Roasted Rainbow Carrots With Ginger And Orange Recipe

If you take a stroll through the supermarket aisles it will be easy enough to spot the carrots due to their vivid orange hue, but did you know that carrots weren't always orange? Before they were cultivated to be a specific shade, carrots were most often purple in color, though they grew in a great variety of shades from deep dark hues to almost white. It is thought that orange carrots became the favored shade due to their sweetness, as, although subtle, the different colors of this staple vegetable do have different flavors. This diversity in both color and flavor means that rainbow carrots can be used to create delicious dishes, such as this recipe created by Tasting Table recipe developer Jennine Rye that celebrates the diversity this wonderful and often sidelined vegetable.

This beautiful and bright rainbow carrot salad with ginger and orange is as nutritious as it is colorful, with its abundance of fresh ingredients that are absolutely bursting with vitamins and minerals. This rainbow salad can be served warm or cold; no matter the season it will be sure to bring a little bit of sunshine to the table. Perfect as a side dish, as part of a salad bar, or as a plate for a potluck dinner, these rainbow carrots with ginger and orange will bring a whole lot of brightness to your table.

To make this roasted rainbow carrots dish, first you will need to gather the ingredients. You will need rainbow carrots, oranges, olive oil, ginger, ground coriander, sesame seeds, honey, cumin seeds, scallions, cilantro, and salt and pepper.

If you are unable to source any rainbow carrots, this dish can also be made with orange carrots. The finished salad won't be as vibrant in color, but it will still be just as delicious and nutritious.

To begin this recipe, you will want to preheat the oven and prepare the carrots. To do this, simply rinse the carrots under some cool water to remove any dirt and impurities. You do not need to peel them, in fact peeling off the skin can remove a valuable source of nutrients and fiber from the carrots, so they are best enjoyed whole. Slice any larger carrots in half to make the vegetables roughly even in size, and then place them into a large roasting tin.

Use a fine grater to zest one of the oranges, and then cut it in half and squeeze out all of the fresh juices. Slice the second orange into segments and then place these into the roasting tin along with the prepared carrots. Drizzle the carrots and orange segments with the olive oil and the orange juice, and then add the fresh grated ginger, the ground coriander, and the sesame seeds to the pan. Toss everything together so that the carrots are thoroughly coated in the other ingredients, and then place the roasting tray into the preheated oven to roast the carrots.

Allow the carrots to roast for 30 minutes, until they are beginning to brown at the edges and they are just tender when pierced with a knife. Remove the tray from the oven and allow the contents to cool for 5 minutes before transferring the carrots and orange segments to a large bowl along with any juices from the pan. Add the honey, the orange zest, the cumin seeds, the scallions, and salt and pepper to the bowl, along with some of the fresh cilantro. Toss the ingredients together, and then transfer the finished salad to a serving dish before topping with the remaining cilantro.

This dish can be enjoyed warm or cold, and leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and consumed within three to four days.