Carrots! Carrots! Carrots! Being available almost all year round, we probably don’t appreciate enough all the cooking possibility a carrot can offer! Thank God we are not wild rabbits as we learn’t they don’t eat carrots.
A world of carrot possibilities
- Eat them raw! Carrot is one of the most sugary vegetables in the world so having them grated in salads is highly recommended. One of our favourite salad combinations is with cucumbers, spring onion and coriander, sprinkled with roasted sesame seeds. During winter this Red Cabbage, carrot, fennel and orange salad is an absolute winner! Grated beetroot and carrots with garlic and dill is another salad to die for! Adding raw carrots to grains based salads is another idea worth trying. You can start with this Couscous salad with carrot, kale and apples. Carrots go well with dressings containing tahini, peanut butter, lemon or balsamic vinegar.
- You can also ferment raw carrots, for a similar effect to kimchi or sauerkraut. This quick (just 1 hour ferment) korean carrots recipe has become a favourite in our household, and I am looking forward to trying this carrot and ginger kimchi recipe.
- Carrot juice is sweet and loaded with vitamin C! A very delicious juice combination is carrot, orange, celery and beetroot.
- Using carrots in soups and stews is a way to sweeten naturally your meal as they release more sugar when cooked. Blended soup with potatoes and celeriac is popular with kids. You can also try our Veg shed Carrot and coriander soup where carrots are the centrepiece of the pot. Any winter stew you decide to make, carrots are bound to be a part of it. They bring colour and sweetness. Being low on starch, carrots are very useful to bulk up your meal without making it too carb heavy. One of our favourite is this Squash stew with winter roots and kale.
- Roasting carrots is simple and the result is delicious! You can either have them as a side, mix with noodles and fresh leafy greens or blend in a soup or add to your stew or curry. This Easy Roast Root Curry with coconut is a recipe to learn by heart!
- When boiling or steaming carrots, do not cook them for more than 3 or 4 minutes to keep them crunchy. This Harissa with Carrot and Bean Salad is a delicious warming but fresh winter dish.
- You can transform your cooked carrots into hummus by blending them with tahini, garlic, olive oil and parmesan cheese.
- Braising or stir frying in butter with garlic is probably the quickest way to cook your carrots. It’s so delicious, it leaves us with nothing more to say!
- Carrot tops were once used as a fashion statement. They were carried in the hair, especially in 17th century England. Today we prefer to eat them! Making pestos with walnuts and cashews, adding to broths or chopping into Carrot tops tabouleh, we like it all!
Carrot loves
garlic, dill, parsley, spring onions, cumin, paprika, orange, balsamic vinegar, sunflower seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, rosemary, hazelnuts, chilli, honey, ginger, lime, walnuts, lentils