Sweet & Spicy Turmeric Roasted Carrots

These sweet and spicy turmeric roasted carrots are a quick, simple and colorful side dish packed with warm fall flavors like turmeric and cinnamon.

Just look at that char!

Carrots are a super underrated vegetable in my opinion. They’re cheap, easily accessible, tasty, nutritious and incredibly versatile. They are one of those staples that I basically always have on hand. It’s easy to do so because they “keep” forever (ok, maybe not forever but at least for a several weeks). 

How to Use Up Extra Carrots

Snack

The most obvious use for carrots is peeling, chopping, and snacking on them raw (elementary school lunch style). Oh, and a PSA: get on board with the whole carrots here because while they take slightly more prep time, they taste 100x better than baby carrots.

Shred

In addition to crudité, I also like to shred or grate carrots on top of salads. They add the perfect crunch and as long as you have greens, carrots and some dried fruit on hand, you can make a decent salad in a pinch without a whole lot of fresh produce. 

Roast

Lastly, I love roasting carrots for a quick, simple, and colorful side dish. If you ever find yourself in need of an interesting vegetable but it’s been awhile since you made it to the store, this is definitely the one. The only out-of-the-box ingredient you need is turmeric (TER-mer-ick), which seems to be one of those “it” ingredients and is really easy to find. Turmeric carrots might be your new favorite fall side dish. I said it!

What Spices Pair Well with Carrots?

Together, turmeric and cinnamon make for a warm and spicy blend with just the right amount of earthiness. For more information on the flavor profile and some uses for turmeric, The Kitchn has a short and sweet write-up. I found that this combination pairs perfectly with carrots, and I added some brown sugar and coconut oil to bring everything together in one big sweet and spicy pan of goodness.

In addition to its unique taste and bright pigment, turmeric (more appropriately, curcumin, a component of turmeric) may also suppress certain inflammatory pathways that are linked with chronic disease. Herbs and spices in general are a great way to add flavor to a dish while also providing healthful compounds (a win/win).

These carrots would make a great side dish next to your favorite protein for an easy week-night meal and I may even go so far as to say they would be a welcomed addition to a holiday table. Never too early to plan, right?

Sometimes the simplest recipes are the biggest wins because low maintenance means time-savings, which I appreciate and I’m sure you can too. Enjoy!

You might also like:

• Roasted Delicata Squash with Pepita Pesto
• Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini, Nuts & Dried Fruit
• Roasted Potatoes and Broccoli

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