Roasted Rainbow Carrots
Published Oct 02, 2024
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When it comes to a special occasion vegetable side dish, Roasted Rainbow Carrots are here for it. They look so beautiful on the plate, especially when topped with fresh herbs in the form of Magic Green Sauce!
For most special occasion and holiday meals, the main dish comes easy. Turkey at Thanksgiving or Christmas, ham at Easter, pull-apart sliders for football season. But the sides can be harder to plan. You want them to be easy enough that they can be mostly (or completely) made ahead and colorful enough to round out the table.
And when it comes to simplicity, affordability, and the likelihood that it will be loved by all (picky eaters included), it’s hard to go wrong with roasted carrots. The natural sweetness of the carrots comes out when carrots are roasted, making it an easy side dish to love.
This recipe for roasted rainbow carrots has made an appearance at nearly every holiday meal at my house in recent years because it meets all of these requirements. And even though it’s beautiful with the vibrant colors of rainbow carrots, the fresh herby sauce means that the dish looks equally as inviting even when made with regular orange carrots, another color (like purple carrots), or even baby carrots.
If you’re looking for the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or another holiday dinner or if you’re just looking for something simple to serve with weeknight dinners, this carrot recipe is sure to be a hit. And if you’re on the hunt for more holiday side dishes that can be made ahead be sure to check out my Make-Ahead Thanksgiving List and Timeline (many of these would be great for other holidays as well).
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Pin It NowWhat are Rainbow Carrots?
Rainbow carrots are just multicolored carrots sold together in a bunch or bag. Typically these come in white, orange, yellow, purple, and the classic orange. They all should be a similar shape and size and have similar green tops.
When the carrots are raw, the colors are typically brighter than when they’re cooked.
Important: Do Not Glaze Rainbow Carrots
One of my favorite ways to prepare carrots is to glaze them, but this method won’t work when you’re using multicolored carrots. To glaze the carrots, they’re all simmered together in a water in a pan, and the purple carrots will stain all of the other carrots a muted brown-purple color. If this sounds good to you, be sure to check out my Glazed Honey Mustard Carrots recipe. But with rainbow carrots, roasting is the way to go.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure that all of the carrots are a similar size before roasting; most carrots will do the best if sliced in half lengthwise.
- The size of your carrots will affect the cook time and thicker carrots will take longer; keep an eye on them and take them out when they’re tender (try piercing one with a fork to check it).
- If you have any that aren’t being roasted, raw carrots of all kinds are great for dipping (I love these in lunch boxes).
Variations and Other Ways to Serve Rainbow Carrots
- Try a different sauce like Dijon mustard sauce, balsamic glaze, brown butter, or just a squeeze of lemon juice and / or lemon zest.
- Skip the sauce and top the carrots with fresh herbs like fresh rosemary, fresh parsley, or fresh thyme.
- For the holidays, try skipping the sauce and serve the roasted rainbow carrots with a fresh squeeze of orange juice and a scattering of pomegranate seeds.
How to Make Them Ahead
This is a simple side dish to make ahead. You can make everything up to two days in advance. To prep ahead and serve:
- Roast the carrots as directed and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Make the sauce and store it in an airtight container (separate from the carrots) in the refrigerator.
- Toast the almonds (if using) and store in the pantry.
- To serve, take the carrots and sauce out of the fridge about an hour early to let them come to room temperature. Give the sauce a good stir.
More Easy Vegetable Sides
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Roasted Rainbow Carrots
Equipment
- Half Sheet Pan
- Nonstick Skillet
- Food Processor or Immersion Blender
Ingredients
For the carrots:
- 1 pound rainbow carrots
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the sauce:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro
- 1 1/2 cup lightly packed flat leaf parsley
- 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Peel the carrots and slice them in half lengthwise. (Note: Aim to get most of the carrots about the same size so that they cook evenly. If any are very thick, you may want to quarter them to get them nearly the same size.)
- On a rimmed sheet pan (use two if all of the carrots won’t fit in a single layer) spread the carrots out.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on them and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt. Gently roll the carrots around to coat them in olive oil.
- Roast the carrots, without stirring, until the thickest spot becomes nearly tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a food processor (or in a jar, using an immersion blender), combine the remaining ½ cup of olive oil, vinegar, cilantro, parsley, honey, garlic, remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and red pepper flakes (if using). Pulse or blend until smooth.
- Toast the sliced almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until deep golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Transfer the carrots to a serving platter. Spoon the green sauce over top. Sprinkle with almonds.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
