Oven-Roasted Carrots with Parsley and Thyme
How do I enjoy my vegetables? I roast them!
Oven-roasted carrots have always been a vegetable I enjoy. My husband on the other hand has a really hard time with cooked carrots. When he was a kid he told his mom he didn’t like carrots when they were cooked. She made them anyway and told them he had to eat them. As his story goes, he ate them and then proceeded to throw up in someone’s shoe (and I don’t think it was his own shoe).
If you don’t like cooked carrots
If you have an aversion to cooked carrots, these oven-roasted carrots may not be for you. At least when they are warm. Funny thing, my husband likes these carrots when they are chilled - meaning stored in the refrigerator as leftovers and then used again without reheating them. He uses them on lettuce salads and protein power bowls.
How long to roast carrots
How long it takes to roast carrots will depend on how thin you cut the carrots. Give yourself at least an hour for cooking.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Toss the carrots in a large bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano. I love to use tongs to mix vegetables, oil, and seasonings.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spread the carrots in a single layer on the pan, making sure they aren’t crowded or touching. This will allow the air to circulate and crisp the outside.
- Cover with foil, and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Covering helps them soften and avoids a tough, dense end result.
- Uncover and check them. If the carrots are not tender, turn the heat down to 375 degrees and return to the oven for 10 to 25 more minutes to finish. They are done when they are tender.
Roasting carrots in the oven is very easy
Honestly, roasting any sort of vegetable in the oven is easy. It’s a matter of chopping the vegetables, drizzling some olive oil on them, and adding some seasoning.
It can be fun to experiment with all kinds of different spices
At my house, we have tons of spices. A couple of years ago my husband and I spent a weekend organizing our species. If you can believe it, they have stayed organized. They are in alphabetical order as well as by blends and what they pair with. Sometimes I will have to add my spice organizational cheat sheet to one of my recipes.
The best thing I did to help organize my spices was to stick with buying one brand. My spice brand of choice is Penzey’s.
To make oven-roasted carrots with herbs I used:
- Multi-colored carrots, peeled, into equal chunks (this will help the cook evenly, 2 lbs of carrots is about 10 carrots)
- extra virgin olive oil - fat helps the vegetables cook more evenly and is necessary to achieving that delicious caramelization that you expect from roasting
- Salt (to taste)
- freshly ground pepper (to taste)
- thyme
- oregano
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Use people’s names when you talk to them. As Dale Carnegie says in his book How to Win Friends & Influence People, “Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”
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Oven-Roasted Carrots with Parsley and Thyme
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds rainbow carrots peeled, cut into even chunks (about 10 carrots)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp salt to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper freshly ground, to taste
- 1 tsp thyme
- ½ tsp oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Mix the carrots in a large bowl, and toss with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano. I love to use tongs to mix vegetables, oil, and seasonings.
- Spread the carrots in a single layer on the pan. Cover with foil, and place in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Uncover, and if the carrots are not tender, turn the heat down to 375°F and return to the oven for 10 to 25 more minutes. Make sure to check them. They are done when they are tender.
- Option to add 3 tbsp parsley, stir gently, and taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Serve hot, reheated, or cold.
Video
Hand Size Portions
Michelle Johnson Jerome is an expert on busting through perfectionism. She is passionate about helping others live life with purpose and joy. By drawing on her extensive experience as a nutrition coach, personal trainer, and yoga instructor she helps develop a realistic approach to goal setting that allows you to make progress and stop obsessing over mistakes.
Find other articles written by Michelle on her coach profile. Discover your "easy button": learn how to manage life's unpleasant parts so you can move forward, reach your goals, and live your best life.
I love roasting cauliflower and brussels sprouts, but I never tried carrots before. It would be interesting to see what it’s like with garlic and lemon pepper!