By Lisa Esile, MS,
Orange you glad we rounded up our favorite carrot recipes just in time for spring? Colorful, sweet, affordable, and versatile, the carrot is a stalwart of the healthy plant-based kitchen. With its sweet, easy flavor, carrot can rock out as a star ingredient or a supporting player, whether eaten cooked or raw; added to stir-fries, salads, soups, stews, sushi, dressings, cakes, oatmeal, or hummus; or even turned into vegan hot dogs. No vegan fridge is complete without a bag of carrots in it!
Carrot Dogs
It’s hard to believe how yummy these vegan hot dogs are until you try them. The secret is to marinate pre-boiled carrots in a smoky marinade for about four hours before grilling. This recipe has garnered some of our best reviews ever. Notes one reader: “Even my picky daughter thought these were fantastic. I will be making these for all my BBQs this summer.”
Greens and Things Sandwiches with Carrot Hummus
A golden-hued carrot hummus adds sweet, moist flavor to every bite of this bang-up sandwich that also features spicy pepperoncini and cucumber and salad greens for added crunch. One commenter notes: “I am delighted to be introduced to carrot hummus. It is sweet and delicious, and no tahini is needed.”
Roasted Root Vegetable Medley
In this sensational, special-occasion side dish, a cornucopia of veggies—including multicolored carrot varieties—are coated in a sweet-tangy sauce before roasting. Pro tip: Steam root veggies first before roasting them alongside softer, quicker-cooking items.
Perfect Vegan Carrot Cake
“Carrot cake” always sounded healthy, but traditionally it was an oily affair loaded with refined sugar. Not this beauty. Oil-free and sweetened with dates, banana, raisins, and carrot, this delicious vegan carrot cake has a sweet, moist crumb that readers love. It’s great served plain or with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Try it today and see why it’s one of our top-rated cake recipes. A commenter writes: “This was incredible! I was so impressed, as was the birthday boy! This is a keeper all the way around!”
Lentil Vegetable Soup
Carrots add sweet, rich depth to this scrumptious kid-friendly lentil veggie soup that relies on pantry basics to create mouthwatering aromas. One reviewer writes: “This just might be my favorite so far of the soups! … So easy! Cheap! Delicious!” For another hearty veggie soup option featuring carrots, check out our Minestrone in Minutes.
Making your own veggie broth is cheaper and tastier than buying it at the store, and it’s also a great way to use up old carrots lurking in the back of the fridge. This handy guide will show you all you need to know about broth-making, including which vegetables work well so you can come up with your own blends.
Vegetable Cacciatore with Rotini
Carrot and onion lend sweetness to this vegan cacciatore sauce, perfectly softening the tanginess of fire-roasted tomatoes. Mushrooms add a meaty heft, and zucchini and some basic seasonings tie it all together for a hearty, family-friendly meal. Pro tip: Sweet, robust veggies such as carrot, sweet potato, and pumpkin make a nice addition to tomato-containing stews to balance the tomato tang; no added sugar required!
Budget-Friendly Shepherd’s Pie
This vegan take on a quintessential English favorite cooks down traditional shepherd’s pie veggies such as carrot, corn, onion, and celery into a savory gravy. Top with fluffy mashed potatoes for a comforting meal the whole family will enjoy. Make plenty and freeze for when time is tight.
Vegan Pozole
Pozole is a festive Mexican stew that features hominy—dried corn that has been alkalized in a mineral lime bath to create plump, bean-like nuggets. No pork required for this vegan version; instead, oodles of carrots, potato, and onion combine with tender hominy for a true melt-in-your-mouth experience.
Creamy Carrot Soup
Looking for a comforting soup to warm up a cooler evening? Or a show-stopping soup to serve to guests? This knock-out carrot soup does it all! Sweet and light, this herb-infused carrot soup is topped with cashew cream and a garnish of parsley and pomegranate seeds. Pro tip: As one reader discovered, you can also blend the cashew cream into the soup for tasty results!
Cranberry Carrot Cake with Chocolate Ganache
The sweet, golden threads of grated carrot perfectly combine with tart cranberries and maple syrup in this fruity carrot cake. A light, subtly textured crumb is achieved using a combination of cornmeal and whole wheat flour. In the mood for some chocolate? Go all out and top with a simple ganache, featuring vegan chocolate chips blended with plant milk.
