Low FODMAP roasted vegetables with feta cheese, lemon and aromatic herbs. Vibrant, healthy and satisfying, it’s a recipe I make on a regular basis for a weeknight dinner or as a side to grilled fish at the weekend.
It’s easy peasy in that you can spend ten minutes chopping up the veggies you have on hand (I find loud music and a great G&T helps with this) before whacking them in the oven to pull them out forty minutes later, roasted, golden and caramelised.
I think sometimes we’re too scared to use vegetables as the main component of a dish in fear that it won’t be substantial enough. It’s one of the things my sister has noticed the most since going vegetarian – people panic and say “well what are you going to have instead of the meat??”
But it’s so easy – and healthy – to use veg as the base in any meal. Just add a few eggs/quinoa/fruit/nuts/seeds/tofu/ cheese or pulses and you’ve got yourself a delicious, substantial lunch or dinner.
In case you’re not sure, here are a list of common veggies and where they stand on the FODMAP scale (in line with the Monash University guide):
Low in FODMAPs –
carrots, parsnip, aubergine, green beans, peppers, chilli, courgette, fennel, kale, potato, spinach
OK in small amounts –
beetroot, butternut squash, sweetcorn, pumpkin, broccoli
Worst offenders/high FODMAP vegetables –
onion (any bar green tops of spring onion), garlic, mushrooms, leeks, cauliflower, artichoke
So gather an abundance from the top list and maybe a small amount of one from the second, give them a roast, add your extras and you’ll have yourself an incredibly satisfying veg based meal.
This recipe will serve 4/6 as a main or 8/10 as a side. It will last for 3 days or so in the fridge, so as always I like to make extra on a Sunday afternoon to have as part of my lunches during the week. You can vary the vegetables you see here (please note I avoided the cauliflower when eating and it isn’t in the recipe below – but it was included when I made it for my family as they’re big fans).
- 1 butternut squash
- 2 bell peppers
- 500g chantenay carrots
- 1 aubergine
- 1/2 broccoli
- 1 bunch of fresh herbs (we used oregano, sage, rosemary and thyme)
- Handful of feta cheese
- 50g pine nuts
- 1 lemon
- 250g spinach
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper to season
- Preheat the oven to 200C.
- De-skin the butternut squash and prepare the vegetables, making sure to chop everything into fairly equal sizes.
- Place into one or two large roasting pans and drizzle with olive oil and fresh herbs of choice, ensuring all the veg is evenly coated.
- Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and crispy around the edges.
- Season and add any extra herbs, if you wish.
- Serve on a bed of spinach and top with feta cheese and a sprinkling of pine nuts. Serve with a wedge of lemon.
