Too many carrots

May 2, 2024 7:13 AM

For the last three months I've been receiving 1-2 kilos of carrots in my vegetable box. This week I've received 3kg of carrots, both red and purple. I'm out of ideas for carrot-based meals for two. Suggestions? Our preferences and what we're tried are below the fold.

Looking for carrot-based dishes to use up a glut.

I am a fairly resourceful cook, so don't necessarily need full recipes. I have easy access to all Mediterranean and Levantine, and many Indian, supplies. Basic East Asian supplies only (soy sauce, rice vinegar, chilli crisp, sesame oil and kimchi is about the extent of it). I can find most European and North American foods or reasonable analogies, though Mexican groceries are non-existent.

NOS:
- Nothing sweet. Nothing with brown sugar, raisins, maple syrup, marshmallows etc. Nothing glazed.
- No pickles, preserves or jams.
- No juices.
- No freezing for later. I need to use up these carrots.
- No suggestions on slipping carrots into something else. I've been super creative about this already.
- Carrot cake and gajar ka halwa are already on my list.
- Generally, I would prefer to avoid baking.

MAYBES:
- We've made a huge range of salads on the shredded carrots + acid + herb formula, so while suggestions on these lines are welcome, we've probably already tried them.
- We've roasted a lot of carrots and I don't love the sweetness, but am open to ways of using them in something that balances it out.
- Fritters - any you like particularly?
- I find soups tricky as making stock is a hassle and I have no ready source of quality bouillon cubes or similar products. So this is a 'probably not', but happy to hear about soups that you really love. Here, links to recipes would be great.
- Would love ideas for quick stirfryish things. We've made some nice South Indian inflected ones with curry leaves, green chillies and ginger.

Sooo... any ideas?

posted by tavegyl to Food & Drink (32 answers total)

I know you said no more shredded salad, but just in case you haven't done this one, I do a salad like this, but even simpler -- finely shredded carrots, microplaned garlic, jarred horseradish, and salt. Spicy and tasty!
posted by LeeLanded at 7:21 AM on May 2 [1 favorite]

This carrot and red lentil soup, because of the cream (I use coconut milk) holds up even with a not-great stock base - you can use water with a bit of soy sauce or fish sauce in a pinch.

I actually add about a tablespoon of fresh grated ginger to this recipe, and sometimes a couple of dollops of red curry paste (Thai) and we like it that way better.
posted by warriorqueen at 7:23 AM on May 2 [4 favorites]

Do you have access to a juicer? Carrots juiced with some fresh ginger is delicious and refreshing. You can add oranges if you want it sweeter, but I prefer mine without.

You can also use carrot juice as a soup base instead of stock.
posted by ananci at 7:33 AM on May 2 [1 favorite]

Roasted on puff pastry with goat cheese.

A variation is Deb Perelman's carrot tarte tatin, which I love, but that has honey in it.

Harissa is great in a carrot salad if you haven't tried that already.
posted by Jeanne at 7:38 AM on May 2

Carrot Beef Rolls - uses 3/4 lb of julienned carrots, briefly blanched. But you need some form of thinly sliced meat for this, and if you don't have mirin, some sort of lightly sweet alcohol substitute like dry sherry.

Savory Carrot Pancake - the recipe is for a single serving (she always does this because I think her recipes were originally intended for her newly adult children) so scaling up should use however much carrots you like.

Carrot Ginger Dressing - it does need 1 Tbsp of miso.
posted by automatic cabinet at 7:40 AM on May 2 [1 favorite]

If you have a pressure cooker, the Modernist Cuisine Caramelized Carrot Soup will knock your socks off.
posted by slkinsey at 7:52 AM on May 2 [2 favorites]

Whole carrots make a great foundation rest at the bottom of a slow cooker. For example, a bed of whole carrots with a chicken resting on top in the slow cooker for a few hours and you have a lovely savory meal with very little effort.
posted by effluvia at 8:01 AM on May 2 [1 favorite]

This is a very basic roasted carrot dip with tahini and harissa (just scroll to the bottom of the page) that I can eat quite a bit of with pita, feta, olives, etc for a light meal. There are more strongly seasoned versions of the recipe on the internet, too, if you want to go harder on cutting the carrot flavor.
posted by EvaDestruction at 8:13 AM on May 2 [1 favorite]

So, I also have a weird relationship with carrot soup - largely because most carrot soup recipes I've been exposed to throw a whole glut of other ingredients in there, and I'm a simple gal who always wished a carrot soup would taste like, well, carrots, as opposed to "ginger and orange juice and curry and coconut milk and maybe there's some carrot flavor in there if you squint".

