The photo appears to show a colorful roasted vegetable tian—thinly sliced root vegetables and squash arranged in overlapping rows, roasted until caramelized, then finished with feta, rosemary and cranberry. The exact ingredients can’t be determined from the image alone, so this is a close, kitchen-tested-style recreation rather than a claim that it is the original recipe. Vegetable tian traditionally uses thinly sliced vegetables, olive oil and fresh herbs and is baked until tender and browned.
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PBS
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Yield
6 servings
Prep
30 minutes
Bake
60–75 minutes
Total
About 1 hour 45 minutes
Ingredients
Vegetables
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, about 400 g
2 medium sweet potatoes, about 450 g
2 medium zucchini, about 350 g
2 medium golden or red beets, about 300 g
2 medium carrots, about 200 g
1 small red onion
3–4 cloves garlic
Try to slice everything approximately 3–4 mm (⅛ inch) thick. Keeping the slices similar in thickness is important for even cooking.
S
sipthesoup.com
Herb-oil mixture
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1–1¼ tsp salt
½ tsp garlic powder, optional
1 tbsp lemon juice
Topping
100–120 g crumbled feta
¼ cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1–2 tbsp fresh rosemary
2 tbsp toasted walnuts or pecans, optional
1–2 tsp honey or maple syrup, optional
1 tbsp olive oil or lemon-herb oil for finishing
The combination of feta, cranberries and walnuts is also used in roasted vegetable preparations because the salty cheese, sweet-tart fruit and crunchy nuts provide contrasting textures and flavors.
B
Be Cool Grandpa
+1
Detailed Method
1. Preheat the oven
Heat oven to 190°C / 375°F.
Grease a large shallow baking dish—approximately 9 × 13 inches—with a little olive oil.
For a more deeply roasted finish, you can use 200°C / 400°F; traditional tian recipes commonly roast around this temperature.
P
PBS
+1
2. Prepare the vegetables
Wash and peel the potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and beets.
You can leave the zucchini skin on.
Slice everything into thin, relatively uniform rounds.
Important: Keep the beet slices separate initially because their juice can stain the lighter vegetables purple.
Pat the zucchini and tomatoes, if using, reasonably dry. Excess moisture can make a vegetable bake watery.
3. Make the rosemary oil
In a bowl combine:
olive oil
chopped rosemary
thyme
smoked paprika
black pepper
salt
garlic powder
lemon juice
Mix well.
You want a fragrant, pourable herb oil.
4. Prepare the garlic
Finely mince 2 cloves.
Leave the remaining cloves whole or lightly crushed.
Rub one cut garlic clove around the bottom of the baking dish. This gives the dish a subtle roasted-garlic aroma.
Garlic and fresh herbs are classic components of vegetable tian recipes.
M
Martha Stewart
5. Arrange the vegetables
This is what creates the beautiful appearance seen in the photograph.
Arrange the slices vertically and slightly overlapping, alternating colors.
For example:
potato → sweet potato → zucchini → beet → carrot → potato → sweet potato → zucchini…
Continue around the dish until it is tightly filled.
You can arrange the vegetables in concentric circles if using a round dish.
Don’t worry if some slices lean slightly—that actually creates the rustic appearance.
6. Season
Brush or drizzle the rosemary oil over the entire surface.
Try to get some oil between the slices.
If desired, sprinkle a small amount of additional salt and pepper between the rows.
Place the garlic cloves around the vegetables.
7. First bake
Cover the dish fairly tightly with foil.
Bake for approximately 40–45 minutes.
Covering initially helps the dense root vegetables soften without allowing the surface to burn.
8. Uncover and caramelize
Remove the foil.
Drizzle with another teaspoon or two of olive oil if the vegetables look dry.
Return to the oven for another 20–30 minutes.
The dish is ready when:
potatoes can be pierced easily with a knife
sweet potatoes are tender
beet slices are soft
edges are browned
the tops have developed caramelized spots
Traditional vegetable tian recipes often bake covered/partially covered or in stages and finish uncovered so the vegetables become tender and browned.
S
sipthesoup.com
+1
9. Add the feta
Remove the dish from the oven.
Scatter crumbled feta over the top.
Return to the oven for 5–8 minutes.
You don’t want the feta completely melted; it should become warm, slightly softened and lightly browned in places.
10. Finish with cranberries and nuts
Remove from the oven.
Scatter over:
dried cranberries
toasted walnuts or pecans
chopped parsley
fresh rosemary
If desired, mix 1 tsp honey + 1 tbsp lemon juice + 1 tsp olive oil and drizzle very lightly over the top.
The sweet-tart cranberry works especially well with earthy beetroot and salty feta.
11. Rest and serve
Let the tian rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.
This allows the vegetables and juices to settle and makes it easier to serve without everything sliding apart.
