Carrot Recipes

Sweet Root Mash

4 medium carrots
2 medium squash (Carnival, Acorn or Delicata) or 1 medium Butternut, halved and seeded
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
3 medium apples peeled, cored and chopped

Cut carrots into ½” or 1” coins and steam until tender.
Bake squash at 375 degrees until tender.
Chop sweet potatoes into 2” pieces and place in a 2-quart cooking pot.
Layer apples over the sweet potatoes, add 2” water, cover and cook on a gentle boil until tender.
Add the carrots to the apple and sweet potato mixture, and blend/mash until smooth.
For this recipe an immersion blender works best but you can also use a regular blender.
For a more rustic texture use a regular potato masher.
Next scoop the squash from its skin and add to pot, blend/mash once again.
Thickness can be adjusted by adding water, veg/chicken stock, milk, etc.
Once blended bring it back up to a short boil and it’s ready for spicing and serving.
There is a natural sweetness to this recipe but you can go either sweet or savory.
Spice to taste with salt, pepper, garlic, maple syrup.
Can be topped with butter or cheese.

Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup with Ginger

½ cup chopped raw, unsalted cashews
3 tablespoons butter
1 ½ cups chopped leeks or onion (about 1 large or 2 small leeks or 1 large onion)
2 tablespoons finely chopped or grated ginger
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 pounds carrots, roughly cut into ½ inch chunks (10 to 12 medium carrots)
½ pound peeled, diced sweet potato (about 1 large sweet potato)
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock or water plus more to thin the soup
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper
Plain yogurt or sour cream
Fresh chives, chopped

Toast the cashews in a dry, heavy skillet over high heat until they start to brown in spots and become fragrant.
Be careful not to over-cook them, as they will burn very quickly once they are toasted.
Immediately transfer the nuts to a dish to cool.
Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium-high heat.
Add the leeks or onion; cook, stirring frequently, for 8 minutes.
Add the ginger, cumin, cinnamon, fennel, allspice, and nutmeg; cook, stirring, for 1 minute more.
Add the carrots, sweet potatoes, and stock or water; stir to combine.
Partially cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and bring to a simmer.
Cook until the carrots and potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a blender.
Add the toasted cashews and process to a smooth puree.
If it seems too thick for soup, add a little more stock or water.
Transfer the soup back to the pot.
Add orange juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
Gently heat the soup over medium heat, stirring frequently, until hot.
Ladle the soup into individual cups and place a dollop of yogurt or sour cream in the center of each.
Garnish with chives.

Roasted Maple-Bourbon Carrots and Parsnips

3 pounds carrots
2 pounds parsnips
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup bourbon whiskey
¼ cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
If any carrots or parsnips are very large, cut pieces lengthwise in half or into quarters for even cooking.
In large bowl, toss carrots and parsnips with oil, salt, and pepper until well coated.
Transfer to two 15 ½” by 10 ½” jelly-roll pans or large cookie sheets.
Roast vegetables on 2 oven racks 45 to 50 minutes or until tender and lightly browned, stirring once and rotating pans between upper and lower racks halfway through roasting.
If not completing recipe right away, cool vegetables completely in pans on wire racks.
Transfer vegetables to large self-sealing plastic bag.
Refrigerate up to 1 day.
About 10 minutes before serving, in large microwave-safe serving bowl, heat bourbon and maple syrup in microwave oven on High 4 to 5 minutes or until mixture is very thick, stirring occasionally.
Add vegetables to bourbon mixture and stir until well coated.
Heat vegetable mixture on High 1 to 3 minutes or just until hot, stirring once.

