Balsamic Roasted Zucchini & Mushrooms

Oh boy, here I go roasting again!

You’re probably thinking, what hasn’t she roasted before? Surely she’s running out of options!

Nope. I’ll continue to throw my veggies on a bakingm sheet and cook them at a high heat in the oven for the rest of my time here on Earth.

Roasting vegetables is the single best way to cook them. I’ll go through all the ways you can cook veggies, so you can see how much better roasting is:

• Boiling: bland. Gross. I don’t think I’ve ever actually boiled any vegetables in my life.
• Steaming: Also bland. Better texture than boiling, but still on the bottom end of the flavor scale.
• Sauteing: You’re getting better. More flavor, not so good on texture.
• Grilling: just as good as roasting, but for the summertime only. Run the risk of undercooking vegetables.

There you go! I just laid out my argument for why you should be roasting vegetables. If you haven’t before, do it! You won’t regret it.

This roasted veggie dish took a little more time in the oven, since there was more liquid involved (oil & vinegar, instead of just oil). You want most of that liquid to be evaporated, and the veggies to be charred/carmelized for the best end result—that means more time in the oven.

Get you a good quality balsamic vinegar so you can really enhance the flavors in this dish. I have a small vial of dark cherry balsamic vinegar that I got in Canada last summer that I like to use for special occasions. I didn’t use it here, but I have a big bottle of good balsamic vinegar I used instead. Everyday roasting of vegetables isn’t really a special occasion, you know? It still helps to invest in a quality balsamic, though, especially if you use it a lot.

Both veggies turned into perfection for this dish. The green zucchini half-moons had brown bottoms, glazed in balsamic. The mushrooms were dark brown, lightly withered, and as tender as a pat of half melted butter. The balsamic vinegar really soaked into both veggies, infusing it with great flavor. Topping the dish off with some fresh parsley and feta cheese really sent it over the edge.

Try your hand at my favorite way to cook vegetables. Maybe soon you’ll see that veggies don’t have to be boring, bland, or bad!

Enjoy!

Balsamic Roasted Zucchini & Mushrooms

• Servings: 4
• Time: 1 hr
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

Wonderfully flavorful roasted zucchini & baby portobello mushrooms in a balsamic glaze, topped with feta.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. baby portobello mushrooms, quartered
• 2 large zucchini, cut into half moons about 1/4″ thick
• 1 TBS. olive oil
• 2 TBS. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. thyme
• salt & pepper
• Crumbled feta, for serving
• Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, and thyme.
2. Lay veggies out on baking sheet and drizzle oil-vinegar mixture on top. Toss well to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Place sheet in oven and roast for 20 minutes. Stir veggies and then place back in oven for another 15-20 minutes, or until veggies are browned and liquid is mostly evaporated.
4. Serve with crumbled feta cheese and chopped parsley.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, and thyme.

Lay veggies out on baking sheet and drizzle oil-vinegar mixture on top. Toss well to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Place sheet in oven and roast for 20 minutes. Stir veggies and then place back in oven for another 15-20 minutes, or until veggies are browned and liquid is mostly evaporated.

Serve with crumbled feta cheese and chopped parsley.