Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Asparagus

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Asparagus, a simple sheet pan roasted vegetable recipe with only 5 ingredients and ready in 40 minutes. A delicious, healthy side dish that you can also use as a salad topper!

baked asparagus spears and sliced sweet potatoes on a white serving dish

Want to Save This Recipe?

Save Recipe

Love asparagus? Love sweet potatoes? Roast them together! There’s no need to choose between these delicious vegetables: their flavors are the perfect pair when roasted.

๐Ÿ‘‰ Here’s why you should be baking sweet potatoes and asparagus together:

  1. It’s easy. This recipe requires just a few simple ingredients that you likely already have on hand. All you need to do is combine the veggies with oil and seasonings, put them on a sheet pan, and roast in the oven until golden brown.
  2. You can make it ahead. Whether you need to bring a side dish to your next party or holiday, simply roast sweet potatoes and asparagus a couple days in advance so they’re ready to go when you need them. Simply re-heat them when you’re ready to share and enjoy!
  3. It’s tasty. Between the delicate, earthy flavors of asparagus and natural sweetness of sweet potatoes, you won’t be able to get enough of this dish. We added extra flavor with garlic, salt, and pepper, but you can add your own favorite seasoning combination.

Ready to learn how to make roasted sweet potatoes and asparagus? Let’s do it!

sweet potatoes, asparagus, and bowls of olive oil, salt, and pepper on a white table
Ingredients: sweet potatoes, asparagus, oil, salt, pepper, garlic

๐Ÿฅฃ How to roast sweet potatoes and asparagus together (step-by-step photos)

1๏ธโƒฃ Step One: Preheat oven + prepare veggies

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F (200 C). Give the sweet potatoes and asparagus a quick wash to remove any dirt, then cut them for roasting.

  1. To cut asparagus: Trim the tough ends off of the asparagus, then cut into small 1 inch pieces. You can also leave them in longer pieces if you’d like (we left them long in the photos), but making them smaller makes it easier to eat them with sweet potatoes.
  2. To cut sweet potatoes: Cut off the ends, then cut potatoes into small 1/2 inch cubes for roasting (you do not need to peel them before roasting).

Pro tip! Make the sweet potatoes and asparagus easier to eat by cutting them into similar sized pieces. If they’re the same size, they will have similar cooking times and add extra crunch.

sliced sweet potatoes and asparagus on a wooden cutting board
Cut vegetables into similarly sized pieces

2๏ธโƒฃ Step Two: Arrange veggies on a sheet pan

Place the cut sweet potatoes and asparagus on a baking sheet. To make sure they cook evenly, spread them out evenly on the pan.

Tip! We like to keep the vegetables separated on the roasting pan. Sweet potatoes can take longer to bake and you can easily scoop the asparagus off the pan when it’s done and keep cooking the potatoes.

Cover the veggies with a small amount of olive oil and mix until they are completely coated. Season with sliced garlic, as well as salt and pepper to taste.

roasted cut sweet potatoes and asparagus spears on a baking sheet on a white counter

3๏ธโƒฃ Step Three: Bake vegetables until golden brown

The last step is to roast the veggies in the oven. You’ll cook them until they’re tender and brown around the edges. Depending on your oven, this will take about 35 minutes.

To make sure the sweet potatoes and asparagus cook evenly, give them a toss halfway into cooking. If the asparagus is cooking faster than the sweet potatoes, remove it to a plate and continue to cook the potatoes until they’re done.

Take the veggies out of the oven when they are finished. You can serve immediately if using as a side dish. If serving on top of salads and bowls, let the veggies cool to room temperature before using.

roasted sweet potatoes and sliced asparagus on a white plate

โ“ Recipe questions + quick tips

What goes well with sweet potatoes?

Sweet potatoes can be enjoyed alongside just about any other vegetable. They taste great with broccoli, brussels sprouts, zucchini, green beans, bell peppers, and asparagus. They can be served with meat, fish, or plant-based proteins like beans, lentils, and tofu. You can enjoy them in soups, salads, and other mixed dishes. Sweet and savory flavorings, from cinnamon, to garlic, onion, and rosemary taste great with sweet potatoes.

Why is my roasted asparagus mushy?

Moist heat cooking methods, like steaming and boiling, can make asparagus mushy. Roasting it typically solves this problem, but it can become mushy if you add too much oil. Make sure to drizzle just a small amount of olive oil over the asparagus before you roast it, and the end product should come out crispy and delicious (not mushy!).

Do you cut asparagus before roasting?

