Recipes | The Best Roasted Carrots
The Best Roasted Carrots
My favourite way to enjoy Ontario-grown carrots is by roasting them. Carrots contain a fair amount of natural sugars. Roasting intensifies the carrot’s sweetness through the magic of caramelization. In spite of the carrot’s high sugar content, the caramelization process can take some time. If we expose the carrots to heat for too long, they can become shriveled and dried out.There is a simple fix to this problem: steam the carrots first. We will steam them with their skin on so they retain as much moisture as possible. The steam will help soften the carrots’ flesh before we introduce them to the dry heat of the oven. Because the carrots are technically already cooked, their time in the oven can be entirely focused on the caramelization process.I like to keep my carrot seasoning simple throughout the roasting process but when it comes to topping these beauties, I like to go all out. Here I opted for Middle Eastern flavours in the form of a simple lemon tahini dressing, fresh parsley, and pomegranate arils. But you could do creme fraiche and dill, yogurt and chives, a curry mayo with sweet paprika. The only limit is your imagination.
Ingredients
Servings
- 2 bunches of small carrots, washed and halved
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- Pomegranate arils
- Sesame seeds
- Fresh mint leaves
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the carrots in a steaming basket and steam for 5 minutes or until just tender.Step 2
Transfer the carrots to the baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with half of the salt. Roast for 15 minutes or until golden.Step 3
While the carrots are roasting, place the garlic, tahini, lemon juice, water, and the remaining salt in a food processor. Blitz until smooth. Drizzle the tahini sauce over the carrots and top with the scallions, pomegranate arils, sesame seeds, and fresh mint.
Recipe by our brand ambassador Susan of Rhub and Cod