20 Colorful Carrot Dishes

Carrots may not be the most attractive vegetable on the shelf, but they're a reliable (and delicious!) staple in any kitchen. Eat them fresh, roast them as a side dish, or grate them into salads and cakes—they're one of our favorite vegetables.

Baked carrots

For Aina's popular dish, all you need is carrots, olive oil, dill, salt, and pepper.

Recipe: Baked carrots

Honey-glazed carrots

Honey-glazed baby carrots take just 15 minutes to prepare—the perfect side dish for a spring holiday table.

Recipe: Honey-glazed carrots

Carrot cake with cottage cheese glaze

Top this dense carrot cake with homemade cream cheese frosting—a classic crowd-pleaser!

Recipe: Carrot cake with cottage cheese glaze

Baked Rainbow Carrots

Multicolored carrots are delicious: to serve them as a side dish, just add olive oil, salt, and chopped chives.

Recipe: Baked Rainbow Carrots

Carrot salad with capers

Add variety to your salads: use grated carrots instead of cabbage. This simple side dish pairs well with meat or fish. Use leftovers as a topping for roast pork or a chicken sandwich.

Recipe: Carrot salad with capers

Freshly squeezed juice from beetroot, carrot and apple

This ruby-red juice is rich in vitamins C and K. It also contains beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, which is beneficial for skin and vision in the dark. Drink the juice immediately after preparation, when it's at its most beneficial. To replenish the fiber lost during juicing, add chia seeds.

Recipe: Freshly squeezed juice from beetroot, carrot and apple

Moroccan Carrot Salad

For a tasty side dish, Molly boils carrots and coats them with a mixture of olive oil, harissa, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Recipe: Moroccan Carrot Salad

Carrot and ginger soup with baked vegetable puree

Add canned beans to the vegetable puree—they're rich in fiber and make the soup more filling.

Recipe: Carrot and ginger soup with baked vegetable puree

Healthy Carrot Muffins

These muffins are perfect for breakfast or dessert, and you can indulge without feeling guilty. While they taste similar to carrot cake, they use healthier ingredients like whole-wheat flour and wheat germ, and there's no sugary glaze on top.

Recipe: Healthy Carrot Muffins

Roasted Carrot Hummus Sauce

Like traditional hummus, Valerie uses tahini paste, lemon, and garlic in her dip. Before pureeing, she roasts the carrots to enhance the sweet, caramelized flavor.

Recipe: Roasted Carrot Hummus Sauce

Orange-Glazed Carrots

This nutritious side dish, rich in vitamins A and C, doesn't even taste like a diet dish. The carrots soak up the orange juice and oil glaze, and the dill adds an unexpected refreshing note.

Recipe: Orange-Glazed Carrots

We recommend

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and pineapple

This nostalgic dessert with classic cream cheese frosting from Aina is perhaps the best kind of fruit pie.

Recipe: Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and pineapple

Raw carrot noodles in spicy peanut dressing

A vegetable peeler turns carrots into an interesting noodle-like side dish. We sprinkled the cucumbers with salt to release as much water as possible, preventing the finished dish from becoming soggy.

Recipe: Raw carrot noodles in spicy peanut dressing

Carrots in a vinaigrette with lemon and dill (in a steamer)

These tender carrots are perfect for the holiday table. Steaming them preserves their natural flavor. Toss them while still warm with a dill-lemon vinaigrette to infuse the side dish with rich flavor.

Recipe: Carrots in a vinaigrette with lemon and dill (in a steamer)

Carrot sticks with dip

Ree turns roasted carrots into a wonderful and incredibly simple side dish. For dipping, she serves a quick sauce made from store-bought ketchup and ranch dressing.

Recipe: Carrot sticks with dip

Carrot cake in a jar

Make this carrot cake-inspired oatmeal tonight and you'll have a sweet, spring-inspired breakfast packed with fiber and protein in the morning.

Recipe: Carrot cake in a jar

Angel Hair Pasta in Carrot and Walnut Sauce

Seasonal carrots are paired with walnuts, cheese, and herbs in a pesto-like sauce. It pairs perfectly with thin spaghetti.

Recipe: Angel Hair Pasta in Carrot and Walnut Sauce

Carrot casserole with cottage cheese glaze

Ree uses all the ingredients of carrot cake and turns them into a delicious, decadent breakfast. She assembles the dish the night before and refrigerates it overnight to allow the bread to soak in the cream.

Recipe: Carrot casserole with cottage cheese glaze

Carrot cream soup with thyme and cream

Ree loves this soup because it's so easy to freeze. The honey and heavy cream infuse the dish with a rich, luxurious flavor.

Recipe: Carrot cream soup with thyme and cream







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