Carrots are one of those vegetable drawers or pantry staples that are cheap and versatile. An easy-to-grow crop, they’re available from local farmers year-round and are packed with vitamins A, B6, and K. 1 cup has approximately 1.9g of protein.
Okay so everyone knows that carrots are good for you, but there are so many ways to enjoy this veggie year-round. So without further delay, here’s a big collection of carrot recipes.
Spicy Pickled Carrots
DIY Pickled Carrots
Pickling vegetables is a time-honoured way of preserving veggies. That’s probably because it’s so easy to do. No, not the hot bath canning and fermenting. Quick pickle just about any vegetable in vinegar, salt, sugar, and spices for a delish salad or sandwich topper. Also a great accompaniment to dumplings.
Quick Pickled Carrots
Equipment
- Jar
Ingredients
- ⅓ Cup Vinegar
- ½ tbsp Salt
- ½ tsp Sugar
- 4 Sprigs Fresh Dill
- 1 Long Peppercorn
Instructions
- Scrub carrots well and julienne
- Add all ingredients together in a bowl, stir and add to jar, ensuring carrot is fully submerged
- Store in the fridge for at least 12 hours
Roasted Carrot Hummus
Sweet roasted carrot rounds out the nuttiness of hummus, and different toppings bring out different flavours in the hummus. Of course, you’ll need a batch of the easiest flatbread ever to slather it on.
Roasted Carrot Hummus
Equipment
- Immersion blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 3 Carrots Well washed and cut to 1"
- 2 cloves Garlic Peeled
- ½ Onion Roughly Chopped
- 1 tsp Cumin Ground
- 5 tbsp Olive Oil
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Pepper
- ½ can Chickpeas with about 2 tbsp of reserved liquid from the can
- 3 tbsp Tahini
- 3 tbsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven at 400F (205C). In a sheet pan, toss your carrots, garlic, and onion with 3 tbsp of olive oil, your cumin, salt, and pepper. roast for 10-15 min, until a fork can stab it with no resistance.
- Blend your carrots, lemon juice, tahini, and leftover olive oil. Add your chickpeas and mix until desired chunkiness and add extra salt and pepper to taste.
- Top with feta, pumpkin seeds, or extra olive oil.
Carrots Hummus With Ras El Hanout
Carrots in Dessert (or Breakfast)
Make this recipe more indulgent by topping with cream cheese frosting. You can also get creative with your spices, adding citrus or nutmeg. You can also make them rich and filling for breakfast by adding oat flour or grinding some instant oats to substitute some of the flour.
I love a good carrot muffin and will indulge heavily in carrot cake when it’s around. The carrots ad texture and moisture to your baked goods, making them perfect to store in the fridge and snack on.
Simple Carrot Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin Tin
Ingredients
- 1½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1½ tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ Cup Honey
- 2 large Eggs
- ½ Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1½ Cups Shredded Carrot
- ½ Cup Walnuts Chopped – Optional Ingredient
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F (175C)
- In a large mixing bowl, combine your flour, spices, and baking powder. Add your walnuts if using
- In a second mixing bowl, combine your eggs, oil, honey, vanilla, and shredded carrot
- Slowly fold your wet ingredients into your dry. Once combined, spoon into a greased or lined muffin tin, filling each well ¾ full
- Bake 22 – 28 min, until a toothpick removes from a central muffin dry
- Allow muffins to rest in the pan for 10 minutes before removing
The Best Carrot Bacon
Carrot bacon has been circulating the internet for a while. There are all ranges of carrot bacon recipes out there, but any good one will have something for salt, something for sweetness, and something to add a little umami.
Simple Carrot Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 Carrots Scrubbed and mandolin-ed or peeled into ribbons
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Tahini
- 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
Instructions
- Combine your sauces in a plastic (reuseable) bag add your carrots and shake to fully coat. Marinate in the fridge overnight
- Preheat your oven to 425F and roast for 15 minutes, flipping your pieces over at the halfway mark
- Coat with a little extra salt if desired when they're out of the oven and enjoy
Other Carrot Bacon Recipes
With Liquid Smoke
With Balsamic Vinegar
Perfectly Roasted Carrots
A sane person probably wouldn’t try to shoot this whole post in two days, but I did. I cooked almost 8lbs of carrots in one weekend and if you are roasting carrots in the oven, 400F for 15-20 min is the perfect way.
An easy side to add to any meal, here are three glaze ideas that allow carrots to join any cuisine on the dinner table.
With Honey Harissa Glaze
Spicy, sticky, and sweet, serve these glazed carrots on top of a bed of Greek yogurt and vanilla extract for an incredible flavour explosion.
With lime and Ginger
I think the butter is what makes these carrots so satisfying. The added lime juice in the pan leaves you with soft, bright carrots that feel fresh.
Classic Balsamic Glaze
If you grew up with any American-Italian influence, you’ve had balsamic glazed veggies. Again, the secret here is the butter, allowing the carrots to roast beautifully under all that added colour.
Roasted Carrot Soup
Surprisingly this is a variation on an old GOOP recipe. By roasting half your carrots and boiling the others, you create a wonderful range of flavours, and ginger helps brighten up all the flavours. Perfect on a spring day or as a recovery soup for cold and flu season.
Roasted Carrot Soup
Equipment
- Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- 4 Carrots Well Scrubbed
- 4 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
- ½ Onion Rough Chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic Crushed
- 4 Cups Vegetable Broth
- 2" Fresh Ginger Peeled and Grated
- 1 Lemon Juiced
Garnish
- Crumbled Goat Cheese
- Crushed Walnuts
- Fresh Parsley
Instructions
- Chop your carrots into 2" wedges. Set half on a baking tray with your onions and garlic, and coat in olive oil, cumin, and S&P. Roast for 20 min at 400F
- In a covered pot on the stove, boil the rest of your carrots in your broth
- After both types of carrots are easily pierced with a fork, combine in the broth, add the rest of the ingredients, and blend well. Add additional S&P to taste
- Plate and garnish. Enjoy!
Miso Carrot Soup
Carrot Stuffed Pasta
I loved Campagnolo on Dundas West, and it used to serve beautiful carrot agnolotti. While this doesn’t replicate that amazing dish, the roasted carrots, goat cheese, and Italian spices make this a delicious treat. A great meal to impress someone special.
This pasta recipe is my favourite, and the author who wrote it did another big post breaking down all the variations you can make to pasta dough in a very methodical way.
Carrot Tortellini Gigante
Ingredients
- 1 portion Pasta Dough see recipe noted for suggestion
- 2 Carrots Well Washed
- ½ Onion Roughly Chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic Roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Basil
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 4 oz Goat Cheese (½ a block)
Instructions
- In an oven at 400F roast your carrots, onions, garlic, oil, and spices for 20 min, until very tender
- Blend your carrot roast with your goat cheese and allow to cool to room temperature
- Roll your pasta dough until it's see-through, and cut squares. Dollop a little filling in the middle, and close with water like a dumpling wrapper. Place on a floured or lined baking sheet until ready to cook
- Once you have finished filling your pasta, bring a big pot of heavily salted water to a boil, stir slowly while adding your fresh pasta to ensure they do not stick together
- Once pasta starts to float for a minute, remove and strain. I personally love this pasta in just browned butter and thyme, but toss in any sauce and enjoy
Roasted Carrot and Tomato Pasta Sauce
