Cooked carrots are a delicious addition to any meal, whether you’re serving them as a side or using them as a main dish. Here are some tips for making dense, flavorful carrots that will have your guests asking for more:
1. Make sure they’re cooked through.
Whether you’re roasting, sauteing or steaming carrots, you want to make sure they’re completely cooked through before serving. It can take a few minutes to get them to that point, so keep an eye on them and pierce the thicker ends with a fork to ensure they’re done.
2. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skins, if needed.
When you’re cooking your carrots, it’s helpful to use a vegetable peeler (see below) so that you can remove the skin without damaging the vegetable’s natural sweetness. This tool will also help you to julienne them into thin, slender strips.
3. Toss with a little olive oil and fresh herbs, like parsley or dill.
Depending on the season, you can use any combination of herbs to enhance the flavor of your roasted carrots. You can even omit the herb altogether and add some salt or a sprinkle of ground cinnamon to give the carrots a sweeter flavor.
4. Serve glazed with maple syrup or honey, if desired.
Carrots are naturally sweet, but they can be savory, too. Toss them in a sauce, mix with herbs and spices or simply drizzle with some butter and brown sugar.
5. Make a seasoned carrot puree for baby’s first solid food.
Adding a little spice to carrots is a great way to balance out the natural acidity of these veggies and introduce them to your baby’s taste buds. Nutmeg is a common choice to round out the flavors of these sweet, crunchy vegetables. Try adding a pinch of ginger powder, freshly minced ginger or curry powder.
6. Try a different kind of roasting:
To make a savory version of roasted carrots, slash them in half lengthwise and toss them with olive oil and fresh herbs, such as dill or parsley. You can even toss them with balsamic vinegar if you’d like.
7. Brush with olive oil and bake in a 400-degree oven for about 20 minutes, until the carrots are tender but not mushy.
8. For a sweeter take, add some honey or maple syrup to the roasted carrots and bake for another 10 minutes until they’re glazed.
9. If you have some leftover chermoula, drizzle it over sliced tomatoes or grilled eggplant as well!
10. Finish with a sprinkle of pistachios.
You can use a variety of carrots for this recipe, including white, golden or rainbow varieties. While all of them are good, the golden carrots tend to have a sweeter, less earthy taste than other types of carrots.