Check out an easy and tasty way to get a healthy dose of vegetables.
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Everybody knows the importance of having vegetables in our diet. The problem is that it’s not always easy for people who aren’t vegetable enthusiasts. Fortunately, with an air fryer, the task of cooking those vegetables becomes a lot easier. Within 10 or 15 minutes, a slew of different vegetables can be prepped, seasoned, cooked, and ready to eat. It takes some of the work out of the equation, making it easier to include a healthy serving of vegetables with any meal.
More importantly, the vegetables coming out of the air fryer are going to taste good. Vegetables coming out of the air fryer will have the perfect texture and have their natural flavors bursting at the seams. A quick trip to the air fryer also makes your veggies easier to season however you like, giving you the best of both worlds: healthy vegetables that will also delight your taste buds.
Luckily, you don’t always need an air fryer to cook delicious vegetables. You can also try this recipe for oven-roasted vegetables. You can also put together full meals of quinoa with roasted vegetables or vegetable curry. Finally, there is one of the classic veggie-friendly dishes like vegetable lasagna that’s easier to put together than you think.
Are Air Fryer Vegetables Healthy?
Absolutely! Of course, a plate full of vegetables is healthy. In fact, by using an air fryer, you don’t need a lot of grease or oil to cook the vegetables and bring out their flavor. This makes air fryer vegetables healthier than other methods of cooking vegetables. If you include all of the different vegetables listed in the recipe, you’re bound to get a good dose of fiber and protein, not to mention a slew of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins A and C.
Anything you want, nothing you don’t
Think of the vegetables listed under the ingredients as a suggestion. Your air fryer vegetables are going to be best with everything listed included, but you can feel free to skip one or two if you don’t like them. Likewise, if there are veggies not listed that you’d like to include, feel free to toss them in. As long as they’re vegetables that you want to eat, feel free to include them.
The same logic applies to the seasoning on the veggies. Obviously it’s hard to go wrong with a little garlic, pepper, and sea salt. But your options don’t end there. Feel free to throw in cayenne, pepper flakes, or jalepenos if you want to spice things up. You can also take a different direction by adding some balsamic vinegar or spices like basil, rosemary, or thyme that will add different flavors. Finally, you always have the option of sprinkling some parmesan cheese onto your veggies once they come out of the air fryer.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large bell pepper red or yellow, cut into 1.5-inch pieces
- 1 medium zucchini sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- 1 cup broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup cauliflower florets cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 large red onion cut into 1-inch pieces and layers separated
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep
Get your air fryer heated up and ready to go. Meanwhile, chop your veggies into even pieces for uniform cooking.
Season
Toss all your colorful veggies with olive oil and seasonings in a bowl. This coats them with flavor and helps them crisp up.
Air Fry
Lay the veggies in the air fryer basket, avoiding overcrowding. Cook them until they’re tender and have a nice roasted edge.
Enjoy
Serve these quick and healthy air-fried veggies as a delightful side to any meal. They’re a breeze to make and packed with nutrition!
Devour!
FAQs & Tips
Any leftover vegetables can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days and re-heated using the air fryer.
While any vegetable you like can be included in this recipe, try to stick to vegetables that are firm because soft veggies tend to become mushy in an air fryer.
Consider soaking your vegetables in water before chopping them and cooking them. This is particularly true with potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables that are a little more dense.
Even if you hope to cook a big plate of vegetables, make sure all of the veggies in the air fryer are in just one layer; otherwise, they won’t cook evenly.
Serving Suggestions
What goes well with a big plate of air fryer vegetables? Well, just about anything, but how about roast chicken as the main dish? You could keep it simple with oven-baked chicken thighs or enhance the healthy nature of your meal even more with a cashew chicken sheet pan dinner. You could also consider meatballs as a good protein-based complement to your veggies. But they don’t have to be ordinary meatballs. You could whip up some Greek turkey meatballs with feta or try your hand at sweet and sour paleo meatballs.
Air Fryer Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 large bell pepper red or yellow, cut into 1.5-inch pieces
- 1 medium zucchini sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- 1 cup broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup cauliflower florets cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 large red onion cut into 1-inch pieces and layers separated
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
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Preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees F for 3 minutes.
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Prepare your vegetables. You need to aim for uniform size, this is the easiest way to get even cooking.
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In a large mixing bowl, toss the prepared vegetables with olive oil, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper.
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Arrange the seasoned vegetables in the air fryer basket in a single layer. You need to avoid overcrowding. If necessary, cook in batches.
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Air fry the vegetables for about 8 minutes, give the basket a gentle shake at the halfway point. When done, the veggies should be tender with slightly browned edges. Serve immediately.
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