Roasted Mediterranean vegetables recipe

These medley of roasted Mediterranean vegetables is such a simple dish to make and it's super-healthy as well.

The vegetables alone make fantastic side dish to grilled meat, fish or slices of griddled halloumi. But loaded up on to the garlic-infused couscous base and served with a good dollop of hummus, it's a great meat-free main - perfect for vegetarians or meat-free Mondays. This is one of our favourite dishes for summertime al fresco dining when the vegetables are in season so they're plentiful and well-priced. This serves 4 as a main course and takes and hour and 15 minutes to make, but a lot of that is just time for the veggies to roast in the oven. 

Ingredients

• 12 baby new potatoes, halved
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red and 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
• 2 large courgettes, cut into thick slices
• 2 small red onions, peeled and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled, lightly squashed
• 200g tub ready-grilled artichokes

To serve as a main dish:

• 200g (7oz) couscous
• 300ml (½ pint) hot stock or water
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 200g tub hummus

Method

1. Parboil the baby new potatoes for 8 minutes in already boiling water. Drain and set aside. Set the oven to 220°C/Gas Mark 7. Spoon the oil into a roasting tin and put in the oven to heat up for 5 mins, while you prepare the remaining vegetables.
2. Mix the potatoes, fresh vegetables and garlic in the hot oil in the tin and roast for 40 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the artichokes to the pan for the last 5 mins of cooking.
3. To serve as a main meal, put the couscous into a bowl, pour the hot stock or water over and leave for five mins, until the liquid is absorbed. Pick the roasted garlic cloves out of the roasting tray and squeeze the garlic purée out of the skins onto the couscous. Add the lime zest and juice and seasoning, to taste, then fluff up the couscous with a fork and mix thoroughly.
4. Season the vegetables and serve with the couscous and hummus (drizzle with oil from the artichokes, if you like).

Top tips for making Mediterranean vegetables

Add sliced aubergine or leek instead of the artichokes, if you prefer. Just make sure to brush the aubergine slices well with olive oil so that they don't dry out while cooking.

Are roasted vegetables still healthy?

Yes! Roasted vegetables of different colours and varieties contain a wide range of nutrients. Cooking in a small amount of oil is a healthy and relatively low fat preparation method. Some vegetables, notably tomatoes, actually release more of their nutrients as they cook. Cooked tomatoes are a good source of lycopene, which is important for a healthy heart. Don't overcook the vegetables as their nutritional value can start to break down. 

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