Autumn roasted butternut, aubergine & chestnut mushroom traybake
Hearty, honeyed-roast autumn veg with a creamy tahini drizzle and toasted seeds — easy, vegan and brilliant for midweek dinner.
Rustle up a proper autumn traybake—packed with sweet butternut, earthy chestnut mushrooms and soft aubergine, finished with a lemony tahini drizzle. It’s cosy, easy and feeds a small army with minimal effort.
This is perfect for a midweek supper or to bring to a casual supper with friends: everything roasts on one or two trays, then you simply dress and serve. It’s vegan, freezer-friendly and gets better the next day for lunch.
Ingredients
- 800 g butternut squash — peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
- 600 g baby potatoes — halved if larger than 3cm
- 1 aubergine — medium, cut into 2cm cubes
- 150 g parsnip — cut into 1cm batons
- 200 g carrot — cut into 1cm batons
- 1 red onion — large, cut into wedges
- 200 g chestnut mushrooms — halved
- 4 garlic cloves — 2 crushed for the veg, 1 crushed for the drizzle, 1 reserved
- 60 ml olive oil
- 45 g tahini
- 30 ml maple syrup
- 1 lemon — juice and a little zest
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 5 ml dried thyme
- 10 ml salt — fine sea salt
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
- 30 g pumpkin seeds — raw
- 15 g fresh parsley — roughly chopped for garnish
Equipment
- baking tray
- parchment paper
- large mixing bowl
- small frying pan
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional. Line two large baking trays with parchment.
Prepare the vegetables: place the butternut squash, baby potatoes, aubergine, parsnip, carrot, red onion and chestnut mushrooms on a board. Crush two garlic cloves with the flat of a knife.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup, smoked paprika, ground cumin, dried thyme, salt, black pepper and the juice and a little zest of the lemon.
Add the prepared vegetables and the two crushed garlic cloves to the bowl and toss until everything is evenly coated in the spiced oil.
Spread the vegetables out in a single layer on the lined baking trays. Roast for 40 minutes at 200°C fan/220°C conventional, turning each tray and giving everything a good shake at the 20-minute mark so the edges caramelise evenly.
While the veg roasts, make the tahini drizzle and toast the seeds. For the drizzle, whisk the tahini with the juice of the remaining lemon, 1 tsp maple syrup and the remaining crushed garlic clove; add warm water 1 tsp at a time to loosen to a pourable consistency.
Toast the pumpkin seeds in a small dry frying pan over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes, shaking the pan, until they smell nutty and start to pop. Remove from the heat and keep to one side.
Transfer the roasted vegetables to a large serving dish, scatter over the toasted pumpkin seeds and chopped fresh parsley, then drizzle the tahini over the top. Serve straight away with crusty bread if you like.
Tips
- Cut veg to similar sizes so everything cooks evenly; halve any potatoes larger than 3cm.
- Don’t overcrowd the trays — use two trays if necessary so the veg roasts rather than steams.
- Make the tahini drizzle ahead and keep it in the fridge; it keeps 3–4 days (bring back to room temperature and stir before using).
- For extra caramelisation, finish under a hot grill for 2–3 minutes — watch closely to avoid burning.
- Leftovers reheat well in a 180°C fan oven for 12–15 minutes to refresh the roasted edges.
Substitutions
butternut squash → pumpkin, same quantity
Stays closepumpkin seeds → sunflower seeds, same quantity
Stays closetahini → unsweetened vegan yoghurt, 45 g
Noticeably differentmaple syrup → agave nectar, same quantity
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 540
- Calories
- 12 g
- Protein
- 72 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 12 g
- Sugar
- 520 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I roast everything on one tray?
Only if the tray is large enough to keep the veg in a single layer. If crowded, use two trays so pieces can brown rather than steam.
How do I keep the aubergine from going soggy?
Cut aubergine into firm 2cm cubes, toss well in oil and roast at a high temperature so the edges can caramelise—avoid over-crowding.
Can I make this ahead?
Yes. Roast the veg, cool, then store in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 180°C fan for 12–15 minutes and add seeds and parsley fresh.
Is this gluten-free?
Yes — as written all ingredients are gluten-free.
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