Carrots
Carrots are one of the most universally used vegetables in the world, valued for their reliable sweetness raw or cooked. This page covers common orange culinary carrots, used everywhere from raw snacks to soups, braises, and desserts.
How to buy
Choose firm, smooth carrots with bright color and no cracking, limpness, or white blush (a sign of dehydration). Carrots sold with their green tops still attached are often fresher; trim the tops promptly if buying them that way.
How to store
Remove any green tops, which draw moisture from the root, then refrigerate in a bag in the crisper, where carrots keep 3-4 weeks or longer.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Sweet and earthy with a slightly grassy edge raw. Cooking, especially roasting, concentrates the natural sugars into a deeper, more caramelized sweetness.
- Texture
- Crisp and crunchy raw. Turns tender when cooked, and can go mushy if boiled too long.
- Aroma
- A mild, sweet, earthy smell that becomes more fragrant and slightly caramel-like once cooked or roasted.
How to prepare
- Julienned — Cut into thin matchsticks for stir-fries, slaws, and quick pickles.
- Grated — Shredded for carrot cake, salads, or slaw.
- Roasted — Cut into sticks or left whole and roasted until caramelized and tender.
- Pureed — Boiled and blended into soups or baby food for a smooth, naturally sweet base.
- Pickled — Cut into sticks or rounds and quick-pickled in vinegar brine for a tangy crunch.
Classic dishes
American
- Honey-glazed carrots — Carrot rounds simmered in butter and honey until glossy and tender, a common side dish.
- Carrot cake — A spiced cake made with grated carrot, often topped with cream cheese frosting.
- Carrot and ginger soup — A pureed soup brightened with fresh ginger alongside sweet carrot.
Italian
- Soffritto for ragù alla bolognese — Carrot, onion, and celery slowly softened together as the aromatic base of a long-simmered meat sauce.
Indian
- Gajar ka halwa — Grated carrot slow-cooked in milk and sugar with cardamom into a rich, dense dessert.
- Carrot achaar — Carrot sticks pickled with mustard oil and spices into a tangy, spicy condiment.
- Carrot raita — Grated carrot folded into spiced yogurt as a cooling side dish.
French
- Carottes Vichy — Carrot rounds braised slowly in butter and a little sugar until glazed and silky.
- Potage Crécy — A classic French carrot soup, named for the town famous for its carrots, pureed smooth with rice or potato.
Mediterranean
- Roasted carrots with cumin and honey — Whole or halved carrots roasted with warm spice and a touch of honey until caramelized.
Korean
- Morkovcha — A Korean-style shredded carrot salad seasoned with garlic, vinegar, and oil, popular in Korean delis.
- Carrot in bibimbap — Julienned carrot sautéed briefly and arranged as one of several toppings over rice.
Vietnamese
- Đồ chua — Pickled carrot and daikon used as a crunchy, tangy filling in banh mi.
Middle Eastern
- Moroccan spiced carrot salad — Cooked carrot rounds dressed with cumin, lemon, and olive oil.
- Moroccan carrot tagine — Carrots slow-braised with warm spices, honey, and sometimes dried fruit.
British & Irish
- Carrot and coriander soup — A pureed soup pairing sweet carrot with fresh coriander and a touch of cumin.
Substitutions
- Parsnips — Earthier and less sweet than carrot; use in equal amounts for roasting, mashing, or soups, though color and sweetness will differ.