Then in Paris I discovered the very simple carrot soup of my dreams - potage Crecy. It involves mostly carrots, with some onions and garlic and rice (to thicken it). I tried it in a restaurant and it was the carrot soup I'd been hunting for all my life. The linked recipe is what I used when I tried to recreate it at home; I actually used water in place of the stock and it was just fine. I bet you could even leave out the cream they call for since a batch that serves 4 people calls for over a pound of carrots in one fell swoop.

If nothing else it will get you through a pound of carrots in a hurry. Give that a whirl.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:15 AM on May 2 [6 favorites]

Mollie Katzen's carrot soup uses water as its liquid.

The cashews are the key ingredient that takes it beyond "this is s bowl of carrot puree, ok." The ginger and spices are optional, to taste.
posted by away for regrooving at 8:29 AM on May 2 [2 favorites]

Bear with me - which is exactly what my mother said to the look on my face when she said "have you heard of vegan hot dogs??"

My husband and I humored her, girded our loins, and then she served us DELICIOUS carrot hot dogs. Like, I'm kinda ruined for real hot dogs now.

If you don't want to freeze any, this is definitely not going to clear out your entire supply, but you might make a few at least. Mom freezes them and reheats in the microwave. They would also make tasty sausage rolls/pigs in blankets.

Riff any ingredients you don't have. You DO need a bit of a sweet component, hot dogs are sweeter than you want to think about, but if you don't have maple syrup any color sugar would do. I would maybe be tempted to just use a big blop of ketchup, myself, or sweet soy sauce.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:30 AM on May 2 [4 favorites]

Braised short rib recipes call for a large quantity of carrots. This recipe calls for a pound, as well as using red wine in place of the stock. (I personally would add half of a stock cube even if it was an average cube).
posted by shock muppet at 8:45 AM on May 2 [1 favorite]

Whenever we have a surplus of carrots, we make this carrot souffle that'll use up 2 pounds of them. It's a fantastic side dish and the sharp cheddar keeps it from being sweet.

Don't let the fact that it's called a souffle scare you. It's not at all finicky to make or bake. No whipping or folding in of egg whites are involved. If you've got a food processor or blender, you can make this!
posted by burntflowers at 8:53 AM on May 2 [2 favorites]

This carrot kinpira definitely tastes different from plain carrots and can be a side to almost any meal. Freezable, too.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 8:55 AM on May 2

These black bean and carrot burritos are great.
posted by twelve cent archie at 8:57 AM on May 2

Ooh hang on!

- Fritters - any you like particularly?

Pakora! Grated carrot with chickpea flour and spices. The linked recipe also uses grated onion and grated potato, and deep-fries things; however, the recipe I've used is a variant on this one, which adds like two grated carrots and some chopped scallion to the mix just before you pan-fry them. (That second recipe is from the delightful author Clotilde Dusolier, and the version of pakora I made was from one of her cookbooks and is basically that second recipe with 2 grated carrots and some chopped scallion stirred in before you pan-fry them.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:10 AM on May 2 [5 favorites]

Roasting the carrots along with other things like broccoli florets will temper the sweetness.
posted by mmascolino at 9:24 AM on May 2

This carrot mash with orange & mint is a favorite in my house. It's good hot or cold, has a pleasantly unusual flavor profile for a carrot dish, and uses up a whole lot of carrots. I sub the heavy cream with coconut milk.
posted by ourobouros at 9:49 AM on May 2

We like Marcella Hazan’s braised carrots with Parmesan cheese. The recipe calls for a pinch of sugar but I don’t use it.
posted by bluebird at 10:11 AM on May 2 [2 favorites]

When something like this happened to me*, I always looked at what Madhur Jaffrey had to say: this is the first thing I found online, But I feel that if you are getting a vegetable box regularly, her books are worth buying. Indian food has so many delicious vegetable dishes, and btw they are not all spicy. But I do think heat and acid go well with carrots.

Maybe you have already thought about this, but tahini goes very well with carrots, wether they are roasted, stewed or cooked and blended for a dip. Also think of the sumac. I don't have any specific dishes in mind, just thinking what I would do and have done in your situation. Also, use all the parsley.

Another thing I do is to steam the carrots and then turn them into a mustardy vinaigrette while they are still hot. Serve them at room temperature or a bit warmer. I also sprinkle this with parsley.

Finally, what about making kimchi? I can't give you a recipe, my daughter is the kimchi master in our family and she is at work, but I can tell you it is delicious and obviously gets better over time. There are recipes online, but I don't know which one my daughter uses. I bet you could also make a more European style of fermented carrots that would be tasty in many contexts.

