Vegan Life | Recipes

Roasted Maple-Butter Carrots with Spiced Cashew-Tahini Sauce

Name: Roasted Maple-Butter Carrots with Spiced Cashew-Tahini Sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs carrots (2 bunches); 1/4 cup vegan butter (such as Earth Balance); 3 tbsp. maple syrup; 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice; salt and pepper; sliced almonds or chopped pecans (optional); 3 tbsp. raw, unsalted cashews; 6 tbsp. water; 2 tbsp. tahini; 1 tsp. maple syrup; 2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice; 2 tsp. nutritional yeast; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1/2 tsp. ground cumin; 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp. ground coriander; 1/4 tsp. ground cloves

October 12, 2020

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Roasted rainbow carrots on a pan with cashew-tahini sauce

My favorite food is pretty much any kind of roasted vegetable. Roasted vegetables are so easy to prepare, they're healthy, and they taste amazing. When Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas come around, I like to give my roasted vegetables a little something extra.

The carrots in this recipe get some added flair with a glaze made from vegan butter, maple syrup, and lemon juice, and a cashew-tahini sauce with a delicious blend of spices. Rainbow carrots add a colorful wow factor (but plain orange carrots work too!)

If a beautiful presentation is your goal, I suggest roasting and serving these carrots whole. Or, if your carrots are large, you may want to cut them in half lengthwise for faster roasting. However, cutting the carrots into smaller pieces will make them a little easier to eat, and will fit onto smaller baking trays more easily.

Roasted carrots on pan drizzled with sauce, top down view

Whole carrots or carrots cut in half length-wise make for a beautiful presentation.

Speaking of baking trays, make sure that you have a large one if you plan to roast the carrots whole or in halves. Whether you cut them or not, you'll need to leave some space in between the carrots so they roast properly.

Should you peel your carrots? There are many people who choose not to peel carrots. They are certainly safe to eat either way. But I always peel carrots for two reasons: 1. They look better; 2. They taste better (the skins have a bitter/earthy taste).

If your carrots come with greens on top, be sure to use the carrots as soon as possible. If you can't use them within a day or two, cut the greens off. Otherwise, the greens will pull moisture from the carrots. If you want to keep the greens for use in another recipe, they will last longer in a glass of water.

Roasted Maple-Butter Carrots with Spiced Cashew-Tahini Sauce

Yield4 servings

Prep Time30 minutes

Cook Time25 minutes

Total Time45 minutes

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Ingredients

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Units of Measurement

1 1/2 lbs. carrots (2 bunches)
1/4 cup vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
3 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and pepper
sliced almonds or chopped pecans (optional)

Cashew-Tahini Sauce

3 tbsp. raw, unsalted cashews
6 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. tahini
1 tsp. maple syrup
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Instructions

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Recipe Photos

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a large baking tray by lining with aluminum foil and spraying with oil.
Soak cashews in cold water for 2 hours, or in boiling water for 10 minutes. (If you have a high-powered blender, you can skip this step.)
Cut the tops off the carrots, leaving an inch or so of greens. Then peel the carrots. You can roast the carrots whole, slice them in half length-wise (recommended if your carrots are large), or cut them into smaller 2-3 inch pieces.
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the vegan butter. Remove from heat and stir in 3 tbsp. maple syrup and 1 tbsp. lemon juice.
Coat carrots with the maple/butter/lemon juice glaze, either in a large bowl or on the prepared tray. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Coat the carrots in your glaze and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Place carrots on the prepared tray, leaving some space between the carrots. Roast at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-30 minutes, until fork-tender. (Roasting time will vary depending on the size of the carrots).
In a blender, mix cashews and water until creamy and smooth (about 2-4 minutes).
While the carrots are roasting, mix cashew sauce with all remaining ingredients except almonds/pecans in a small bowl.
Remove carrots from oven and allow to cool slightly. Drizzle sauce over the carrots and garnish with sliced almonds or chopped pecans, if using. (Or serve sauce on the side).

Notes & Hints

Use just enough of the maple-butter glaze to coat the carrots well. Don't worry if there's some left over. If you put too much on the baking tray, it will burn in the oven.

Leftovers: Roasted carrots are best served fresh out of the oven, but they can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Reheat on a baking tray in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.

Nutrition Data

Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe; Calories: 293; Fat: 18 g.; Saturated Fat: 5 g.; Cholesterol: 0 mg.; Sodium: 616 mg.; Carbohydrates: 30 g.; Fiber: 5 g.; Sugar: 19 g.; Protein: 5 g.; Vitamin A: 0 mcg. RAE; Vitamin B12: 1 mcg.; Vitamin C: 13 mg.; Vitamin D: 0 mcg.; Calcium: 110 mg.; Iron: 2 mg.; Potassium: 642 mg.; Zinc: 1 mg.

Note: This data should be used only as an estimate. Please see the nutrition section of my terms and conditions for more information on how this data is calculated.