Updated June 29, 2026 

This Rainbow Roasted Veggies dish is the perfect healthy side dish that provides many nutrients because of the many antioxidant-rich colors found in vegetables. From heirloom carrots, red, orange and yellow bell peppers, broccoli and red onion – these vegetable colors provide loads of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. This Rainbow Roasted Veggies dish is also easily customizable using different colored vegetables. You can season it with whatever herbs and spices you like. As a registered dietitian and member of the LGBTQ+ community, this is also my way of celebrating Pride!

This recipe goes well with my Quinoa Rice or Rice Cooker Barley recipes! Make alongside one of those recipes and add a protein such as beans, tofu or meat protein and you have a complete meal!

Family Friendly

With all the colors, it’s also kid-friendly and fun. My twin toddlers love to name all colors of the rainbow and get excited seeing all the beautiful colors in the different vegetables. Children LOVE recipes with lots of fun and bright colors. This is a very simple recipe where children can get involved in the preparation of all the brightly colored vegetables.

Meal Prep Friendly

One of the greatest hurdles I often see as a dietitian is the struggle with finding the time and energy to cook after a long workday. This is a great make-ahead side dish that you can prepare on a weekend, cover and refrigerate it, and bake when you get home from work. It’s also great for meal prep. So you can prep it ahead of time and then eat it throughout the busy work week.

Rainbow Vegetable Color Ingredients

In this recipe, you want to make sure you use colored vegetables of the rainbow. Here are the ones used below, and then other substitutions you can make:

Red: Red Peppers, Tomatoes (you can also use beets)

Red-Orange: Heirloom Carrots

Orange: Carrots, Orange Peppers (can use sweet potato, butternut squash)

Yellow: Yellow Heirloom Carrots  (can use yellow peppers)

Green: Broccoli (can use sugar snap peas, green beans)

Indigo-Purple: Purple Heirloom Carrots (can use purple potato aka ube or cauliflower)

Purple: Red/Purple Onion

Rainbow Nutrients and Functions

Now this is the fun part: or should I say… nerdy dietitian part? Each colour provides different nutrients based on their colour. Let’s go through some of the goodness you get from each:

Red: Lycopene (antioxidant – shown to reduce risk of some cancer, can protect against sun damage and heart attacks). Flavonoids (reduces inflammation – antioxidant properties)

Orange: Beta-carotene, carotenoids can be converted in the body to vitamin A – for vision and immune function

Yellow: Beta-carotene, carotenoids can be converted in the body to vitamin A – for vision and immune function

Green: Isothiocyanates, (induce enzymes in the liver that assist the body in removing potentially carcinogenic compounds). Vitamin K (blood clot formation), folic acid, potassium

Indigo-Purple: Anthocyanins (antioxidants – heart health, may help support healthy blood pressure, lower risk of cancer)

Purple: Anthocyanins (antioxidants – heart health, may help support healthy blood pressure, lower risk of cancer)

How to Make Rainbow Roasted Veggies: Step by Step Instructions with Photos

View the Recipe Card for the FULL recipe details!

Step 1: Arrange red vegetables (grape tomatoes, bell peppers, heirloom carrots), orange vegetables (bell pepper) and yellow vegetables (heirloom carrots) in the order of rainbow colors on a baking sheet

Step 2: Arrange green vegetables (broccoli), blue and purple vegetables (heirloom carrots, red onion) in the order of rainbow colors on a baking sheet.

Step 3: Once roasted, mix everything together. Top with feta cheese if desired. Serve with rice and lentils for a complete meal.

Rainbow Roasted Veggies

This Rainbow Roasted Veggies dish is the perfect healthy side dish that provides many nutrients because of the many antioxidant-rich colors found in vegetables. Season with salt and pepper, or add other herbs to customize this side dish to however you like!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

0 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Equipment

• 2 baking sheets
• parchment paper or tin foil for easier clean up

Ingredients

  

• 1 bag / 900g, 2 lbs heirloom collection carrots* chopped into similar bite sized pieces.
• 1 pint / 2 cups grape tomatoes sliced in half
• 1 large red bell pepper chopped
• 1 large orange bell pepper chopped
• 2 cups / 1-2 heads broccoli chopped
• 1 red onion chopped
• 3 Tbsp oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• other herbs and spices! optional

Instructions

 

Preparation

• Chop all vegetables to about 1-inch, bite-sized pieces. For the carrots, chop them smaller as they will take a bit longer to cook, ~ ½ to 1 inch!
• Preheat the oven to 375 F. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or tin foil or spray with cooking spray.
• Separate the vegetables according to color into different bowls.
• Add oil, salt and pepper. Add other herbs if using. Mix each bowl together with a spoon or your hands.
• Arrange each vegetable by color on the baking sheets.
• Bake in oven for 25-35 minutes. They are done when the vegetables are cooked through and slightly brown along the edges.

Notes

*These carrots come in a rainbow of colors and are packed with flavor and nutrition!

This recipe is very easy to customize. Below I added feta cheese before serving for more fun and flavor!

This recipe makes a great side dish and refrigerates well. You can store it in the fridge for leftovers later. It also ensures that you get enough vegetables at your meals.

Keyword roasted veggies, veggies

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