Before roasting, you should cut the ends off asparagus. The ends are difficult to eat, and can cause the asparagus to become stringy when roasted. You can cut just the ends off and roast long pieces of asparagus, or cut the asparagus into smaller pieces.

Is roasted sweet potato healthy?

Roasted sweet potatoes are healthy. They are high in fiber and antioxidants, which have a variety of health benefits. Additionally, sweet potatoes are a source of vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and many other nutrients. More information about the nutrition content of sweet potatoes can be found here.


๐ŸŒฟ Herb + spice combination flavor ideas

We used a simple combination of garlic, salt, and pepper to season this recipe. You can add your own take to roasted sweet potatoes and asparagus by combining them with your own seasoning blends. Here are some ideas:

  • Fresh parsley and parmesan cheese: Roast veggies with fresh parsley, then combine with parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast when done cooking.
  • Paprika, chili powder, and red pepper flakes: Spice it up by combining vegetables with paprika and chili powder before roasting, then sprinkle some red pepper flakes over the top.
  • Chopped red onion, garlic, and pepper: Add a burst of flavor by roasting sweet potatoes and asparagus with chopped onion, garlic, and black pepper.
  • Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sea salt, and pepper: Make an elegant glaze with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sea salt, and pepper that will complement the flavors of the veggies perfectly.
baked asparagus and sweet potatoes on a white plate on a white table

โ™ป๏ธ Sustainable kitchen + cooking tips

Are you trying to live a green lifestyle? Us too! Here are some ways to get the most out of this recipe’s ingredients:

Make this recipe while sweet potatoes and asparagus are in season. Stock up on the veggies during the height of their growing season. Sweet potatoes are in season July through December in California, while asparagus is in season spring to early summer. Click here to find out when they are in season in your area.

Use the veggie scraps in another recipe. Keep the asparagus ends, as well as the peels and ends from the potatoes, to use in homemade food scrap broth, which you can use to flavor soups and as a cooking liquid for grains and other dishes.

Toss sweet potato sprouts in compost. They might not be edible, but that doesn’t mean they belong in the garbage. Do the environment a favor by adding them to your compost bin.


๐Ÿงก More roasted sweet potato and asparagus recipes

Want more sweet potato and asparagus recipes? Check out our other easy baked vegetable recipes:

a screenshot of Fork in the Road's 4-day plant-based meal plan
NOT SURE WHERE TO START WITH PLANT-BASED EATING?

Get my 4-Day Plant-Based Meal Plan to start your journey on the plant path.

roasted sweet potatoes and sliced asparagus on a white plate

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Asparagus

Kristina Todini, RDN
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Asparagus, a simple sheet pan roasted vegetable recipe with only 5 ingredients and ready in 40 minutes. A delicious, healthy side dish that you can also use as a salad topper!
5 stars (14 ratings)
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Salads + Side Dishes
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 91 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound asparagus or one bunch
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes
  • 2 whole garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper

Instructions
 

  • Prep oven: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (200 C).
  • Prep vegetables: Wash asparagus and sweet potatoes. Cut the ends off of the asparagus, then cut into small 1 inch pieces for roasting. Slice the ends off sweet potatoes, then cut into small 1/2 inch cubes (you do not need to peel them before roasting).
  • Roast vegetables: Place the sweet potatoes and asparagus on a sheet pan and combine with a drizzle of olive oil. Toss the vegetables to completely cover with oil and sprinkle with sliced garlic, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 35 minutes, flipping the vegetables halfway through cooking to brown on all sides.
  • Serve vegetables: Remove pan from oven, arrange vegetables on a plate, and serve as a side dish or let cool and use as a salad topping.

Notes

  • Tools needed: sheet pan, knife set, cutting board
  • Prep ahead: Wash and cut vegetables ahead of time to reduce prep time before cooking. If serving cold on salads or bowls, you can make this recipe up to three days ahead of time.
  • Leftovers + storage: Vegetables should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. For best taste and texture, do not freeze and reheat.
  • Nutrition notes: Nutrition information is estimated for only ingredients in the recipe, not the additional spice options given. This simple roasted vegetable recipe is a good source of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 91kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 2gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 37mgPotassium: 306mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 8444IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 2mg
Keyword roasted asparagus, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted vegetable side dish
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Similar Posts

2 Comments

  1. Hi there! We just had this for lunch and it turned out absolutely delicious. No alterations needed, baking time was spot in. Added some seasoned tofu slices to the baking sheet for protein and lunch could not have been easier. Thanks for posting this recipe.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Did you make this recipe? Rate it!