*I stopped the box thing because I realized that I actually love shopping.
posted by mumimor at 10:28 AM on May 2

I roast carrots in chicken broth and olive oil or miso broth and olive oil, with salt and whatever herbs/ spices appeal, notably gochugaru or other hot pepper flakes, or thyme, rosemary, etc. I like the sweet/ hot/ salty combination. Carrots have been bred to be a lot sweeter, and I dislike adding sugars unless it's carrot cake.

Grated carrots can be quick-pickled and added to salads, wraps or sandwiches. Egg salad with quick pickles is good. Grated carrots mixed with hummus are delicious and also good in a sandwich.

NYTimes did an Ombre Scalloped Root Vegetables, and your colorful carrots seem a good fit for an adaptation. I avoid dairy, so I layered beets, sweet and white potatoes, and onions, dotted with (vegan)butter or oil, and then add a thin batter of chickpea flour and water and bake until the veg are done.

I enjoy carrots cooked with meat, so corned beef with lots of carrots as well as potatoes and cabbage.
posted by theora55 at 10:58 AM on May 2 [1 favorite]

Seconding slkinsey on the Modernist Cuisine Caramelized Carrot Soup. I know you said no juicing but this is using juice as the base/broth for a soup/sauce (which has no bouillon cubes or similar). It is silky and sweet but not overly so with a browned butter quality. People love it. On the thicker side, it makes a great sauce to go under a piece of pork, fish, or chicken. Perfect soup starter to a spring brunch or other meal. You could either reduce the amounts below by roughly 30% for your 3 kg of carrots.

In addition to a juicer, you need a pressure cooker, a preferably-Vitamix blender, and a kitchen scale. I've simplified the recipe as follows:

Modernist Cuisine Caramelized Carrot Soup

Peel 10 lbs of carrots, remove the cores from enough carrots to make up 500 grams of carrot flesh to go into the Instant Pot in the next step

Melt 113 grams butter in Instant Pot
500 grams cored and peeled carrots (minus the cores*) sliced cut into 2 inch pieces
stir to distribute butter over carrots
7.5 g salt (or if your scale is not precise use 1 1/2 t of kosher salt not fine salt)
2.5 g baking soda (or if your scale is not precise use 1/2 t)
mixed with 30 g water
stir
pressure cook 20m, Quick Release

Juice remaining carrots (peeled) plus the *cores from the carrots used in the Instant Pot
simmer 635 grams carrot juice, skim off foam until juice separates, strain

blend cooked carrots with strained juice and melt in 40 g butter

add salt to taste

add water to make 6 cups of soup depending on how thick your preference
posted by RoadScholar at 11:24 AM on May 2 [1 favorite]

RoadScolar's recipe reminds me of a borsch recipe in Larousse Gastronomique that I think I have quoted here before, and make me think that might be a route to take for a foodie if you don't mind project food.
I'm paraphrasing here because the original recipe is ridiculously complicated and contains even more steps than this one.
Prepare a stock with the normal stock vegs and bouquet garni, but also a pound of so of red beets (in your case carrots) and oven roasted veal bones. You should start with about 5 liters of water.
When the stock is rich and somewhat reduced, after perhaps 4-6 hours, take out the bones and vegetables and discard them. Now, after turn, cook a duck, a chicken, and a piece of beef. If needed, add more water. Take them out as they are ready and leave to cool. put the broth through a fine sieve and bring it to boil again with a couple of whipped egg whites to clear it. This takes maybe 20 minutes. Strain it again. Now add the fresh juice of one beet (in your case carrot) for color. Season to taste. Keep the broth warm while you shred the meat.
In each bowl, put all the types of meat on the bottom, add the hot broth and garnish with heart-shaped croutons.

I guess this makes best sense for a party, but you can freeze all the leftover meat in portions for sandwiches, and also, the broth itself is an amazing thing which I think will be as good with carrots instead of beets and also freezes well. I strongly recommend using grated ginger in the final seasoning, along with salt and white pepper. You could also use chili powder or flakes.
posted by mumimor at 11:45 AM on May 2

I forgot an important detail: When you poach the meat, the stock needs to be seasoned too, the last seasoning is just for perfection. I'd use a tbsp of salt, 6-8 whole peppercorns (white are best here, but you decide) and a fat coin of ginger. We are not going for an Asian taste here, more a fusion of French and Polish. You can also have some sauerkraut as part of the garnish.
posted by mumimor at 12:05 PM on May 2

I can second Lyn Never's recommendation of the "vegan hot dog" recipe — they're really surprisingly good. I had them at a barbecue without realizing it and then happily ate more after I was informed of their carroty provenance.

