This meatless traybake dresses sturdy root vegetables, fennel and cannellini beans with a roasted citrus vinaigrette. For additional bright­herbal flavor, the beans (canned, for convenience) first are tossed with orange zest and thyme. Meanwhile, a sprinkle of chopped nuts completes the dish, adding toastiness and crunch.

SHOPPING

When buying beets for this traybake, be sure to use golden beets—red beets will stain the other vegetables. Rainbow carrots make the traybake especially colorful. Or, if you’re a fan of parsnips, use them in place of some or all of the carrots.

TIP

For bigger flavor, we often toss warmed beans (whether they’re heated in the microwave, on the stovetop or in the oven) with aromatics and other high-impact ingredients. As the beans cool and contract, they better absorb seasonings. In this recipe, we squeeze the juice from roasted oranges and add it to the dressing that’s tossed with the still-warm vegetable-bean mixture.

White Beans i44 Orange

TECHNIQUE

Roast Citrus to Tame Acidity, Add Complexity
Roasting halved citrus mellows its acidity while adding smoky depth to the juice. As the citrus heats, the natural sugars in the fruit begin to caramelize. Meanwhile, the citric acids break down, taming the tanginess. In addition to mixing the juice of roasted citrus into dressings and sauces, we also squeeze it directly over roasted meats.