Roasted rainbow carrots are a delectable side dish to spruce up any meal. Roasting these tri color carrots brings out their natural caramelized sweetness while adding vibrant color to your meal.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
You don't have to settle for boring steamed vegetables - get creative tonight and try this recipe for tri color carrots! Not only is this recipe easy to make, but the presentation – vibrant colors of yellow, orange and purple - makes it perfect for all seasons!
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Ingredients
- What are Rainbow Carrots?
- How to Cook Rainbow Carrots
- Serving Suggestions
- Related Recipes
- Substitutions
- Variations
- Equipment
- Storage
- Tips for Success
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Food Safety
- Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
- Connect with Smells Like Delish!
- 📖 Recipe
Ingredients
Go ahead, add some color and zest to your meals with delicious roasted rainbow carrots! You can find them with the tops on as well as cleaned and trimmed in the bag.
For This Heirloom Carrots Recipe
- Rainbow Carrots - Tri color carrots, tops removed, and peeled or scrubbed.
- Fresh Herbs - I used Tarragon and Thyme sprigs.
- Garlic - Full head, with top sliced off.
- Lemon Juice -Fresh squeezed. You can also use orange or lime juice!
- Olive oil
- Salt - Coarse sea salt.
- Black Pepper - Fresh cracked black pepper.
PRO TIP: Zest the lemon completely first. Roll the lemon to soften it, then juice it for maximum juice extraction.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
What are Rainbow Carrots?
Did you know that originally, carrots were NOT orange? Most carrots prior to the 1700's were purple or white. The Dutch, famous for hybridizing tulips, cultivated carrots into the common orange carrot. Orange carrots contain the highest levels of alpha and beta-carotene.
Rainbow carrots are the various hybrids or mutants strains from the original purple carrot.
How to Cook Rainbow Carrots
Carrots are already a nutritious vegetable, but when they’re roasted in the oven with flavorful ingredients like garlic, herbs, and olive oil – your taste buds will be doing the happy dance. Get ready to prepare this heirloom carrots recipe!
Trim the Tri Color Carrots
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, or parchment paper.
- Trim the tops off the carrots if they are still on. Leave small stumps, and then peel carrots with a vegetable peeler. Slice the top off the heads of garlic.
Prepare for Roasting
- Spread the rainbow carrots, heads of garlic, and herb sprigs out on the baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Mix Herbs With Dressing
- Roast the rainbow carrots for 40 minutes, turning the carrots after 20 minutes for even roasting. They will start to get a caramelized appearance, and the garlic heads will be soft.
PRO TIP: If you are using skinny carrots, or small baby carrots, your roasting time may be only 30 minutes. If you have super size carrots, cut the thick end in half part way down the carrot, or completely in half for more even roasting.
Adjust Seasonings and Serve
- Season a squeeze of lemon and additional salt & pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately. If you like fresh herbs on your roasted rainbow carrots, be sure to try out these cool mincing sheers, they will mince up herbs in a flash!
PRO TIP: Your children will absolutely LOVE a squeeze of orange juice or a drizzle of maple syrup on these roasted rainbow carrots!
Serving Suggestions
Serve these roasted rainbow carrots as a side dish to our Dutch Oven Turkey Breast or Maple Bourbon Glazed Ham to create a festive Holiday meal. They are also amazing dressed with our Herb Gremolata sauce!
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Related Recipes
Substitutions
You can also use regular orange carrots, you just won't have the vibrancy of tri colored carrots on the platter. You can add a few raw beets to the roasting pan for additional color though!
Variations
Here are a few variations using this tri color carrots recipe as a base:
- Spicy Tri Color Carrots - Roast the carrots with some slivered fresh red chilies.
- Roasted Carrots and Asparagus - Half way though the roasting, add fresh spears of asparagus. Roast the last 20 minutes on 350 F.
- Roasted Carrots and Brussels Sprouts - add fresh washed brussels spouts to the roasting pan. Follow the rest of the recipe.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making this roasted heirloom carrots recipe.
- Rimmed Baking Sheets
- Mincing shears (or scissors) - great for mincing herbs for this tri color carrots recipe.
Storage
Store any leftover roasted tri color carrots in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze leftover roasted rainbow carrots for up to three months.
Tips for Success
- When preparing this heirloom carrots recipe the carrots, spread the carrots out evenly in one layer on the roasting pan for even roasting.
- Aluminum foil on the roasting pan makes for a super easy clean up!
Frequently Asked Questions
Parsnips and carrots are from the same family, but their flavor differs. Parsnips have a sweeter taste with hints of anise. Carrots as opposed to the carrot's sweetness is more like a butternut squash.
Carrots with the tops still on are typically fresher. Carrots in bags have been in cold storage longer than the tops would have held up.
The myth of carrots improving eyesight if leftover from WWII. The British has a new radar system that they needed to conceal from Germany. The 'carrots improve eyesight' campaign was used to explain improved eyesight of British fighter pilots.
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love
Connect with Smells Like Delish!
📖 Recipe
Roasted Rainbow Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs carrots top trimmed, carrots peeled
- 2 heads garlic tops sliced off
- 1 tablespoon tarragon fresh sprigs
- thyme fresh sprigs
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- salt
- pepper fresh cracked
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- herbs for mincing as garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, or parchment paper.
- Trim the tops off the carrots if they are still on. Leave small stumps, and then peel carrots with a vegetable peeler. Slice the top off the heads of garlic.
- Spread the rainbow carrots, heads of garlic, and herb sprigs out on the baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.2 ½ lbs carrots, 2 heads garlic, 1 tablespoon tarragon, thyme, 3 tablespoon olive oil, salt, pepper
- Roast the rainbow carrots for 40 minutes, turning the carrots after 20 minutes for even roasting. They will start to get a caramelized appearance, and the garlic heads will be soft.
- Season with a squeeze of lemon juice and additional salt & pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately. If you like fresh herbs on your roasted rainbow carrots, be sure to try out these cool mincing sheers, they will mince up herbs in a flash!1 tablespoon lemon juice, herbs
Notes
- Aluminum foil on the roasting pan makes for a super easy clean up!
- When preparing this heirloom carrots recipe the carrots, spread the carrots out evenly in one layer on the roasting pan for even roasting.
- Use a multi blade mincing shears mince garnish herbs easily!
- Squeezing orange juice or lime juice instead of lemon juice makes a great option!
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