Take your veggies to the next level with JUST ONE ingredient! Balsamic Vinegar! This colorful plate of roasted veggies with balsamic reduction is simple to make and oh so satisfying.
If you’ve never cooked with balsamic vinegar or tried making your own balsamic reduction, now is the perfect time to try it!
Let’s start things off with what a balsamic reduction is and how to use it:
What is a Balsamic Reduction?
A balsamic reduction is the product of simply cooking balsamic vinegar until it becomes thick, syrup-y, and fuller in flavor. (Note: make it a balsamic glaze by simply adding sugar to it before it simmers down and thickens)
How to use Balsamic Vinegar and Reduction
-Drizzle a little reduction over avocado (or on top of avocado toast).
-Drizzle it over tomatoes.
-Use Balsamic vinegar as a tasty salad dressing (enjoy as is or use it to make your own better-than-store-bought version).
-Drizzle it over melon
-Sweeten the reduction a bit by adding cinnamon, clove, or other sweet warm spices then drizzling it on top of ice cream, or other baked goods of choice.
-Add balsamic vinegar to tomato-based sauces to brighten up the flavor.
Ok, now back to this roasted veggie plate. I used whatever veggies I had in my kitchen (including some red and purple fingerling potatoes and threw in some leftover coconut brown rice that was on its 2nd day sitting in the fridge.
As for the brussel sprouts and portabella mushroom tops (not pictured), I decided to prepare those on the stove-top. I was too hungry to wait until one batch of veggies finished cooking so I could use the pan!
The great thing about this recipe is that you can use whatever kind of veggies you have! Onions, celery, zucchini, carrots, beets, etc. It’s also a great way to “clean out the fridge”, by using veggies that you bought almost a week ago and need do something with them before they go bad.
Let’s get started!
Recipe
Roasted Veggies with Balsamic Reduction
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
- veggies of choice I used eggplant, tomato, portabella mushrooms, asparagus, avocado, and brussel sprouts
- salt and pepper
- 1.5 cups balsamic vinegar
- brown rice optional
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds optional garnish
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425 F.
- Slice all veggies into consistently thick slices (so that they roast evenly) and transfer them into bowl. Drizzle olive oil on top and toss until all veggies are coated. Next sprinkle with salt and pepper (and other herbs of choice)
- Line baking tray with aluminum foil then dump veggies on tray in a single layer.
- Place veggies in oven and for 35-40 minutes while flipping them every 15 minutes. Cooking time may vary depending on veggies used. (Cook veggies in batches if baking tray is not big enough)
- While veggies are cooking, make the balsamic reduction.
Balsamic reduction
- In a medium sized (non-reactive) saucepan, add balsamic vinegar and any flavoring agents you'd like (see notes at the bottom for different flavor add-in options
- Turn kitchen fan on or open kitchen windows for ventilation as there will be vinegar floating in the atmosphere!
- Bring vinegar to a simmer over medium heat then turn down heat and keep at a low simmer. It will perhaps take about 15 minutes for the vinegar to thicken and reduce. (You can reduce it to ¾ cup or ½ cup. Don't reduce it too much or else you risk burning it.)
- The reduction will also thicken up considerably once cooled.
- Right before serving, drizzle balsamic reduction over veggies. Sprinkle on optional sesame seeds for garnish. Serve warm or cold. Without flavor add-ins, balsamic vinegar reduction should last about 3 weeks- 1 month (covered) in the refrigerator.
Notes
If you make these Roasted Veggies with Balsamic Reduction , let me know how it turns out! 🙂 Rate it, leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #veganfitcarter
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