Ingredients

• 4 parsnips, trimmed, peeled and cut into 1.5″ cubes
• 6 large carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into 1.5″ cubes
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1.5″ chunks 
• 4 yellow or candy stripe beets, peeled and cut into small wedges  
• 2 bulbs fennel, trimmed and sliced into wedges
• 2 red onions, trimmed, peeled and sliced into wedges
• 1 sweet onion, trimmed, peeled and sliced into wedges
• 1/2 pound sunchokes, peeled and halved
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, divided
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for serving
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 
• Maldon sea salt flakes for finishing

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Combine the hard vegetables—parsnips, carrots, squash and beets—in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon thyme and drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add salt and pepper, and stir gently to coat the vegetables evenly. 

Step 2

Repeat in a separate bowl with the softer vegetables—the fennel, onions and sunchokes. (See more about roasting mixed vegetables in the Healthy Kitchen Nugget below.) 

Step 3

Tip the hard vegetables into a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan large enough to hold them in one layer without touching; they need room to get a nice crisp on the edges. After 30 minutes, add the soft vegetables to a second baking sheet, place in the oven, and continue cooking for about another 30 minutes until all the veggies are tender in the center and caramelized. For even browning, use a spatula to occasionally turn all the veggies throughout the roasting. Transfer all the vegetables to one large serving bowl, drizzle with more olive oil if desired, and sprinkle with a few grains of the Maldon salt.