24-Carrot Gold Dressing
If you haven’t tried this golden dressing by Dreena Burton, prepare to have your dressing world shaken! Fresh ginger adds a pop of heat to a base of raw carrot, while chickpea miso and red wine vinegar boost the flavor, and tahini lends a little richness. Shares a fan: “Out of all the vegan salad dressings that I make, this is one of the very best. Light but lots of flavor!”
Roasted Fennel and Carrot Salad
Your taste buds will flip over this colorful, flavor-packed salad. Carrot and fennel are coated in a sweet-and-sour sauce before roasting. Once the veggies are dripping with juicy roasted goodness, serve them over lettuce with pine nuts, fresh parsley, and blood orange supremes. (A supreme is an orange segment minus the membrane; the recipe explains how to do it.)
Napa Cabbage Salad
The light, crisp leaves of napa cabbage combine with just-cooked green beans and classic slaw ingredients such as carrot and scallions to create a fresh take on an old favorite. Drizzle a sweet-sour ginger-infused vinaigrette over the top for the perfect side dish for any occasion.
Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
In this delectable grab-and-go breakfast, dates and grated carrots add wholesome sweetness to velvety soft and creamy overnight oats, which are fragrant with cinnamon and nutmeg. Add pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, and your choice of nuts or dried fruit for extra heft. This healthy vegan breakfast takes just 10 minutes to prepare the night before. One reader comments, “This was delicious, making it again!”
Spicy Tomato Sushi Rolls
Carrot seems tailor-made for veggie sushi: They’re easy to cut into matchsticks; their orange color looks great; and the fresh crunch and sweet flavor contrast deliciously with other ingredients. Here, riced butternut squash adds sweetness to the sticky brown rice, while spicy roma tomatoes add tanginess. Shares a commenter: “They were awesome! Very tasty and now I have a yummy lunch for the next couple of days.”
Curried Roasted Carrot Hummus
Pan-roasted carrots, seasoned with curry powder, onion powder, and garlic, kick up the flavor in this hummus. Add a little lime juice and cilantro for a tahini-free hummus that you’ll come back to again and again. And to top it all off, it’s ready in 15 minutes!
Vegan Pancit with Vegetables
Sliced carrot cooks quickly and offers bright color and crunchy texture alongside pan-fried mushrooms, cabbage, and onion in this vegan take on pancit, the Filipino rice noodle dish. You’ll have this tasty number on the table in 30 minutes!
Slow-Cooker Vegan Cassoulet
Thanks to the convenience of canned beans and canned fire-roasted tomatoes, you can have this three-bean veggie stew ready for the slow-cooker in just 20 minutes. Roughly chopped carrot and parsnip offer hearty root veggie goodness; kale keeps things green, and fresh thyme and rosemary lend a herbaceous lift. Shares a reader, “This is one of my favorite dishes so far!”
Raw Choco Bites With Oats and Carrots
Raw carrot, banana, dried fruit, rolled oats, and cacao powder power-up these energizing snack balls. Pop a few in your lunch box, or enjoy before the gym or as an after-dinner sweet treat. Note: Stored in the fridge they’ll stay fresh for about three days.
Lots-of-Vegetables Risotto
In this ultra-comforting twist on classic risotto, brown rice is cooked with veggie broth and combined with mushrooms and garlic for a rich savory flavor. Carrot and peas are added for extra sweetness, while plant milk gives the comforting, creamy risotto texture without you having to spend all that time hovering over the stove.
Curried Blistered Green Beans with Orange Rice
Carrots and green beans are natural companions in the garden and on the plate, and in this recipe they get a turbocharge of flavor from a curried peanut-sauce. Serve over a mix of orange-infused brown rice and riced cauliflower for a toothsome main.
About the Author
About the Author
Lisa Esile, MS
As an author, Do Nothing meditation instructor, and wellness coach, Lisa Esile combines her love for food and nutrition with her mental health background and delights in helping people find a stress-free way to make lasting lifestyle changes. Esile has a master’s degree in human nutrition and is the co-author/illustrator of Whose Mind Is It Anyway? Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life. Learn more at lisaesile.com.
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