There are so many different ways to cook vegetables so that they shine their brightest, and to me, the top two ways to make them the stars of the show are grilling and roasting them.

The natural sugars in the veggies come out, their skins get golden and a little bit charred, add some toast and some vegan pesto to the mix and you’ve got a winner.

A big tray of roasted vegetables can go a long way, especially when it comes to making quick and easy vegan meals throughout the week.

Set aside some time over the weekend to roast a ton of veggies, and use them in your meals as sides or toppings for veggie bowls, or as a topping for the delicious vegan bruschetta I'm teaching you how to make today.

Delicious, crunchy pieces of toast with buttery roasted garlic spread on them, roasted veggies tossed in vegan avocado pesto and topped with salt flakes, YUM!

ROASTED VEGETABLE AND PESTO BRUSCHETTA

Yield: 4 servings (plus extra pesto for pasta the next day!) | Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 1 hour | Gluten Free (if using gluten free bread)

Ingredients

For the roasted vegetables:

• 2 red onions, peeled and chopped into large wedges or bite-sized pieces
• 1 large or 2 medium red bell peppers (or 1 red and 1 yellow), stem and seeds removed, and cut into the same size as the onions
• 1 yellow delicata squash and/or zucchini or yellow summer squash, cut into the same size as the rest of the vegetables
• 2 heads of garlic, cloves separated and lightly smashed, but with the skins on
• 12-15 small mushrooms
• A drizzle of olive oil
• Some fresh or dried thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
  

For the pesto:

• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 cups fresh basil, stems removed
• 1/2 cup arugula
• 1/2 cup parsley
• The juice of 1/2 a lemon (or to taste)
• 1 ripe hass avocado
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
  

For assembling:

Your favorite bread for bruschetta (approximately 8 slices) Sea salt flakes (optional)

Directions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 375ºF (190ºC).

2. Add all the garlic cloves (with the skins still on) and all the vegetables (except the zucchini or summer squash and mushrooms) to a roasting pan.

3. Drizzle and toss with some olive oil, salt, pepper and the thyme.

4. Roast in the pre-heated oven for 40 minutes.

5. While the vegetables are roasting, prepare your pesto by processing all the pesto ingredients in a food processor until you have a creamy sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed and set aside.

6. Once the 40 minutes of roasting have passed, add the zucchini or summer squash and the mushrooms to the pan.

7. Drizzle again with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper, toss everything together and return the pan to the oven for an additional 20-25 minutes.

8. Remove the pan from the oven and turn on the broiler or top of your oven at 480ºF (250ºC).

9. Place the bread slices on a shallow baking sheet and toast in the oven for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden on both sides.

10. Take out all the roasted garlic cloves from the pan with the vegetables, remove the skins, and spread each piece of toast with the buttery garlic clove as if you were spreading butter.

11. Toss the vegetables with a few tablespoons of the pesto (only enough to coat them, remember you're meant to have lots left over for pasta the next day), and spoon the vegetables over the pieces of garlicky toast.

12. Add a bit more pesto to top, sprinkle with sea salt flakes and enjoy!