You can use carrots as "veggie noodles" by spiralizing or ribboning them (mandoline if you have one, peeler if you don't) and tossing them with your sauce of choice— a Thai-style peanut or sesame sauce might work well.

If you have a dog, some of them enjoy chomping on large carrots.
posted by fifthpocket at 1:19 PM on May 2 [3 favorites]

carrot butter

carrot thoran

carrot pad thai (using carrots as noodle replacement)

carrot & chickpea tagine
posted by the antecedent of that pronoun at 1:28 PM on May 2 [1 favorite]

Moroccan carrot salad is not a grated carrot salad.

Source: Joan Nathan’s Jewish Holiday Cooking.
posted by sciencegeek at 2:13 PM on May 2

Carrot bacon, for snacks, breakfast sides, CBLTs?
posted by music for skeletons at 4:03 PM on May 2

Maybe a Japanese-style curry? I'm thinking of making one with carrots and potatoes tonight myself...
posted by northtwilight at 5:38 PM on May 2

Check out this reddit thread about what to do with 15 lbs of carrot


Here are some ideas from that thread:

1) Carrot Soup: Make a hearty carrot soup with onions, garlic, and vegetable broth. Blend until smooth and season to taste.
2) Roasted Carrots: Toss carrots with olive oil, salt, and your favorite herbs, then roast them until they're caramelized and tender.
3)Carrot Muffins: Whip up a batch of carrot muffins for a nutritious breakfast or snack.
4) Carrot Salad: Shred carrots and mix them with raisins, nuts, and a tangy dressing for a crunchy salad.
5) Carrot and Ginger Smoothie: Blend carrots with fresh ginger, yogurt, and a touch of honey for a refreshing smoothie.
6) Carrot Fries: Cut carrots and sweet potatoes into fries, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and cumin, and bake until crispy.
7) Carrot and Hummus Snack: Slice carrots into sticks and dip them in hummus for a healthy snack.
8) Carrot Chips: Slice carrots thinly, coat with olive oil, and bake until they turn into crispy chips.
9) Carrot and Cucumber Salsa: Make a salsa with diced carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. Add lime juice and salt for flavor.
10) Pickled Carrots: Create homemade pickled carrots by canning them with vinegar, sugar, and spices.
11) Carrot and Raisin Bread: Bake a loaf of carrot and raisin bread for a sweet and nutritious option.
12) Carrot and Orange Juice: Blend carrots with fresh orange juice for a vitamin-packed drink.
13) Carrot and Cabbage Slaw: Combine shredded carrots and cabbage with a creamy coleslaw dressing for a side dish.
14) Carrot and Lentil Curry: Make a flavorful carrot and lentil curry with Indian spices and coconut milk.
15) Carrot and Zucchini Noodles: Create vegetable noodles by spiralizing carrots and zucchini, then sauté with your favorite sauce.
16) Carrot and Apple Smoothie: Blend carrots, apples, Greek yogurt, and a touch of cinnamon for a refreshing smoothie.
17) Carrot and Cilantro Dip: Blend carrots with cilantro, lime juice, and yogurt for a tasty dip.
18)Carrot and Cheese Platter: Serve carrot sticks with a variety of cheeses and crackers for a simple appetizer.
19) Carrot and Potato Hash: Dice carrots and potatoes, sauté them with onions and spices, and serve as a hearty side dish or breakfast hash.
posted by SunPower at 7:03 PM on May 2

Response by poster: Thanks, everyone! So many great ideas, and a lot of carrots to try them on.
posted by tavegyl at 6:29 AM on May 3

Caramelized Carrot Couscous

1 lb. carrots, finely sliced on a mandoline
3 to 4 large onions, peeled and chopped
2 tsp sugar (optional)
salt to taste
spices: ground coriander, garam masala, Chinese five spice, nutmeg, mace, whatever
oil or butter for frying
fresh lemon juice
toasted sesame seeds

NOTES: My spice preference :coriander, cumin, five spice, ginger, mint, cayenne.


Saute onion in butter over medium until soft.

Add carrot, salt, sugar (if using), and spices. Vary sugar depending on taste and on sweetness of carrots.

Cover and leave on low-medium to medium heat. Stir just enough to prevent burning but allow browning.

(If your pan is quite full, don’t cover until close to the end as the crowding will create steam.)

Cook about 10 -20 minutes, until carrots are nicely browned. Add a few drops of water to deglaze the pan if it’s getting too dry.

Add sesame seeds, lemon juice, black pepper.

Serve on a bed of whole wheat couscous.
posted by Frenchy67 at 10:53 AM on May 13