These simple roasted dutch carrots may just be the star of your next meal. They come together so easily, require no technical skills and use easy to find simple ingredients.
Simple Roasted Dutch Carrots
Carrots may just be the most underrated veggies around. They can be eaten raw, taste scrumptious when they are roasted, make great juice and an even better cake.
What other veggies can spread themselves across so many recipe categories and get away with it?
This recipe really is one of those recipes where the natural flavor of the carrots shines through to make it a scrumptious little dish.
All you need is:
- some dutch carrots (otherwise known as baby carrots, Nantes carrots or French carrots - see note on carrots below)
- garlic
- good quality olive oil
- some fresh chopped rosemary
- salt and pepper
If you want to fancy it up a bit you can throw some pine nuts in for the last 5 minutes of cooking to add a bit of crunch, but to keep it budget-friendly I usually don't bother as the carrots are so delicious as is.
What Are Dutch Carrots?
Also referred to as baby carrots, dutch carrots are the carrots you will find in a bunch, usually with their greens still attached.
They are usually a lot skinnier than the carrots you find in bags at the supermarket.
They can also be referred to as:
- Baby carrots (not to be confused with the baby carrots that are about the size of your pinky, already peeled and usually marketed to kids and sold in little plastic snack bags);
- French carrots,
- Nantes carrots
They are usually a little bit more expensive than your regular carrot, but they have such a great flavor, which makes them a fantastic 'fancier' side dish or dinner item rather than for snacking/juicing/baking like you would with a regular carrot.
I Can't Find Dutch Carrots, Can I Sub With Regular Carrots?
Depending on where you live, or the supermarket you shop at, you may have trouble accessing Dutch carrots.
If you can't find them then you can just use a regular carrot cut into quarters lengthwise for this recipe. It won't have quite the same flavor, and it certainly won't look as fancy, but the flavor will still be there.
Can These Carrots Be Made Ahead Of Time?
You can prep the dutch carrots ahead of time.
The washing and the trimming of the leaves etc can easily be done ahead of time. Also the chopping of the garlic and rosemary.
Have them sitting there ready to be popped into the oven but I wouldn't cook them ahead of time if you can get away with it. They just won't have the same impact flavor-wise and can get a little limp.
What To Serve With These Delicious Roasted Baby Carrots
My kids eat these like fries, so I could definitely get away with serving them all by themselves. However, if you want to make a meal of it, roasted dutch carrots are perfect served:
- As a side in your Holiday meal
- Alongside a nice Rotisserie Chicken on a Sunday arvo
- On top of some Garlicky Quinoa
- Alongside some Parsnip Puree
- In a rainbow or buddha bowl
Use your imagination. They pair well with so many things.
Let me know what you think about this scrumptious dutch carrots side dish. I just love how intensified the flavor of the carrot is once it has been roasted.
With an almost charred, caramelized exterior, you are going to be hard-pressed to find a veggie that tastes so good with so little input on your behalf.
Happy eating
xx
Recipe
Simple Roasted Dutch Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 bunches young, thin baby dutch carrots scrubbed clean
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or cooking oil of choice
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F (200C) and line a baking tray will aluminium foil or baking paper
- Scrub the carrots and remove the green leafy stems, leaving just a small amount on top (about a thumbnails worth).
- Arrange the carrots on the tray, drizzle on the olive oil, sprinkle on the garlic and salt and pepper.
- Roast the carrots for 15 minutes. Open the oven and sprinkle the chopped rosemary over the half-roasted carrots and then pop back into the oven for another 15-20 minutes. The carrots should be starting to brown and caramelize on the edges.
- Remove from the oven and place onto a serving dish. Sprinkle on a little more sea salt and serve.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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