All year-round, but particularly in the cooler months, your local farmers market will be teeming with fresh crunchy carrots. Carrots are such a flexible staple so whether you want to enjoy these carrots as a side dish or blend them into a hearty carrot soup, they will be a vitamin-rich addition to your meals.
I always like to have some carrots in my fridge—they’re affordable, have a long shelf life, are packed full of nutrients and with recipes like this, your kids won’t be able to keep their hands off! These roasted carrots take only minutes to put together but will certainly be a talking point when you have company over.
This recipe is very simple and only requires a handful of ingredients; Kunzea honey, cumin, walnuts, olive oil, salt, pepper and of course, carrots! Try and use fresh quality ingredients from your local farmers market or greengrocer. I like to buy the small carrots in bunches with the green tops still on as they look much more elegant and are sweeter than larger carrots.
Although Kunzea honey gives it a whole new dimension with its complex herbaceous flavour profile you can use any organic, sustainable honey you can find.
Ingredients
½ kg of carrots, greens trimmed (peeled if preferred)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon (Kunzea) honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
½ cup walnuts
Method
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Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line your baking tray with baking paper or aluminium foil.
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In a large bowl, toss all ingredients together until the carrots are coated evenly.
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In a single layer, lay the carrots on your baking tray and drizzle any remaining liquid on top of the carrots.
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Roast for approx 20 mins. After the first 10 mins remove walnuts to ensure they don’t burn and then turn over carrots for the remaining 10 minutes. They should begin to lightly caramelise and become tender.
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Add more salt and pepper to taste and then they’re ready to eat!
Tips
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To slightly liquify the Kunzea honey, place the jar in a bowl of hot water for a minute or two. This should produce a drizzle-like consistency that makes it easier to combine with other ingredients. The honey should return to its usual butter-like texture in room temperature conditions.
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You can easily turn this recipe into a spiced carrot and cumin soup by placing the honey roasted carrots into a blender and adding 3 cups of vegetable broth/stock. Blend until it forms a smooth consistency and then heat in a saucepan. I’d also recommend adding a drizzle of thickened cream to really bring the soup together.
About the Cook - Hamish Brass
A culinary professional with almost 10 years experience in well-established cafes and restaurants throughout Australia, Hamish has worked in many different cuisines including Italian, modern Australian & cellar door fine dining. Hamish enjoys getting creative with his family-friendly food and developing dishes that are fun, healthy and full of flavour.
