucchini, bell pepper)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons ras el hanout
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Peel and dice the sweet potato into about ½ inch cubes. Slice the carrots into rounds. Chop the broccoli into florets.
- In a large bowl, mix together 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon ras el hanout, ¼ each teaspoon garlic powder and salt.
- Add the dense veggies and stir to coat them in the seasoned oil. Transfer to a baking pan and spread them out in a single layer.
- Turn on the oven to 400f / 200c and place the baking pan on the middle rack. Roast for 10 - 15 minutes until beginning to soften.
- Meanwhile, dice the softer vegetables into about ½ inch cubes.
- Combine the remaining oil and spices in the bowl and add the veggies. Stir to coat then place on a second baking pan in a single layer.
- Move the first baking pan to the lower third of the oven and place the second baking pan in the top third.
- Continue roasting until all the vegetables are soft and beginning to brown - about another 10 - 15 minutes.
- When all the vegetables are roasted, remove the pans from the oven and combine the veggies to serve.
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