Honey-Roasted Vegetables

Our recipe for honey-roasted vegetables combines hearty produce with toasty walnuts, fresh thyme, and honey for a sweet-savory side that's full of fall flavor. We're partial to a colorful combination of carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes, but you can swap in other sturdy options like turnips and winter squash to suit your preferences. Just don't skip the herbs or nuts—they add an aromatic boost and welcome crunch that set this dish apart from your average roasted vegetable recipe. They pair well with pretty much any entrée, from steak to chicken to tofu and are ready for the oven with only ten minutes of prep time. Got leftovers? Add them to a next-day grain bowl, salad, or frittata.

Key Components of Honey-Roasted Vegetables

The vegetables: We call for a mixture of sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsnips for this recipe, which roast up beautifully without drying out or falling apart during the hour-long cook time. You'll want to peel them to remove their tough skins before cutting them into bite size pieces. If desired, you can use all one type of vegetable or swap in other hardy options like turnips, fennel, and celery root.

The sweetener: A generous amount of honey complements the subtle sweetness of the vegetables while adding a beautiful sheen to the final result. If yours has crystallized, which is a natural occurrence, microwave it for 30 seconds to return it to a liquid state.

The herbs: Fresh thyme lends an aromatic boost to this recipe. There's no need to strip the leaves off of the stems or chop the thyme prior to adding it; just toss in the whole sprigs and pick out the stems before serving. In place of thyme, you could use rosemary with delicious results.

The crunch: Walnuts roast alongside the vegetables for a welcome yet unexpected crunch, getting deliciously toasty as they cook. You can certainly omit them or serve them on the side if desired. To keep walnuts from becoming rancid, store them in the freezer in an airtight container or resealable bag.

Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams

Often referred to interchangeably, sweet potatoes and yams are actually two different vegetables. Yams are starchier and less sweet, don't become as tender, and cook up more dry than sweet potatoes; their skins are thicker, sturdier, and more bark-like as well. Like their name suggests, sweet potatoes are sweeter than yams and more moist when cooked with thin, smooth skins.