Balsamic and Soy Vegetable Medley

Roasting vegetables in the oven caramelizes them and brings out their natural sweetness. This combination of brussels sprouts, green beans, broccoli, carrots, celery, zucchini, onion and mushrooms marries especially well together. I add soy sauce and balsamic vinegar to add another dimension of flavor and get a balance of sweetness, saltiness and acidity. 

Here we go, folks! The saga of Olga + Vegetables = Love continues.

Another relationship that is just as loving, is Olga + Easy Recipes. The oven plays a big part in making cooking easy and fuss free. I take a few moments to prep, slide the baking sheet into the oven and return to something more fun, like reading a book, talking with my husband or playing with my sweet baby boy.

I was craving a whole slew of veggies, which isn't very unusual for me. If I start with one vegetable, I usually end up cramming as many as I can:). This time, I was going for a green theme - broccoli, green beans, celery,  zucchini and brussel sprouts. For additional flavor and aroma, I added carrots, mushrooms, shallots and garlic. You can use almost any kind of vegetable combination you want. Sometimes, I add cauliflower, peppers, asparagus, etc. Mix and match to the preference of your taste buds. Roasting vegetables until they are golden brown brings our their natural sugars. The caramelized veggies are so crunchy, sweet and flavorful, and the inside is tender and soft.

I've never made brussel sprouts for my husband before, but I was sure he wouldn't like it, since he doesn't like broccoli. I thought I would end up picking out all the broccoli and brussel sprouts out of the dish before serving him. Well, I was working that night and he came home unusually late, so we didn't eat dinner together like we normally do. I told him where to find the veggies and the rice and went on my merry way to work. He texted me that night, asking me "what was that interesting vegetable?" Well, I had forgotten to warn him about the brussel sprouts. Before I had a chance to respond, he went on to say "I don't know what they were, but they were the highlight of the dish". You could have knocked me over with a feather! The vegetable I thought I would have to pick OUT of his plate, he ended up picking out more of from the serving dish to ADD to his plate. I think the caramelization, the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar really do a phenomenal job of a superb flavor combination.

Ingredients:

½ lb brussel sprouts, halved

½ lb green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 broccoli crown, florets only

2-3 carrots, sliced into ¼ inch thickness

1 small zucchini, sliced

2 shallots, sliced

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 celery stalk, sliced

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

salt, pepper

¼ cup olive oil

2-3 Tablespoons soy sauce

2-3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a large rimmed baking sheet into the oven while it's preheating and you are prepping all the ingredients.

Prep all the ingredients. Blanch the green beans in boiling water for about a minute and then drain.

Toss them all together and season with salt and pepper, although keep in mind that the soy sauce is salty as well.

Pour in the olive oil, the soy sauce and the balsamic vinegar. Mix to combine. When the oven is preheated, take out the hot baking sheet and place half of the vegetables onto the baking sheet. They will start cooking immediately and you will hear them sizzle, since the baking sheet is so hot.

Reduce the heat to 450 degrees.

Bake for about 20 minutes or so, until the vegetables are softened the way you like them and then roast the second half of the vegetables. Serve hot along with meat as a side dish or eat it with rice as an entree. Check out my recipe for Rice Pilaf.

Print