Curried Vegetable Bisque

5 cups tart apples, peeled and chopped
2 cups onion, chopped
2 cups sweet red pepper, chopped
1 ½ cups carrots, chopped
¾ cup celery, diced
2 teaspoons oil of choice
3 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
3 cups potatoes, chopped
½ cup raisins
3 tablespoons curry powder
¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon dried thyme
3 ½ cups beef or vegetable broth
3 cups milk
1 ¼ cups dry milk powder
1/3 cup tomato sauce
2 cups cooked shrimp or chicken, chopped (optional)
Salt to taste

In a large soup pot sauté apples, onion, pepper, carrots, and celery in 2 teaspoons oil until vegetables are soft, 7-10 minutes.
Add 3 ½ cups broth, potatoes, raisins, curry powder, cardamom, allspice, and thyme.
Stir and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring as needed, until potatoes are soft, 12-15 minutes.
Puree in batches in a blender or food processor.
Add some broth if the mixture is too thick.
For a chunkier soup do not puree about 2 cups.
Return everything to the soup pot.
Stir in another 3 ½ cups broth, milk, dry milk powder, and tomato sauce.
Add cooked shrimp or chicken (optional).
Heat, but do not boil.
Just before serving, add 3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or serve with chutney.

Golden Celebration Pie of Winter Vegetables

All the orphans of the vegetable world turn into stars in this party pie. Rutabaga, celeriac, parsnip, Brussels sprouts and turnips could each or all go into the pan, just remember to balance earthy tastes with sweet and rich ones like onion, potato, yam, or carrot. Cut harder vegetables into smaller pieces for even cooking. Roast the vegetables a day or two ahead. Warm them before baking with the crust. The pie is good hot from the oven or just warm.

Vegetables:
3 medium onions, cut into six chunks each
4 small unpeeled red-skin potatoes, halved
1 medium rutabaga or large turnip, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick pieces
1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved
½ small cabbage, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick pieces
4 branches fresh thyme
20 fresh sage leaves
20 fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (optional)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 cloves garlic, halved

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
In a large bowl, toss together the vegetables, herbs, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil (enough to lightly coat them) and salt and pepper.
Spread the vegetables on two large, shallow roasting pans.
Roast about an hour, turning several times during cooking for even browning.
Add garlic to the pans halfway through cooking.
Vegetables are done when they are browned and easily pierced with a knife.
Cool, wrap and refrigerate until ready to make the pie.

Crust:
1 ½ cups (7.5 ounces) all-purpose unbleached flour
Generous ¼ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 large egg, beaten
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Combine dry ingredients in a food processor or large bowl.
Cut in butter until it is the size of peas.
Add the first egg and 2 tablespoons of water.
Pulse just until dough gathers into clumps, or toss with a fork until moistened.
If dry, work in another ½ to 1 tablespoon water.
Turn dough out on a floured board and let rest a few minutes.
Select a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the vegetables in a mound.
Measure the dish then roll out the dough so it is no more than 1/8-inch thick and at least 5 inches larger than the dish.
Put it on a foil-covered pizza pan or cookie sheet and refrigerate 30 minutes to 24 hours.

Assembly:
½ cup vegetable broth or water
2 egg yolks, beaten in a small bowl

About 50 minutes before serving, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Butter the inside and rim of the baking dish.
Warm the vegetables in the oven.
Pour the broth or water into the baking dish then pile in the vegetables.
Turn the chilled dough over onto the vegetables, gently peeling back its foil.
Fold up and crimp the overhang of pastry to make a raised border atop the rim of the baking dish (extra pastry could be cut into decorative pieces and applied to the crust with beaten egg).
Brush the crust with beaten egg and cut a few vent holes.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
Serve hot or warm.
Serves 8.

