How to Make Perfect Air Fried Vegetables
Roast vegetables are a healthier option to add to your diet as the nutrients are generally still retained. However, the way you prepare them will affect how healthy they are. For example, if a lot of oil is used to roast the vegetables that would be unhealthy. This is where the air fryer can be a great choice as little or no oil is required.
Air fried vegetables comes out like roasted vegetables except crispier. They are cooked evenly and takes less time to roast compared to using a conventional oven.
Things to note:
Air Fryer: The capacity of your air fryer will determine how much you can cook in one go. I have a 6 Quarts air fryer so the basket is able to fit all of the vegetables in one cooking batch. If you have a smaller air fryer you will need to cook the vegetables in two or more batches. One the other hand, where you have a multifunctional air fryer, you may increase the portion sizes and be able to cook more in one go.
The general idea is to avoid overcrowding as this leads to uneven cooking and results in underdone vegetables. Also bear in mind that if you want more surface area to have the crispy layer then the spacing between the vegetables is important.
Vegetables: The vegetables selected for this recipe are button mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, capsicum (bell pepper) and zucchini. All these vegetables have high moisture content in them so they are ideal to be cooked together. If you want to add or replace different types of vegetables make sure that you choose other vegetables with high moisture content. Otherwise, you will have undercooked and overcooked vegetables.
When selecting your vegetables avoid leafy vegetables as these are too light and will be blown around the air fryer with the strong fan circulation.
If you are in a hurry and only have frozen vegetables, they can be used as well however, the cooking time will need to be increased slightly. Additionally, the balsamic vinegar may need to be added after the cooking so that the frozen vegetables can absorb the flavor better.
Spice things up: many people prefer their vegetables extra spicy. My recipe includes the way I prefer to have my air fried vegetables, but there’s a lot more to do with your air fried veggies if you prefer to add a bit of spice! Whenever I crave that extra kick, I season my air fried vegetables with smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, or Italian seasoning.
Serving Suggestions:
- When I crave a quick and healthy dish, I mix my air fried vegetables with whole wheat pasta, grated cheese, olive oil, some fresh herbs, and voila! A perfect filling vegetarian dish for weeknight dinners.
- Air fried vegetables work as a great side for roast chicken drumsticks that can be done in the air fryer too. To save more time in the kitchen, you can air fry the chicken alongside your vegetables. This will also enhance the flavor of your veggies!
- Serve them with air fried crumbed salmon! Salmon is super healthy on its own, but to maximize the health benefits I’m getting, I always serve this vitamin-packed fish with air fried vegetables. Add some rice to get your carbs intake.
- These vegetables are so juicy that they are a perfect match to a piece of tender air fried lamb fillet.
- Garlic butter air fried prawns (shrimps) would make the meal light and add a bit of sweetness to the flavors.
- Hummus bowl with air fried vegetables: if you haven’t tried this before, this healthy combination has the potential to become your next favorite vegan dish.
- Serve with air fried panko tofu to get add some crunch to you meal.
Perfectly air fried vegetables
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Large mixing bowl
- Non-stick spatula
Ingredients
- 250 grams Button Mushrooms
- 2 whole Zucchini
- 1/2 cut Green capsicum or Bell pepper
- 100 grams Cherry tomatoes
- 3 teaspoons Garlic (diced)
- Balsamic vinegar
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Start by cutting the vegetables to medium-sized pieces (try to make them as equal as possible for even results). I usually cut the mushrooms in quarters, the cherry tomatoes in halves, the zucchini in 1 centimeter (0.39 inch) and the capsicum (bell pepper) in small squares. Place all these vegetables in the large mixing bowl.
- Add the diced garlic and drizzle balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper over the vegetables. Give everything a good mix.
- To make cleaning even easier, spray your air fryer basket with oil. You can also use parchment paper as an alternative.
- Put the vegetable mix in a single layer and make sure that they are loosely placed in the air fryer basket. Leave gaps between the vegetables to get that extra crisp.
- Place the basket in the air fryer and set the temperature to 160° Celsius (320° Fahrenheit) for 12 minutes.
- For all round crispiness ,shake the vegetables in the air fryer basket (if you like, you can use the non-stick spatula to flip them) and place it back for another 3 minutes at 160° Celsius (320° Fahrenheit).
- Use a non-stick spatula to take out the cooked vegetables. For some garnishing sprinkle on some finely-chopped parsley leaves and squeeze some lemon juice to give it a bit of zest.
- Serve as a side dish or a main dish. Refer to our serving suggestions above for some ideas.
