Roasting Vegetables Without Oil in the Oven

Have you even wondered whether you can oven roast vegetables without using any oil or other fat? Roasting veggies such as zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, onions, potatoes, green beans, mushrooms, beets, broccoli, peppers and root vegetables in the oven without oil is a healthy and easy way to cook vegetables. Here are some tips on how to successfully roast vegetables in a conventional oven:

Line the pan with parchment paper

Instead of directly placing the vegetables on a roasting pan, place them on a pan that has been lined with parchment paper. This will help prevent your food from sticking to the pan. However, you will still need to use some liquid to moisten the veggies as parchment paper is usually not enough to completely eliminate sticking.

Use water or vegetable stock instead of oil

Drizzling the vegetables with olive oil (or another type of cooking oil or dietary fat) before putting them into the oven prevents the veggies from sticking to the pan. But there's another way to reduce sticking: add some water or vegetable stock to the bottom of the roasting pan! If the roasting time is long, you may have to add more water to the roasting pan during cooking. You can also experiment with using other types of stock or broth, such as chicken broth.

Go experimental!

There are also plenty of other liquids that are well suited for moistening vegetables before and during oven roasting. Try, for instance, fresh orange juice, lemon juice, or tomato juice. Also wine, vinegar, and soy sauce are commonly used in fat-free recipes for oven-roasted vegetables.

Check and stir

Whether roasting vegetables with or without oil, it is important to check the food regularly and give it a stir and if the vegetables look dry. You should also note that the roasting times for different vegetables can vary significantly. Use our Chart of Oven Roasting Times for Different Vegetables, which shows the approximate cooking times for 60 common vegetables, as a broad guideline. Keep in mind, however, that the type of the oven, the texture of the vegetables, the preparation method, and personal preferences can result in significant deviations from suggested cooking times.