Top Carrot Recipes: 5 Ways to Use Carrots in Your Cooking

Carrots are root vegetables of the family Apiaceae. This nutritious veggie comes in various colors, from standard orange to rainbow carrots in deep purple, yellow, and pale white. Carrots also come in different sizes, from the grocery store bag of baby carrots cut from much larger ones to true baby carrots, the tender, sweet taproots that producers harvest before full maturity.

Carrots are nutrient-dense vegetables, high in dietary fiber, beta carotene, vitamin K, and vitamin A.

Carrots have one of the most versatile textures in the vegetable world, along with an irresistible natural sweetness enhanced by most cooking methods. Here are five of the most common approaches to cooking carrots:

1. 1. Baked: Shredded carrots are the invaluable foundation of moist carrot cake and muffins.
2. 2. Puréed: Combine carrots with stock and heavy cream for a velvety smooth carrot soup, or purée them with butter and spices to serve alongside seared scallops, roast pork, or slow-roasted fellow root vegetables, like celeriac.
3. 3. Raw: Add raw carrot spears to a crudité platter or hummus plate and shredded carrots to a slaw or a salad of fresh greens or tender grains, like couscous or farro.
   
4. 4. Sautéed: Lightly cooked carrots add a tender snap to stir-fries, especially when combined with other veggies, like celery, broccoli, and water chestnuts.
5. 5. Roasted: Serve roasted carrots as a side to roasted chicken, grilled fish, or seared mushrooms, brushed with a sweet glaze or drizzled with sauces like harissa or chimichurri.

The best carrot dishes start with great carrots. Here’s how to work with what you’ve got:

1. 1. Trim the carrot tops. Whether you grew your own carrots or purchased them, they may come attached to their frilly green tops. As soon as you get home, cut the carrots, leaving about one inch of stem. If left intact, the herbaceous carrot tops will draw moisture from the root, drying it out faster. To prevent mold growth, wait to wash your carrots until you’re ready to cook.
2. 2. Only peel carrots if needed. Some recipes call for peeling carrots before incorporating them into a dish. However, as long as you clean them thoroughly, there’s no need to peel a carrot. It adds a level of finesse—especially to a crudité platter, when they’re front and center—but it isn’t necessary for many preparations, like sautéing or roasting.
3. 3. Save the greens. If the carrot tops are in good shape—bright green and not too wilted—turn them into pesto or add them to stock. They have a flavor similar to parsley.

Whether appetizer, side dish, or main course, carrots make a stellar addition to any weeknight meal plan line-up.

1. 1. Carrot cake: Carrot cake is a sweet, nutty cake made with shredded carrots and typically decorated with cream cheese frosting. Carrots impart both moisture and sweetness to a cake batter studded with chopped walnuts or pecans and dried fruit like raisins. Try this simple carrot cake recipe.
2. 2. Carrot salad: Moroccan carrot salad may be sweet or spicy and accented with warm spices like cinnamon or dried chili powder. Cut steamed carrots into bite-sized pieces and toss with chopped parsley and spices of your preference, season with salt and black pepper, and finish with lemon juice and olive oil. Alternatively, grate raw carrots, and toss them with fried mustard seeds, lemon juice, and salt for a simple side dish.
3. 3. Carrot soup: Serve savory or spicy carrot soup as an appetizer or a main dish, with grilled cheese sandwiches, roasted sweet potatoes or cauliflower, green salad, or a crusty loaf of bread. For an extra creamy carrot soup, add a swirl of heavy cream, sour cream, or Greek yogurt (or substitute coconut milk for dairy-free, vegan carrot soup). If you have fresh herbs like chives or cilantro, use them as a garnish along with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, or top with crispy roasted chickpeas.
4. 4. Glazed carrots: Glazing can be a challenging technique, even for professional cooks. Still, practice and experience will help you achieve the perfect glaze: a tight and shiny emulsion of butter, sugar (or, in the case of honey-glazed carrots, honey), water, and vinegar. The technique highlights the natural sweetness of carrots, with only a small amount of added sugar. Pair glazed carrots with mashed potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts, and poached green beans in a mustard vinaigrette.
5. 5. Pickled carrots: Pickled carrots are fresh carrots preserved in a pickling liquid of vinegar or salt brine. Add pickled carrots to salads, charcuterie and cheese boards, and serve them as a condiment to spice-forward dishes like Mexican street tacos.
6. 6. Roasted carrots: To make sweet roasted carrots, toss carrots in a combination of maple syrup, butter, and brown sugar. Coat them with olive oil and whole spices like coriander, fennel, cumin, and red pepper flakes for a savory version. Spread the carrots onto a lined sheet pan and roast them until they have crispy, caramelized tips, and soft interiors. Add other root vegetables like parsnips, if desired, and garnish with briny shards of feta or shaved Parmesan.

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