Roasted Rainbow Carrots
If you’re iffy about carrots or even just cooked carrots, I’m there with you, but you HAVE to try roasted rainbow carrots (or just regular ones too) because they are completely different and completely delicious!
Last year in London, we stayed at an AirBnB in the area of Farringdon as we’d done a few years previous. It’s a lovely area north of the river and popular tourist destinations. It’s full of locals and a slurry of great restaurants.
Every time we’re in the neighborhood, we enjoy returning to a few favorite restaurants and trying all the new ones. Last year, we tried one new (to us) place and devoured their roasted carrots with peanut sauce…
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Roasted Rainbow Carrots
I’ve never enjoyed steamed carrots. I’ll eat carrots raw and alone (though give me an indulgent creamy ranch dip any day). I’ll even dip them into peanut butter happily too. But steamed? Blah. So cooked carrots were never a favorite of mine.
Somewhere along the line, however, I roasted them. I can’t remember if I had them at a restaurant once (probably) or had the genius idea on my own (not so likely), but now we kind of love roasted carrots.
Anyway. If you haven’t tried roasting carrots, you absolutely should. It’s super easy and a great way to enjoy these root veggies.
Did you know they were great sources of beta carotene, fiber, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants? I had no idea!
Peanut Sauce
So while the US is all for peanut butter as a condiment (is that the right word?), other countries use it as a sauce ingredient much more frequently and it’s such a good idea!
If you love peanut sauce in Thai dishes, then this is exactly what you’re going to get with this roasted carrot dish. The salty, tanginess of the curry peanut sauce recipe below pairs so perfectly with the sweet roasted carrots and the color looks so good with roasted carrots. It’s truly a match made in heaven we don’t enjoy nearly enough!!
What to serve with Roasted Rainbow Carrots
If you’re just making roasted carrots – sans the sauce, then you can enjoy them with anything. We often have them as a winter produce side dish – though they’re available year round. They’re a bit starchy, so I don’t often serve them with potatoes, but rice with a protein is always great.
Roasted carrots (newly cooked or leftover) are great in this roasted vegetable salad and in general are a delicious salad topping.
If you’re serving them with this peanut curry sauce, roasted rainbow carrots are perfect with a chicken and rice combination – I’d drizzle the sauce over everything! They’re a flavorful and unexpected side dish in their own right!
Get more side dish recipes here!
More Recipes with Carrots
And try these crispy oven baked carrot fries! The options with carrots really are endless!
ROASTED RAINBOW CARROTS
Ingredients
- 1 pound small to medium carrots peeled if desired (about 8 carrots)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Pinch ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup unsweetened, salted peanut butter salted peanut butter (previously chilled)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon raw sugar
- Cilantro for garnish
- Chopped peanuts for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Spread the carrots onto a rimmed baking sheet. Coat with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir gently. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until they reach your desired tenderness. Baking times will depend on the size of the carrots. About 30 minutes for medium carrots leaves them tender with a slightly crunchy bite.
- About 10 minutes before the carrots are done. Add the peanut butter to a small saucepan. Stir and warm over medium-low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of water and continue to stir constantly, about 2 minutes. Add the lime juice, stir well. Add additional water to reach your desired sauce consistency. Stir well between each addition to ensure the water is completely blended in. Stir in the curry powder and sugar. Remove from the heat.
- Transfer the carrots to a serving bowl. Top with some sauce and garnish with cilantro and peanuts. Serve extra sauce on the side.