Cabbage Slaw with Miso-Honey Vinaigrette

Salad:
¼ purple cabbage
¼ green cabbage
1 medium carrot, peeled
1-2 small daikon radish, peeled
4 green onions

Dressing:
1 tablespoon white miso paste
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon sweet mirin vinegar
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
1 lime, juiced

Cut peeled carrot and daikon into 3- to 4-inch matchsticks pieces, set aside.
Remove outer layer of green onions, discard.
Cut off the darkest green at the top of the onion (just about 1”) and the root, and discard both.
Cut into 3- to 4-inch strips.
Cut cabbage into thin strips, keeping purple and green cabbage separate.
Toast sesame seeds in a small pan on the stovetop until they start to brown if using white sesame, or for about 2 minutes if using black.
Remove from the pan and reserve in a small bowl.
Combine all dressing ingredients in a mixing bowl, grating the ginger with a micro-grater and mincing the garlic with a knife.
Mix well to completely dissolve the miso, making sure there are no small chunks remaining.
Add sesame seeds, reserving a small amount for garnish.
Dress purple cabbage lightly and put in one half of your serving bowl.
Do the same with green cabbage and add to other half of the bowl.
Dress carrots, daikon and green onion and arrange on top of the cabbage.
Top with slices of avocado and sprinkle with extra sesame seeds and a handful of cilantro leaves.

Glazed Carrot Soup

2 tablespoons butter or 1 tablespoon neutral oil (like grape seed or corn oil)
1 ½ pounds carrots, sliced (app. 6-10 carrots)
1 teaspoon sugar, maple syrup, honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups vegetable stock or water
2 tablespoons minced fresh chervil or parsley for garnish

Put carrots, butter, ¾ cup water, and the sugar in a large skillet or saucepan and turn the heat to high. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then bring the mixture to boil.
Cover, turn the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 5 minutes.
Uncover and raise the heat a bit.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the carrots are cooking in the butter.
Lower the heat and continue to heat, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are very tender, about 10 minutes more. If they start to stick or brown, add a tablespoon or so of stock.
Add the stock and turn the heat to high.
Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the syrup at the bottom of the pan.
Lower the heat so that the stock gently bubbles and cook, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly, about 10 minutes more.
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pan or cool the mixture slightly, pour into a blender container, and carefully puree.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Serves 4.

Variations:
Glazed carrots with orange and ginger:
In Step 1, add 1 Tbsp minced ginger and 1 Tbsp grated orange zest to the carrot mixture and use the orange juice instead of water

Glazed Carrots with Garlic, Tequila, and Lime:
In Step 1, add 1 Tbsp minced garlic and 1 tsp grated lime zest to the carrot mixture.
Instead of water, use a mixture of ¼ cup fresh lime juice, ¼ cup tequila, and ¼ cup water.
Instead of chervil or parsley, garnish with chopped cilantro.

Celery Root and Carrot Soup

½ large celery root (celeriac), peeled, chopped
½ pound carrots, peeled, chopped
¼ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled ginger
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
Celery leaves and chopped Granny Smith apple (for serving)

Place celery root and carrots in a large pot.
Add 6 cups water.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Cook until tender, 30–35 minutes.
Let cool slightly.
Purée in a blender with yogurt, honey, coriander, and ginger until smooth.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve soup topped with celery leaves and apple

Carrot Ginger Soup

4 pounds carrots, washed and chopped coarsely
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ gallon water or vegetable stock
2 onions, diced
1 cayenne pepper, de-veined, deseeded, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
3 tablespoons ginger, minced
2-3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
½ cup cilantro, minced
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cans coconut milk
2-3 tablespoons lime juice

Sauté onion, garlic, ginger, and cayenne pepper in olive oil until translucent.
Add remaining ingredients except coconut milk and lime juice and bring to boil.
Cook 15 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.
Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.
Add coconut milk and lime juice, and puree.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Carrot Ginger Soup

Carrot Ginger Soup (another version)

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion – coarsely chopped
1 and 1/2 lbs of carrots – washed and cut into large chunks
1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh ginger – peeled and chopped
4 cups (or more) of veggie stock
1 or 2 cups of dry white wine (you are concentrating the flavors here so don’t use a wine you would not drink – if wine is not something you use then just a dash of vinegar or more lemon will round out the flavors)
1 lemon – juiced
Curry powder to taste (I use about 2 teaspoons of Penzeys “Hot Curry Powder”. They have a “Sweet” one if you are not so much liking the hot)
Salt to taste – depending on the stock you use.

