Carrots often play a supporting role in many of our favorite dishes, from chicken noodle soup to stir-fries to holiday sides. That’s because carrots act like chameleons: They work well in savory recipes to create another layer of flavor and texture, but they can also add a sweet note to lighter salads and desserts.
And all those colors! Sure, orange carrots are the most common, but browse your local farmers market to see if you can score white, yellow, red, and purple varieties. Each color has a unique flavor profile that’s slightly different from the go-to orange. Ready for a fresh spin on this versatile vegetable? Then try these recipes to make carrots the star of the show for your next meal!
(Wondering what to do with all those leafy carrot tops? Try this herbaceous pesto that puts what would otherwise be kitchen waste to delicious use!)
Almost-Raw Carrot Cake Bliss Balls
Vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and delicious? Sign us up! With this recipe from Love & Lemons, you can create a healthy bite that’s crunchy and chewy at the same time. These carrot energy balls make for a great lunch box addition or a quick on-the-go breakfast. And with just seven ingredients, they’re easy to put together—no baking required. Store them in the fridge or freeze extras to pop as snacks later.
French Carrot Salad
Inspired by a French classic, this recipe from Cookie + Kate is deceptively simple. The sweetness of the raw carrots combined with lemon, olive oil, herbs, and Dijon mustard create a complex flavor that’s delish as a side salad or picnic dish. Add some chickpeas to turn it into a meal. How the carrots are cut is important for the texture here, so try using a julienne peeler, running the carrots through your food processor with the grating attachment, or grating the carrots through the large holes of your box grater.
Shaved Beet and Carrot Salad with Citrus-Scallion Dressing
Bright, colorful, and refreshing! Simple ingredients like beets and carrots tossed with a heavenly citrus-scallion dressing elevate this salad from Food & Wine to a platter-worthy addition to any special occasion gathering or backyard barbecue. It’s not only easy to make, you can whip this gorgeous dish up in just 15 minutes! Pro tip: Make the dressing ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Herby Pizza with Carrot Top Pesto
This one had us at “pizza.” Featured in Bon Appétit, this herby, zesty pie uses carrots two ways. First, shaved slices are used as a topping, then the carrot tops themselves (the green leafy parts most people throw out) are used to make a pesto. The recipe calls for homemade dough, but you could easily use store-bought dough instead. And the sky’s the limit on this garlicky carrot top pesto—use it as a pasta sauce, a salad dressing, a dip, and more!
Carrot Ginger Soup
It’ll look like you spent hours in the kitchen, but this ultimate comfort food from Two Peas & Their Pod takes just under an hour to prepare. And can you believe that all this creamy goodness is vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free? Of course, roasting your carrots will bring out more flavor, and you’ll want to use fresh ginger for the best results. Pro tip: Peel the ginger by scraping the skin off with the edge of a spoon, then grate it with a microplane.
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