Serve warm.
Nut Information
With walnuts/pecans
This recipe contains tree nuts only if you add the optional walnuts or pecans.
Approximate nutrition for 2 tbsp chopped walnuts:
Calories: ~50 kcal
Protein: ~1 g
Fat: ~5 g
Carbohydrates: ~1 g
Fiber: ~0.5 g
Walnuts also provide unsaturated fats, including ALA (an omega-3 fatty acid).
Nut-free version
Simply leave out the walnuts/pecans.
For crunch, use:
pumpkin seeds
sunflower seeds
toasted breadcrumbs
However, pumpkin and sunflower seeds are not tree nuts, but they can still be relevant for people with particular seed allergies.
Allergy warning
The base recipe can be made nut-free. Feta introduces a milk/dairy allergen. For someone with a severe nut allergy, check packaged feta, dried cranberries, spices and other ingredients for facility/cross-contact warnings.
If using nuts, clearly identify the dish as containing walnuts or pecans.
Approximate Nutrition
For 6 servings, using feta but no optional nuts, the dish is approximately:
Nutrient Per serving
Calories 220–280 kcal
Carbohydrates 30–38 g
Protein 5–7 g
Fat 9–13 g
Fiber 5–7 g
Sugar 8–12 g
These are estimates—the amount of oil, feta, vegetable size and cranberries can substantially change the numbers. A comparable roasted vegetable version with feta reports roughly 220–250 calories, 5–6 g protein and 5–6 g fiber per serving.
S
sipthesoup.com
Tips for Making It Look Like the Photograph
1. Use contrasting colors.
Red beet + orange sweet potato + yellow potato + green zucchini makes the biggest visual impact.
2. Slice thinly.
Thicker slices won’t fan out as attractively and may require substantially more cooking time.
3. Don’t drown it in oil.
You want enough oil to encourage browning, but excessive oil makes the dish greasy.
4. Keep beets toward the center or in selected sections.
This prevents the entire dish from becoming purple.
5. Add feta near the end.
Adding it too early can cause it to dry out or brown excessively.
6. Add cranberries after roasting.
They stay plump and retain their sweet-tart flavor.
7. Toast nuts separately.
Toast walnuts/pecans in a dry skillet for about 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, then add them at the end. This gives much better crunch.
V
VitalityRecipes
Recipe Q&A
Can I make this without beets?
Absolutely. Replace them with additional sweet potato, carrot, pumpkin or yellow squash.
Can I use regular potatoes?
Yes. Yukon Gold, red potatoes or another waxy potato work particularly well.
Can I use butternut squash?
Yes. Slice it thinly and use it in place of some of the sweet potato.
Why are my vegetables still hard?
The slices may be too thick, or the dish may be overcrowded. Cover and bake another 10–15 minutes before checking again.
Why is my tian watery?
Zucchini and beets contain considerable water. Avoid adding excessive oil or liquid, and don’t cover the dish for the entire cooking period. Finishing uncovered allows moisture to evaporate.
Can I prepare it ahead?
Yes. Assemble the vegetables and herb oil several hours ahead, cover and refrigerate, then bake when needed. For best texture, add feta, cranberries and nuts toward the end.
Can I make it dairy-free?
Yes. Omit the feta or use a suitable dairy-free cheese.
Can I make it vegan?
Yes. Use olive oil, omit the feta, and use maple syrup rather than honey if making the optional sweet glaze.
Can I freeze it?
You can, but the zucchini and potatoes may become softer after thawing. For the best texture, refrigerate leftovers instead and reheat in a hot oven.
How long do leftovers last?
Store covered in the refrigerator for about 3–4 days. Reheat at 180°C / 350°F until hot.
What can I serve with it?
It works beautifully with:
grilled chicken
roasted or grilled fish
lamb
chickpeas
quinoa
couscous
crusty bread
a simple green salad
It can also be served as a vegetarian main course with quinoa or another grain.
M
Martha Stewart
+1
Can I make it spicy?
Yes. Add ¼–½ tsp chili flakes, cayenne, or Aleppo pepper to the herb oil.
What gives the vegetables that deep roasted flavor?
High heat and sufficient oven time allow moisture to evaporate and encourage browning/caramelization, producing the darker, more intensely flavored edges characteristic of a good roasted vegetable tian.
B
Bruce Bradley
What is the best cheese besides feta?
Goat cheese, Parmesan, Gruyère or mozzarella can work. Feta is particularly good here because its salty, tangy flavor contrasts with the sweet vegetables and cranberries.
Can I make the recipe exactly like the picture?
The photo alone cannot establish the original ingredient list, but the potato/sweet-potato/beet/zucchini + rosemary + feta + cranberry + nut combination will give you a very close visual and flavor profile.