Sweat the onion in a soup pot until soft.
Don’t brown or the soup looks dirty. If you add salt to the onion as it cooks it will not brown as quickly.
Add the carrots and ginger and cook for about 10 to 15 min until they start to get soft.
Add stock (covering the veggies and giving them a bit of room to move about.)
Simmer until carrots are fork tender (fall apart when poked.)
Add wine (if using.)
Use a submersion hand blender until smooth.
Add lemon.
Add curry to taste.

Gingered Carrot Soup

2 pounds carrots
4 cups water
1 tablespoons butter or oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon of each:
cumin, ground fennel, cinnamon, allspice, dried mint
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup lightly toasted cashews
optional: buttermilk to drizzle on the top

Cut carrots into 1 inch chunks.
Place in a medium-large saucepan with the water, cover, and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat, and simmer until very tender (about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the carrots pieces).
Meanwhile heat the butter or oil in a small skillet.
Add onions, and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Add garlic, ginger, salt, and spices.
Turn heat to low, and continue to sauté for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until everything is well mingled and the onions are very soft.
Stir in lemon juice.
Use a food processor or blender to puree everything together (including the toasted cashews). You will need to do this in several batches.
Transfer the puree to a kettle, and heat gently just before serving.
If desired, pass a small pitcher of buttermilk, for individual drizzlings.

Glazed Carrot Soup

2 Tbsp butter or 1 Tbsp neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn
1 ½ pound carrots, sliced (app. 6-10 carrots)
1 tsp sugar, maple syrup, honey
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups vegetable stock or water
2 Tbsp minced fresh chervil or parsley for garnish

Variations:
Glazed carrots with orange and ginger:
In Step 1, add 1 Tbsp minced ginger and 1 Tbsp grated orange zest to the carrot mixture and use the orange juice instead of water

Mom’s Carrot Cake

1 ½ cup corn oil
2 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
3 cups raw carrots, grated

Beat together oil, eggs, vanilla, and sugar.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Add carrots to creamed ingredients.
Add dry ingredients.
Grease and flour a 9×13” pan.
Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes.
Remember to save time for cake to cool before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
½ cup butter
8 oz cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
When beating, add sugar until sweet enough.
Spread on cake when it is cooled.

Sweet Carrot-Cucumber Sambal w/ Chiles & Fish Sauce

1 unpeeled cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
½ large carrot, peeled and grated
½ red onion, diced small
1 Tbsp for your favorite minced red or green chile
½ cup white vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp each chopped cilantro, chopped fresh mint, and chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp fermented fish sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and mix well. This will keep for 1 to 2 days.
Served over rice or with fish.

Carrot and Cilantro Soup

1 white onion
3 tablespoons butter
1 bunch carrots (about 2 pounds)
2 or 3 potatoes (about ½ pound)
Salt and pepper
1 to 1 ½ quarts chicken stock
1 bunch cilantro (about ¼ pound)
1 small red onion
1 or 2 jalapeño peppers
Juice of 1 lime

Peel and slice the onion and put in on to stew in the butter over low heat, covered.
Peel the carrots and potatoes and cut them in large chunks.
Once the onions are fairly soft, add the carrots and potatoes, salt generously, and continue to stew, covered, for about 10 minutes more.
Add chicken stock to cover and simmer until the vegetables are entirely cooked. Take the pot off the heat.
Reserve a handful of cilantro leaves for salsa and throw the rest of the cilantro into the soup pot.
Purée the soup in a blender or food processor (or pass through a food mill), and strain through a medium sieve.
Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Make a little salsa to your taste with the onion and jalapeño peppers, chopped; the lime juice; and the reserved coriander leaves, coarsely chopped.
To serve the soup, bring back to a simmer, ladle into bowls, and garnish with the salsa.