Briami or Briam-Authentic Greek Sheet Pan Roasted Vegetables
Crispy potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, onion, tomato and bell peppers, roasted in olive oil. Eat it with feta cheese and fresh bread.
I don’t like to describe a dish using the name of a dish of another culture, but if you ask someone (who is not Greek) what briami is they willl probably just give you a blank look. If you ask them what ratatouille is, well… there are more possibilities that they will know that it’s not just a cartoon.
So today is briami or briam day. This is another summer favorite, although I have to admit, I also make it during other seasons without eggplant. Briami is basically chunks of vegetables cooked in olive oil, and it belongs to the lathera family. But you don’t just add any vegetable you want, there are certain vegetables that make up briami: potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, onion, tomato, sometimes okra and bell pepper. You can make briami in a pot just like you would make ….let’s say fasolakia lathera (green beans with tomato and olive oil), or in the oven which is how I like it. With the roasted version, the vegetables become crispy and in combination with feta cheese and a fresh bread, this is a perfect meal.
Obviously this dish is a vegetarian’s (and a dietitian’s) dream come true; plenty of vegetables, but also a great source of antioxidants and fiber. Plus you’re getting all those good fats from the olive oil. Of course as with most Greek vegetable dishes, it is consumed on its own as a main course and you need to eat feta with it.
It is also very easy and kind of works even if you don’t have all the vegetables on hand. And, I have to add: my sons love it! Not many kids love eggplant, but roast it with potatoes, onions and olive oil and they will!
I make it all the time and it’s never exactly the same. Sometimes I omit one of the vegetables, sometimes I cut them in different shapes, but the taste remains the same. For this version, I used cherry tomatoes and didn’t peel the potatoes (Greeks almost always peel the potatoes), but it is basically the same recipe with just a bit of a different look. Also, don’t try to avoid the olive oil or use just a tiny bit, otherwise you’ll just end with some watery roasted vegetables.
Briami or Briam- Authentic Greek Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes or sliced or cherry tomatoes
- 1-2 medium eggplants
- 2-3 medium zucchini
- 1 onions
- 1 bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- Warm water
- 2 tablespoons dry mint
- 2 tablespoons oregano
- 1/4 cup parsley
- Salt/Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350 F (180 C)
- Cut potatoes and eggplant in about 2 inch pieces, the zucchini in 1/2 inch slices. The onion in quarters and if using peppers in slices.
- Pour all the vegetables in a large bowl. Add garlic, mint, parsley, oregano. Mix.
- Mix the tomato paste with a bit of water (1 tablespoon) and add to the vegetables.
- Add about the olive oil and mix well. We usually do it with our hands.
- Add salt to taste and pepper, and mix some more (I add very little salt and add more if needed when serving).
- Transfer the vegetables to a large shallow pan, it should be able to fit all the vegetables in one layer.
- Pour in a corner of the pan about 1/3 cup water and tilt the pan so that it spreads, but don’t pour it over the vegetables.Pour more later if it seems like they are becoming dry.
- Cover with aluminum foil and roast for about an hour.
- After an hour check and see if the vegetables are cooked (you should be able to stick a fork in them easily).
- If they are cooked, remove the foil and roast for another 30-45 minutes until the potatoes start turning golden brown.
- Let it cool and serve with bread and feta cheese. You can also serve cold.
When you did the talk with New Haven Public Library earlier this year, I was the one who asked about the long cooking time for vegetables. You told me about Greeks liking their veg to be “silky.” So today when I made this, I was determined to do exactly as you said. I didn’t skimp on the olive oil. I cooked it for the full 90 minutes. Oh my goodness! It was a eureka moment. This was sooooo delicious with the feta on top and the (gluten free) toast on the side. I didn’t miss meat at all. I had to make myself stop eating it. I am looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow!
I’ve been a follower for about three years and yours is one of the few newsletters for which I read every edition. I never grow tired of your Mediterranean diet wisdom. Thank you, Elena!
Thank you Susan! I feel the same way with briami, I can’t stop eating it! Happy you are enjoying the recipes and information here!
Same here. I can’t get enough of this dish-crave it even. I make it on Sunday and take it to work all week. Eat it with feta and a fork. Right on-thanks!
