Around the world in... roast veg

Relax alongside cooks worldwide and let the oven do a glow-up on humble vegetables.

Kofta-stuffed bullhorn peppers Source: Maja Smend

Something magical happens when you put vegetables into a moderate oven for a while. Flavours intensify, edges get caramelised and even the crankiest of vegetables (we're looking at you, Brussels sprouts) get sweeter.

The best bit is, you don't even need to be there for this marvellous sorcery to happen. You can be busy elsewhere and the oven will still do the work. Which makes roasting vegetables a perfectly achievable everyday thing.

Cooks worldwide have known this since the first vegetable was roasted in a hole dug by the firepit (we presume). While 'ready in 30-minute' dinners may seem to have the upper hand when it comes to meal time, it's actually the oven-roasted dish that wins for time. 

It also wins for flavour. There's nothing quite as good as a roasted vegetable dish - and that's an experience we all deserve to have on the regular. No matter where we are in the world.

Lebanon: Spiced oven-baked crispy potatoes

PSA: you haven't lived until you've dipped your roast potatoes in beetroot hummus. Source: Adam Liaw

Honestly, this entire list could be exclusively about roast potatoes. They literally rule the world. We've chosen this roast potato dish from Lebanon to represent, because it's got everything a roast potato loves: spices, crispy edges and soft, fluffy insides.

France: Pommes Lyonnaise and Ratatouille

This delicious, classic French dish of sliced potatoes, onions and parsley is a staple in every French household. Source: Andy Baker

Of course, we'd be very remiss if we brushed over the special relationship France has with the roast potato. From pommes boulangère to gratin Dauphinois to pommes Lyonnaise, the French really know how to rock and roast a patate.

This slow cooker from Provence in the south of France is one of the only reasons you'd crank up the oven in mid-summer. Source: Ratatouille (French Food Safari)

And then there is ratatouille, which loosely translates as "roasted summer vegetable perfection". It's so good that putting the oven on in the middle of summer for hours seems entirely sensible.

America: Baked eggs on roasted cherry tomatoes and Baked sweet potato

Eggs with roasted cherry toms and basil are an amazing combination of texture and flavour that makes for very happy tastebuds. Source: Erin Scott

Brighten your morning eggs with a pop of hot, juicy roasted tomatoes. Little tomatoes like these take just 12 minutes in the oven, which is just enough time to prep and cook your eggs.

The caramelisation on these babies is next-level. Source: Mark Roper

Adding a little brown sugar to your sweet potatoes before you bake them makes them sweet, sweet, sweet potatoes. This is a Southern soul food dish that is simple to make and so satisfying.

Italy: Roasted cherry tomato and olive pasta and Stuffed eggplant

Upgrade your tomato pasta by roasting cherry tomatoes with olives, olive oil, oregano, garlic and chilli until the tomatoes are warm and wrinkled. Source: Adam Liaw

Roasted tomatoes are *a chef's kiss*, especially when served over pasta. All you need is a splash of olive oil, a dash of garlic and a little chilli to bring out the rich sweetness that lives inside every tomato.

Eggplant is so delicious and creamy when baked, so why stop at one round? Source: Jono Fleming

Stuffing then roasting vegetables has been a Mediterranean tradition for centuries. A good place to start your stuffing journey is with eggplant. Roast the eggplant, fill with other vegetables, and then roast again.

Japan: Miso-glazed butternut pumpkin

This is how you put a ring on your love of pumpkin. Source: Nihal Abed

Roasting a whole pumpkin like this means your prep-time will essentially consist of cutting a pumpkin in half. It also means you'll retain all of the pumpkin-y goodness to mingle with your five-minute miso glaze.

Greece: Roasted beetroot with silky skordalia and Briam

Beetroot lovers, assemble. Source: Jeremy Simons

All vegetables get sweeter with roasting, but none more than beetroot. It still retains its earthiness, but as this Greek dish showcases, it caramelises into something close to dessert.

The oven transforms simple ingredients into a fragrant casserole with a Greek twist Source: My Greek Table

Briam is the kind of dish you turn on to bake when your guests arrive, then plonk in the middle of the table so everyone can dig in with crusty bread dippers. No one leaves the table unhappy, trust us.

Spain: Tombet and Asadillo de pimientos

The vegetables are kept quite chunky for tombet, ensuring they keep both their shape and individual flavour. Source: Rochelle Eagle

The Mallorcan take on briam is tombet - a hearty vegetable stew of tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, zucchinis, capsicum and onions. This one is also good served in the centre of the table as an appetiser and dipped into with slices of bread.

Jamón-wrapped pork schnitzel (san jacobo) with roasted capsicum salsa. Source: Benito Martin

Roast capsicum brings a hit of flavour to a simple tomato, capsicum, onion and garlic salsa. You roast the capsicums whole in the oven, remove the skins then tear the flesh... all rather visceral, which is what you want in t a good salsa, right?

Middle East: Crispy Brussels sprouts and Kofta-stuffed peppers

Truth: this recipe will change how you feel about Brussels sprouts. Source: Adam Liaw

Here are Brussels sprouts shining in roasted form. They're fried until crispy and then baked to creamy softness inside. Served over a spicy hummus they are completely irresistible.

Bullhorn peppers, are a long, sweet variety of capsicum with little to no heat. Source: Maja Smend

Life is definitely not too short to stuff capsicum. Deliciously bright and wholesome, this smoky paprika and cumin-spiced dish is a great make-ahead and reheat dinner.

Korea: Steamed seafood in pumpkin

Pumpkin makes a pretty vessel that you get to eat along the way. Source: Heather Jeong

Stuffed pumpkin dishes are a traditional offering in Korean cuisine. The pumpkin is filled with a variety of fillings- here it's a cheesy seafood mix, proving that cheese and seafood are definitely good together. Also proves that roast pumpkin is good with everything.

Bosnia: Ajvar

For those times you don't have pasta sauce and want to swirl something through, ajvar is the answer. Source: Tammi Kwok

Ajvar is one hard-working relish. Bosnians (and Serbians too) slather everything with this roast capsicum relish and for good reason: it makes everything taste amazing.

Britain: Roast vegetables in goose fat

A pile of goose-fat roasted veggies is the perfect side for a leg of roasted meat. Source: John Laurie

The Brits love a roast dinner and the secret to extra-crispy roasted vegetables is goose or duck fat. It adds a luxurious richness to any roast veg and results in a hearty crunch.

Australia: Jacket potato

This is a lo-fi, high returns approach to Saturday night dining. Source: Adam Liaw

Let's celebrate the worldwide power of roasted vegetables with a jacket potato party. You bring the giant spuds and we'll bring a variety of toppings that'll knock your tatties' socks off. Cue music!