Tender Roasted Carrots With Orange and Fresh Herbs

Updated October 02, 2018
roasted rainbow carrots
Kristy Del Coro, MS, RDN, CDN

Nutrition Highlights (per serving)

Calories 153
Fat 7g
Carbs 21g
Protein 2g
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 (1 cup each)
Amount per serving  
Calories 153
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 430mg 19%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 6g 21%
Total Sugars 11g  
Includes 0g Added Sugars 0%
Protein 2g  
Vitamin D 0mcg 0%
Calcium 79mg 6%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 698mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Total Time 55 min
Prep 10 min, Cook 45 min
Servings 4 (1 cup each)

Carrots often end up lost among other vegetables in a soup or stew, or simply served raw alongside dip. This recipe makes carrots the star, featuring the rainbow variety for added color and beneficial phytochemicals (different pigments are associated with different nutrients, such as lycopene in red carrots, beta-carotene in orange, anthocyanin in purple, and lutein in yellow varieties).

These carrots are roasted with some orange juice to help make them tender without excess oil and are finished with fresh herbs before serving.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds peeled whole rainbow carrots, ends trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/3 cup orange juice (1 medium orange, juiced)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoons chopped mint

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Add peeled whole carrots to a baking dish in a single layer and add all remaining ingredients except for fresh herbs. Gently toss to evenly coat carrots with oil and spices. (Alternatively, you can toss everything in a large ziploc bag first to evenly coat and then transfer to a baking dish.)
  3. Cover baking dish with foil and roast for approximately 30 minutes.
  4. Increase oven temperature to 425F, uncover and continue to roast for additional an 10 to15 minutes or until carrots are tender and all of the orange juice has evaporated. 
  1. Remove carrots from pan and slice on a bias into two-inch pieces. Transfer to a serving bowl.
  2. Toss cooked sliced carrots with chopped fresh herbs and serve.

Ingredient Variations and Substitutions

This recipe can easily be done with regular carrots as well. 

If you don't have orange juice, replace that ingredient with the same amount of water or unsalted vegetable stock.

Feel free to get creative and swap out different herbs and spices to go with different cuisines—the procedure will stay the same! Basil, thyme, rosemary, and others all work well.

Cooking and Serving Tips

The carrots are great served immediately as a warm side dish or can be made ahead and enjoyed at room temperature as an addition to a salad or grain bowl.

If you plan on making the carrots in advance but still want to eat them warm, wait to add the fresh herbs until after they are reheated; otherwise the brightness of the herbs will be muddled.

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