I made this Briami with a roast chicken for my Greek friend and she loved it. I have a large roasting pan and only used 1 eggplant and 2 small zucchinis along with other veggies and it was perfect. I can see why you suggest serving with bread, those juices from tomato paste, tomatoes and olive oil are amazing! Will definitely be having this dish frequently.
Thank you Diane, happy you enjoyed the recipe! The bread is a must!
I love this dish! I serve it with homemade whole wheat pita and crumble some feta on top. I am wondering, how do you pronounce “lathera”? Is it “LATH-urr-uh” or something else? Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
I’ve made Ratatouille before and I like putting it on polenta and of course feta! Love it feta. Need to try your version. I have discovered how much I love fresh mint vs dried. I will give it five stars simply because it is one of my favorite vegetarian meals and I am sure this version won’t disappoint me.
Amazing taste and easy to make! I ate it with a little feta cheese and didn’t feel like I needed the bread. The only thing is that following the recipe I got A TON of veggies that were no way going to fit into one baking dish, so you might need two.
Hello! I loved the sound and look of this recipe, but the reality was very frustrating. When I selected the quantity of vegetables according to the recipe, I had close to 7 lbs of vegetables, not counting the tomatoes and onion. So I put some things (roughly half) back to bring it under 4 lbs. But the mountain of cut vegetables I ended up with barely fit in my largest bowl (and I even held back on using all of the vegetables I had purchased). I knew it would not fit in a single layer in my 12×17 sheet pan. So I roasted it all piled high in a covered roasting dish for an hour. I did not add water, as there was ample moisture in the vegetables themselves. After an hour I transferred the vegetables to the sheet pan (reserving the juices for later), where they more or less fit, but it took almost another hour roasting to brown them and reduce the remaining moisture (at a temperature closer to 400). When finished, I poured the reserved juices over the vegetables, and used some hot water to get the browned bits from the pan and added those as well. In the end — it was delicious, and I would absolutely make it again. But it took much more time to prep all those vegetables and more time to cook than the simplicity of the recipe suggested. To help me and others, could you please share the dimensions and brand of the blue roasting pan in your photograph? Thank you!
Hi Elena.
Your recipe looks delicious!
I’ve got a question about mint and garlic.
1. Can I use fresh mint ?
2. I’m suffering from IBS, so I can’t have garlic or onions,
How can I replace them ( especially garlic)?
Hi Marina, Yes you can use fresh mint. You can use perhaps some leeks instead of onion.
Hello Elena,
I just read you also made this with beans, how should I incorporate them? at the thime it goes to the oven?
thanks for your recipes! I am looking forward to get your cookbook.
Green beans go in the same time. Beans like legumes would need to be soaked and boiled beforehand.
Looks delicious! I love roasted veg and will make this for a family gathering. Quick question: do you use dried or fresh parsley?
Thanks Julie!
I use fresh parsley or I freeze a bunch to have.
Thanks Elena. Roasted butternut squash with pine nuts and Cranberries is next!!!
Hi Elena. I recently found your website while looking for info about how to follow the Mediterranean Diet. Your down to earth way of explaining how and why this way of eating works is very refreshing. Thank you for that. Today I made your recipe for Briami. It was delicious and way more filling than I expected. I served it with one slice of nice hearty bread and about 2 oz of feta cheese, but I’m not sure if that was the right amount of bread or feta. Would you please let me know if I should have more bread or feta with this dish?? Thanks
Hi Marjorie, Thank you!! Your amounts are about right. Depending on your needs you can always reduce the amount of cheese or bread.
Hello elena, can this recipe be stored in the fridge?
This sounds so delicious!! I have a question about the Feta that you eat with it. Do you just put a slice of feta on the side? Or do you crumble some on top?
Hi Allison, I’ll usually take a chunk and cut off a bit with my fork with every forkful. For the kids though I crumble it on top. Both ways are fine.
This was dinner tonight. Delicious!
i got all the idea which i was searching on the whole internet from this post. Also the way of explanation was quite awesome.
Came across this Briami recipe and decided to try it. It was absolutely awesome. Added a little feta to the dish at the end and had some couscous with it.