These Oven Roasted Vegetable Skewers are very simple to make. Roasting is one of my favorite ways to elevate the taste of vegetables that can sometimes taste boring. Serve this with arugula pesto that’s sure to bring heat and more freshness.
It is true that not all vegetables possess an incredibly memorable taste, however, roasting enhances the flavor dramatically. The sugar content of vegetables becomes concentrated when roasted which causes browning along the edges. This is why these veggie skewers will knock you out!
My friends and I love this recipe because it is easy to prepare and pairs well with lots of summer barbecuing and grilling recipes as a side dish.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For The Skewers
- Red, Green, and Yellow Bell Peppers – these peppers are one the best vegetables to roast because they develop a much sweeter taste than they are plain. When buying your bell peppers, look out for the ones with 4 lobes at the bottom. These kinds are known to be sweeter and great eaten fresh on salads as well as grilling.
- White Onion – these have white papery skin with mild sweetness and reduced onion scents when compared to other onions. Red onions taste even sweeter when roasted but also have a more pungent onion flavor. You can use either of them depending on the flavors you like.
- Baby Bella Mushroom (Cremini) – these mushrooms have a very earthy flavor and meaty taste which brings a different texture to the other vegetables.
- Grape Tomatoes – roasted tomatoes are super delicious so it’s a no-brainer to add some. Note that cherry tomatoes will also make a great substitute here.
- Zucchinis – these may be the blandest tasting vegetable on the skewer but these vegetables get very juicy and pack flavor well.
- Salt and Pepper – acts as a flavor enhancer
- Olive Oil – used to coat the vegetables to prevent them drying out and aids in roasting.
For The Arugula Pesto
- Fresh Arugula – fresh arugula leaves have a unique spicy and peppery punch that will turn up the flavors of the pesto.
- Sunflower Seeds – adds texture and nutty flavors to the pesto.
- Garlic Cloves – flavors this pesto nicely.
- Olive Oil – in this pesto, the olive oil acts as an emulsifier that will bring all the other ingredients together.
How To Make These Oven Roasted Vegetable Skewers
- Clean all your vegetables, and set in a sieve to drain and dry thoroughly. This step may need to be completed at least one hour before cooking.
- Make sure your oven is really hot by preheating it to 400F for about 15 minutes.
- All peppers and onions need to be cut into square chunks, zucchini in about half-inch slices, and mushrooms and tomatoes should be left as they are.
- Organize the vegetables on the skewers as you wish. I started with green pepper, then a red one, then zucchini, then slices of onions, mushrooms, peppers, another zucchini slice, and one grape tomato on top.
- Take a small basting brush and cover each skewer in a mixture of salt and pepper and olive oil.
- Put each piece on a baking tray with a rack and roast them for 3 minutes each for a total of 6 minutes.
- To make the arugula pesto, place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend/chop for at least 1 minute. The level of chunkiness or smoothness depends on how you like it.
Extra Recipe Notes
It is advisable to soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 2 hours before using them, as this will prevent the sticks from burning.
Also, this recipe can be made a day or two ahead by prepping all the vegetables. Go ahead and arrange them on the skewer if you are using a metal one and store covered with a plastic wrap then keep it in the fridge. However, because you will need to soak the bamboo ones before using them, arrange the vegetables on the day of.
What To Serve With Roasted Veggie Skewers
These oven-roasted vegetable skewers are a side recipe so this means you can eat them literally with any meal you’ll typically want some vegetables with. You can eat them as they are with the arugula pesto. Another option is to pair these veggie kabobs with rice, chicken, fish, or burgers.
Other Roast Recipes To Try
Roasted Cherry Tomato Bruschetta
Oven Roasted Vegetable Skewers
These Oven Roasted Vegetable Skewers are very simple to make. Roasting is one of my favorite ways to elevate the taste of vegetables that can sometimes taste boring.
Ingredients
- 8 Bamboo Stick Skewers
- 2 Red Bell Peppers
- 2 Green Bell Peppers
- 2 Yellow Bell Peppers
- 1 White Onion
- 2 cups Baby Bella Mushroom (Cremini)
- 1 cup Grape Tomatoes
- 2 Zucchinis
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
For The Pesto
- 2 cups Arugula
- 1/4 cup Sunflower Seed
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 Garlic Clove
- 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
Instructions
- If you are using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 2 hours before using them.
- Wash all your vegetable and leave in a sieve to drain and dry completely. You may want to do this step at least an hour before cooking them.
- Preheat your oven to 400F for about 15 minutes to make sure it's really hot.
- Cut all the peppers and onion into square chunks then cut the zucchinis in about half an inch slice. Leave the mushrooms and tomatoes as they are.
- The next step is to start arranging the vegetables on the skewers as you like. I started off with green pepper, then red, then zucchini, then slices of onions, 1 mushroom, more onions, another zucchini slice, yellow pepper, another green one then I finished it off with one grape tomato on top.
- Combine salt and pepper with olive oil. Mix well together then use a small basting brush to coat each skewer with it.
- Set on a baking tray and roast them for 3 minutes on each side for a total of 6 minutes.
- To make the arugula pesto, combine all the ingredients into a food processor and blend/chop for at least 1 minute. It is up to you how chunky or smooth you want your pesto to be.
- Serve the vegetable skewers with some arugula pesto on the side.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 135Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 829mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 4g
Please note that nutritional information is not always accurate.
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