From soups, to cupcakes, mac and cheese and more, carrots are having their moment.
Carrots are the overlooked vegetable. These veggies are packed with vitamins, they are filling, can travel pretty well, keep well (at the right temperature), never complain, hold tonnes of fiber, and can be easily eaten both raw and cooked. But we don’t really put them up on a pedestal, do we? Why? Maybe they aren’t sexy enough.
Whatever the case may be, you could argue that carrots are rather persecuted but we’re here to boost them up. They’re often hidden in tupperware containers in the back of the fridge and stowed away, forgotten, in the dark depths of the crisper, ready to be left until they wither and need to be thrown out in the compost for the raccoons to ravage. But it’s time to place them front-and-center. Carrots, your moment has come!
Here are 4 great ways to cook your carrots and enjoy every last bite.
Carrot Soup
Roasting your carrots and then blending them smooth with some wonderfully savory ingredients can be the perfect way to sneak this vegetable into your next fall meal. CookieandKate.com provides three different recipes for homemade carrot soup to delight your palate. Carrot ginger soup, curried carrot soup, and Thai curried carrot soup are all found here. Top with cilantro and it’s a delicious meal!
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Carrot Hummus
Hummus can be an acquired taste for some people, but if you love this versatile dip, adding carrots to the mix in place of chickpeas gives you even more goodness in every bite. You’ll need to roast your carrots for this recipe as well, and of course, tahini, among other things. Hummus made with carrots is perfect for dipping bread, crackers, and even tortilla chips.
Carrot Cupcakes
Carrot cake muffins topped with cream cheese frosting make for the perfect carrot cupcakes. Your kids won’t even know these things have veggies hidden away inside. Perfect for desert or a fall birthday party!
Carrot Mac and Cheese
The ideal fall comfort food: warm macaroni and cheese. This recipe from MomsKitchenandBook.com adds boiled and blended carrots to the cheese sauce for a thick and rich combo. Boil up the penne pasta as well and then bake the whole dish in the oven for about 25 minutes. A meal for the whole family to devour!
Carrots come in a variety of colors including orange, yellow, red, white, and purple. Although most of us are more familiar with the ubiquitous orange carrots in the grocery stores, all varieties taste great and come packed with flavor!
Carrots are a superb source of beta carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A. About ½ cup of raw carrots has just over 50% of your daily intake of this vitamin.
This vegetable is also a great source of fiber and is said to be good for your eye health. Carotenoids are known to possibly help protect you from developing certain cancers, and have been linked to lower levels of cholesterol. Boil, roast, blend, and dig in! Carrots are the perfect addition to your fall table.
photo credits: 5 second Studio/Shutterstock.com
