Fall Fest: Carrot Recipes to Covet

Turn carrots into soup, salad, dessert and even jam with these clever ideas.
By: Caitlin Heikkila

Photo by: Tara Donne ©2009, Tara Donne

Tara Donne, 2009, Tara Donne

A versatile root addition to salads, soups and sides, carrots are more than just bunny food. Whether served crisp and snappy or roasted to sweet tenderness, the orange (or sometimes purple, red, yellow and white) vegetables are a sure-fire fall fan favorite. Here are a few ways to get them on the table.

1. Bring out carrots’ natural sweetness with Sunny Anderson’s honey-glazed carrots (pictured above). They complement almost any meaty main, and offer a bright pop of color to the table.

2. Bobby Flay crowns the carrot as the king of this salad, and tops it with a citrusy-sweet-spicy dressing. Cumin and cayenne pepper give the dish an earthy flavor with just the right amount of heat.

Carrot Salad; Bobby Flay

Carrot Salad; Bobby Flay

Photo by: Tara Donne

Tara Donne

3. This isn’t just any old carrot soup. Rachael’s ginger-soy carrot soup is a soothing starter. Craving soup as your main? Put a hearty fried egg on top.

4. why stop at savory? Carrot's a superstar in desserts, too, like Alton Brown’s carrot cake. The classic cake’s soft cinnamon and nutmeg aroma, paired with a rich cream cheese frosting, make it an irresistible end-of-meal must.

Carrot Cake: Alton Brown

Carrot Cake: Alton Brown

Photo by: Tara Donne ©Tara Donne

Tara Donne, Tara Donne

5. Skip the fruity jam. Laura Calder’s carrot confiture is our new favorite toast-topper. Cook up one batch for eating and another for gifting. Then grab a hunk of your favorite bread, some butter, slather on your carrot creation and enjoy.

More Carrot Recipes from Friends + Family:

Jeanette's Healthy Living: Ghost Chile Carrot Hot Sauce

Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Carrot Cake with Coconut and Raisins

Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Easy Slaw with Carrots & Red Peppers

Napa Farmhouse 1885: Carrots & Avocado with Cumin
The Wimpy Vegetarian: Maple Candied Carrots with Currants
Dishing With Divya: Honey Glazed Baby Carrots

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