Maybe because it was just Easter and carrots were everywhere, but this week I was inspired to cook beautiful rainbow carrots I saw at the market. I love roasted carrots but am a little bored with the olive oil/salt/pepper combination. This honey roasted carrots recipe is all about that salty-sweet flavor pairing!
You can find carrots year-round at the grocery store but in the springtime carrots are officially in-season which means they are exceptionally sweet and flavorful! And anything with a combination of honey and tamari (soy) I think tastes delicious, but I made this recipe even fancier with the addition of miso and sesame seeds. The honey adds to the natural sweetness of the carrots and the saltiness of the tamari and miso add more depth to the flavor.
How to Make Roasted Carrots
This recipe is incredibly easy and only requires a handful of ingredients:
- Carrots – Any colored variety will do. I recommend using whole carrots and not baby carrots. Baby carrots tend to be more bland in flavor.
- Honey – Use raw wildflower honey. You can substitute maple syrup if you are following a vegan diet.
- Tamari – Tamari is a gluten-free cousin of soy sauce and is specifically a Japanese form of soy sauce. It tastes very much like soy sauce but is darker in color and richer in flavor. Look for low-sodium varieties. Another alternative is using Coconut Aminos which are soy-free and gluten-free. Coconut aminos are made coconut sap. They taste slightly sweeter and less salty than tamari or soy.
- Toasted sesame seeds – Toasting really brings out the flavor in the sesame seeds. If you skip toasting them, the seeds will taste bland. I purchase untoasted seeds and toast them myself. Beware that on medium heat they toast REALLY quickly. Remove from heat as soon as you see them becoming golden (about 3 minutes).
Cooking Tips
For this recipe I suggest lightly steaming the carrots before you roast the carrots. Steaming will cut down on the roasting time but I’ve found that the honey in the sauce has the potential to burn if you cook the carrots for longer.
This recipe yields enough for 2 side servings, so you may want to double the recipe if you are cooking for more people.
This honey roasted carrots dish makes an incredible side dish. My family loved this carrots recipe and I hope yours will too!
PrintHoney Roasted Carrots with Miso and Tamari
Dress up your roasted carrots with a combination of honey, miso, tamari and sesame.
Ingredients
- 8 whole, large, carrots, cleaned, peeled and sliced lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari (or soy sauce)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons red miso (or white miso)
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F
- Clean and peel the carrots and then slice once down the middle to halve them.
- Steam cleaned and peeled whole carrots in a steam basket for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pat dry.
- In a small bowl, combine and whisk together 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons raw honey, 2 tablespoons tamari and 1 1/2 teaspoons red miso.
- Place carrots on a baking sheet and coat carrots with HALF the sauce mixture.
- Roast carrots at 450 F for 15 minutes.
- While carrots are roasting, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add sesame seeds and toast lightly. (NOTE: over medium heat these seeds will toast in about 2-3 minutes. Stir constantly and remove them from the heat as soon as you see them start to get golden.
- When ready to serve, sprinkle seeds over carrots. Add more sauce if desired.