7 Ways to Reinvent the Humble Carrot

Carrots are good for more than snacking raw

By SAVEUR Editors November 02, 2015

Food

Roasted Carrot Salad with Burrata

Ingalls Photography

So you’ve snacked on baby carrots with hummus, roasted them whole to serve alongside chicken, sweated them for a saute, and juiced them to give your green juice a hint of sweetness and pop of color. But have you used their tops, mixed their juice with booze, or folded them into a dessert (that isn’t carrot cake)? Didn’t think so. Here’s how to get creative with our favorite orange vegetable.

Turn carrots into a dip

Tahini’s nutty, luxurious properties don’t stop at hummus. Keep the sesame paste flowing with this vibrant, creamy carrot purée. Get the recipe for Carrot-Tahini Dip»

Like hummus, but more orange.

And a warm side

In Acheson’s update on the French classic, he replaces sugar with maple syrup, subs in fresh herbs for dried ones, and adds chile for some heat. He also likes to stir the chopped carrot tops in at the end of cooking for added flavor.

When you want something classic.

Or an awesome pasta

We adapted this recipe from The Minimalist Cooks Dinner by Mark Bittman (Broadway Books, 2001). If you can’t find the short, twisted “twin” pasta called gemelli, use penne instead. Get the recipe for Pasta with Carrots, Risotto-Style »

Carrot sauce is the new tomato sauce.

You can also use the tops

Roasted Carrot Salad with Burrata

Don’t waste the tops—turn them into pesto.

Or even make a drink

Lively and floral, this cocktail uses all fresh ingredients so it feels like you’re getting your vitamins in while enjoying a nice drink. Get the recipe for Carrots 43 Martini »

Get a little Vitamin A with your booze.

Plus, they’re perfect for cakes

Orange juice and zest, cinnamon, and ginger add verve and depth to this sumptuous cake. Get the recipe for Spiced Carrot Layer Cake »

We all already knew this…

But are also good in non-cake desserts

Studded with chopped nuts and flavored with aromatic cardamom and rose water, this sweet Indian pudding is made from a blend of nutty ghee, milk, cream, sugar, and grated carrot. It’s equally good served either hot or cold. Get the recipe for Punjabi-Style Carrot Pudding (Gajar ka Halwa) »

But this one’s fun.