Roasted Carrots with Mint Lemon Dressing

Our quick and easy roasted carrots with lemon dressing is a wonderful side dish. The bright flavors are delicious and fantastic. 

Last week we had a heat wave that lasted five days of hot, dry, Santa-Ana windy weather above 95 degrees. We were dying over here, so to make it bearable we ate lots of blackberry mojito pops. That’s how to cool down and freshen spirits in style! But mojito pops wasn’t all that we nourished on, especially when Spring vegetables are plentiful and perfect. We’re always trying to find balance and variety in our diet. If we indulge in cocktails, we make sure to add some carrots for health.

Tender spring vegetables are such a welcome treat to the table. It’s when vegetables are their sweetest and wonderful when eaten raw. But sometimes we overload on a batch of a single vegetable that sometimes we have to get creative to recycle some of the overload of produce sitting in the fridge. Consider carrots one of them. It’s hard to not pass up a gorgeous and perfectly crisp bunch of carrots at the market. Just looking at them in their fresh, green-topped, glory makes us feel a bunch of hungry bunnies.

Quick and Easy Roasted Carrots Recipe

For a quick vegetable side dish we roasted some carrots and added a variation of one of our favorite lemon parsley dressings, but this time with mint. Spring and mint pair so well together, so it made sense all around to serve these delicious roasted carrots with our easy mint lemon dressing.

We love this dish and it’s going to be a great side salad to our wood-fired oven menu. Yes, finally! After seven years of planning and researching, we’re finally building a traditional wood-fired oven! Friends, please excuse us, we’re geeking out over here. You all have no idea how long it’s taken us to plan this epic project. It’s not just any wood-fired oven, it’s a traditional one that’s brick laid in France. It’s going to be a part of our new outdoor wood-fired oven kitchen where we’ll attempt to make (and not burn- just char a bit ;)) wood-fired breads, pastries and roasts. Pizza, of course is included!

 Roasted Carrots with Mint Lemon Dressing

Yield: 4 Servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of your carrots.  If you decide to roast whole carrots that are thick, add additional cooking time. If you decide to slice your carrots, check them often to make sure they are not over-roasted. Please read post for additional recipe details and photos.

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Ingredients

For the roasted carrots

• 1 pound (454 g) carrots , washed, peeled, and ends trimmed
• 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
• Kosher salt , to taste
• fresh cracked black pepper , to taste

For the Mint Lemon Dressing:

• 3 Tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
• Zest 1 medium lemon
• 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) brown sugar or honey (or amount to taste)
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) optional – Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) Kosher salt , or to taste
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped fresh mint

Instructions 

• Pre-heat oven to 400°F (205°C). Optional – line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper (for easier clean-up).
  
• Peel the carrots. If any of the carrots are thicker than about 3/4", cut them in half lengthwise.
  
• Place the carrots on the baking sheet pan. Toss the carrots with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread out on the pan so they aren't overlapping.
  
• Roast the carrots at 400°F (205°C) for about 25-30 minutes, or until carrots are tender.
  
• While the carrots roast, chop the mint.
  
• Whisk together all the mint lemon dressing ingredients (3 Tablespoons olive oil, lemon zest, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon (or to taste) brown sugar or honey, 1 teaspoon mustard, 1 teaspoon optional Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the chopped mint).
  
• When carrots are roasted tender, transfer them to a serving platter or bowl and toss with the mint lemon dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
  

Video

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories: 178kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Sodium: 239mg, Potassium: 390mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 19065IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 47mg, Iron: 1mg

Course: Side Dish, Vegetables

Cuisine: American

Calories: 178