Tzimmes, a Yiddish word meaning "a jumble" or "a big mess," is a traditional sweet and savory stew often served during Jewish holidays. Slow cooked rainbow carrots, white and orange sweet potatoes, and a medley of dried cranberries, apricots, and prunes simmer in a fragrant orange juice and honey sauce, resulting in a side dish to any main course or holiday dinner.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This slow cooker Rainbow Tzimmes offers a convenient and mess-free way to prepare this classic dish. The combination of colorful vegetables and dried fruits creates a vibrant and flavorful side dish that everyone will love.
Feel free to experiment with different types of dried fruits or add a touch of warming spices like cinnamon or ginger for a personalized touch.
- Slow Cooker Convenience: This recipe utilizes the ease of a slow cooker, requiring minimal prep work.
- Vibrant and Colorful: Rainbow carrots, white and orange sweet potatoes create a stunning visual presentation.
- Sweet and Savory: The combination of vegetables, dried fruit, orange juice, and honey creates a delightful flavor profile.
- Perfect Side Dish: This tzimmes is a delicious and nutritious accompaniment to any main course.
Ingredients You'll Need
Cut the carrots in ½" coins, and when cubing the sweet potatoes, cut in similar size chunks. This will ensure the vegetables evenly.
- Rainbow carrots, scrubbed, peeled, and cut in ½" coins.
- Sweet Potatoes, any color or variety. I used 1 small Japanese white sweet potato and one small orange sweet potato.
- Onion, chopped
- Olive oil
- Cinnamon, ground
- Mace, ground (or Nutmeg)
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Honey
- Orange juice
- Medley of dried fruit (prunes are tradition, as well as dried apricot, and raisins or dried cranberries).
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make This Rainbow Tzimmes
This recipe offers a vibrant twist on the classic tzimmes, utilizing a slow cooker to create a colorful and comforting side dish. Layer the vegetables, add the honey and orange juice, and let the slow cooker do the rest!
Layer Chopped Onion and Sweet Potatoes
- Add the chopped onion to the 4 quart slow cooker. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle the salt, pepper, ground cinnamon, and ground mace over the onions.
- Add the cubed sweet potatoes on top of the chopped onions.
Add The Carrots and Dried Fruits
- Spread the carrot coins over the cubed sweet potatoes. Sprinkle the dried cranberries, and chopped dried apricots over the carrots. Space the dried prunes evenly on the top.
- Pour the honey over the top of the vegetables.
Add The Orange Juice
- Pour the orange juice in over everything and cover the slow cooker.
- Set the temperature to High and slow cook for 2 to 4 hours, or until the carrots are tender.
- Add more juice if the slow cooker cooks it off to quickly. The sauce will thicken slightly and should be about half the depth of the vegetables.
Transfer To A Serving Dish
- When the carrots are tender, transfer the tzimmes stew to a serving dish. You can add more orange juice and continue to simmer excess sauce in the slow cooker to have extra on the side for serving as well.
PRO TIP: The sauce is amazing on roasted chicken and beef brisket!
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few delicious variations or substitutions when making this tzimmes recipe.
- Feel free to experiment with different dried fruits, such as raisins, cherries, or chopped dates.
- This recipe is naturally vegetarian. For a vegan version, omit the honey and substitute maple syrup or another vegan sweetener.
- For a textural contrast, you can add chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts to the tzimmes before serving.
Tips for Success
Here are a few tips for making this tzimmes recipe:
- Experiment with various dried fruits and spices to personalize your tzimmes.
- Chop the vegetables and fruits into similar-sized pieces to ensure even cooking.
- Be mindful of the cooking time. Overcooked vegetables will become mushy.
- Taste the tzimmes towards the end of cooking and adjust the amount of honey to your preference.
Serving Suggestions
Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped fresh herbs like parsley or mint for a pop of color and freshness. Serve this jewel toned side dish alongside roasted chicken, baked salmon, or any main course.
During the Hanukkah or Thanksgiving holiday season, consider adding a drizzle of pomegranate molasses or a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds for a festive touch.
Related Recipes
- Potato Latkes
- Braided Challah With Raisins
- Chicken Kreplach Soup
- Beef Cholent with Barley
- Tropical Fruit Salad
- Fruit Infused Water
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 dish.
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Storage and Reheating
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- You can freeze leftover, but freezing does change the texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! While rainbow carrots add a vibrant presentation, regular orange carrots work perfectly in this recipe.
No, tzimmes is often just carrots, or carrots and sweet potatoes, or carrits and butternut squash. You can mix and match with what you love, but I just happen to love the jeweled tones. I'd have use a purple sweet potato is I had one!
No problem! Feel free to substitute or omit any dried fruits you don't have on hand. Experiment with other options like cherries, raisins, chopped dates, or even dried figs.
Yes, you can! Simply combine all the ingredients in a Dutch oven pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for several hours, or until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have melded. This method will require more monitoring than the slow cooker approach.
More Delish Ideas
Crockpot Rainbow Tzimmes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large Onion chopped
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon, ground ground
- ¼ teaspoon Mace, ground (or Nutmeg)
- 1 lb Sweet Potatoes any color or variety
- 1 lb Rainbow carrots scrubbed, peeled, and cut in ½" coins.
- ¼ cup dried cranberries or raisins
- 6 dried apricots cut into quarters
- 8 Prunes
- ¼ cup Honey
- 1 cup Orange juice or if needed, or making more sauce
Instructions
- Add the chopped onion to the 4 quart slow cooker. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle the salt, pepper, ground cinnamon, and ground mace over the onions.1 large Onion, 2 tablespoon Olive oil, 1 teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Black pepper, ½ teaspoon Cinnamon, ground, ¼ teaspoon Mace, ground
- Add the cubed sweet potatoes on top of the chopped onions.1 lb Sweet Potatoes
- Spread the carrot coins over the cubed sweet potatoes. Sprinkle the dried cranberries, and chopped dried apricots over the carrots. Space the dried prunes evenly on the top.1 lb Rainbow carrots, ¼ cup dried cranberries, 6 dried apricots, 8 Prunes
- Pour the honey over the top of the vegetables.¼ cup Honey
- Pour the orange juice in over everything and cover the slow cooker.1 cup Orange juice
- Set the temperature to High and slow cook for 2 to 4 hours, or until the carrots are tender.
- Add more juice if the slow cooker cooks it off to quickly. The sauce will thicken slightly and should be about half the depth of the vegetables.
- When the carrots are tender, transfer the tzimmes stew to a serving dish. You can add more orange juice and continue to simmer excess sauce in the slow cooker to have extra on the side for serving as well.
Notes
- Experiment with various dried fruits and spices to personalize your tzimmes.
- Chop the vegetables and fruits into similar-sized pieces to ensure even cooking.
- Be mindful of the cooking time. Overcooked vegetables will become mushy.
- Taste the tzimmes towards the end of cooking and adjust the amount of honey to your preference.
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