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    Home > Recipes > Sides

    Harissa and Maple Roasted Carrots

    Published: Jan 21, 2015 · Modified: Apr 14, 2020 by Whitney Reist · This post may contain affiliate links |

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Harissa and Maple Roasted Carrots

    Today's recipe for the monthly Recipe Redux I am a part of is based on a story of redemption. The redemption of carrots in the ever adventurous life of my taste buds. For about 25 years of my life, the mere thought of carrots made me shudder. I hated them as a kid. In fact, I have vivid recollections of gagging on them while trying to sneak bites of mushy steamed or glazed carrots down my throat. Raw carrots were just as bad as cooked. I could not tolerate them in any way, shape or form.

    Fast forward to my early 20's - carrots are now tolerated diced into small pieces as part of a soup, stew, or slow cooker meal. Maybe in an Asian stir fry or lettuce wrap situation, but only if sliced very thin and the crunch factor has been maintained. I'm 28 now and just begun to like carrots of the roasted variety. Dice em' up and roast on a pan with a combo of butternut squash, sweet potato, and turnips and I can barely tell which is which. But hardly do I ever let carrots be the solo start of a side dish on my table. Until today.

    Harrisa and Glaze

    I have the Recipe Redux to thank for the change of heart in this former carrot hater. This month, reduxers were challenged to post a dish that featured subtle notes of smoke and spice. The harissa paste that I finally found on a recent foodie binge/shopping trip in Dallas was the first thing that came to mind when I read the words smoke + spice.

    If you are now scratching your head and thinking "harissawha??," I will now relieve your curiosity and tell you that harissa is essentially the Middle East's version of hot sauce. It's pretty easy to find in the ethnic section of well-stocked grocery stores and specialty food stores. However, if you are like me and had to make a trip to a rather large and culinarily-diverse city to get some, rest assured because the world wide web is full of recipes for making your own. Trust me, if my mom in the twenty-something thousand census city of Christiansburg, VA can find the ingredients to make her own, then you probably can too. Try this recipe's version.

    This smokey hot condiment literally made my carrots taste like they had been slow-roasting over and open fire all day. And the sweet maple glaze combined with the caramelized natural sugar of the carrots - don't even get me started! It was all I could do to stop eating them so I could save some for Ryan's dinner tonight! I embellished these a little more as they came steaming hot out of the oven by sprinkling them ever so slightly with smoked sea salt, a fresh squeeze of lemon juice, and a few dill fronds for color. Dee-lish-shus ya'll.

    Harissa Roasted Carrots with Maple Glaze

     

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    Harissa and Maple Roasted Carrots

    Harissa and Maple Roasted Carrots

    These roasted carrots combine the smokey spicy flavor of North Africa harissa with sweet maple syrup, fresh lemon and tangy dill. They are a perfect easy side that comes together in minutes but taste like they were slow roasted over an open fire. Recipe inspired by Bon Appetit.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @sweetcayenne5 or tag #sweetcayenne!
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 2 3 servings

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound small to medium-sized carrots washed, ends trimmed, and halved lengthwise
    • 1 small clove of garlic
    • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
    • 1 teaspoon harissa
    • For serving optional:
    • ¼ teaspoon smoked sea salt
    • Fresh lemon wedges
    • Fresh dill fronds

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 425. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place the prepared carrot halves on the baking sheet and set aside.
    • Using a microplane or fine grater, finely grate the garlic clove into a small bowl. Add the cumin, oil, maple syrup, and harissa. Stir together to combine.
    • Pour the prepared glaze over the carrots and toss to evenly coat them. Roast in the oven for 20-35 minutes or until caramelized and tender. Flip the carrots halfway through roasting.
    • Serve carrots hot out of the oven. Garnish with a sprinkle of smoked sea salt, fresh dill fronds, and a sprinkle of lemon juice.

    Notes

    Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories 126, Total Fat 5.0g, Saturated Fat 0.7g, Trans Fat 0.0g, Cholesterol 1mg, Sodium 125mg, Potassium 503mg, Total Carbohydrates 20.2g, Dietary Fiber 3.8g, Sugars 11.9g, Protein 1.4g
    Serving: 3g | Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.2g | Protein: 1.4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 0.7g | Fiber: 3.8g | Sugar: 11.9g

    [inlinkz_linkup id=480237 mode=1]

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jen and Emily @ Layers of Happiness says

      January 27, 2015 at 11:24 am

      This is such a fun twist on carrots - love all the flavor and color! Yum! 🙂

      Reply
      • Whitney Reist says

        January 27, 2015 at 1:03 pm

        Thanks, Jen and Emily!

      • Whitney Reist says

        January 27, 2015 at 1:04 pm

        Thanks for stopping by, Jen and Emily!

    2. Dana says

      January 26, 2015 at 9:50 pm

      As a carrot LOVER, I can only imagine how much I'd love these!

      Reply
    3. Serena says

      January 25, 2015 at 7:52 am

      Ha! A Chef and dietitian who hates carrots. Glad you're coming around...and glad I have this recipe as I've had some harissa in my pantry for way too long!

      Reply
    4. jill conyers says

      January 22, 2015 at 2:58 am

      I love roasted carrots and the Harissa is an awesome idea to spice them up.

      Reply
      • Whitney Reist says

        January 22, 2015 at 4:31 pm

        Yes! If it wasn't for the Harissa, I don't think I could eat these carrots by themselves - it's a wonder-working condiment!

    5. Kelly // The Pretty Bee: Cooking & Creating says

      January 21, 2015 at 10:53 pm

      These look really good !I love roasted carrots!

      Reply
    6. Emily @SinfulNutrition says

      January 21, 2015 at 4:23 pm

      I've never heard of Harissa before, but since it's with carrots I am willing to give it a try. 😉 LOVE carrots!

      Reply
      • Whitney Reist says

        January 22, 2015 at 4:32 pm

        Yes definitely try it! I've seen soooo many yummy recipes w/ harissa lately so I won't have to worry about using up the jar!

    7. Catherine says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:50 pm

      This looks great! I actually love carrots but my husband doesn't. I'll try this one on him to see what he thinks. Thanks Whitney!

      Reply
      • Whitney Reist says

        January 22, 2015 at 4:33 pm

        Catherine - I got my can of harissa on the ethnic food aisle of Central Market on Lovers - it was pretty cheap and I've seen lots of recipes that use it lately!

    8. Rachel @ athleticavocado says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:32 pm

      I love roasting carrots! It's my fav way to prepare them! These look especailly good with the harissa!

      Reply
    9. Katherine Baker says

      January 21, 2015 at 1:09 pm

      Yes!! I had a dish like this with carrots and parsnips at Bobby Flay's restaurant Gato and I still dream about it! Thanks for sharing a way I can make it at home! 🙂

      Reply
      • Whitney Reist says

        January 22, 2015 at 4:34 pm

        Oh that sounds good, Katherine! Would love to visit Bobby's restaurant someday 🙂

    10. Liz - Meal Makeover Moms says

      January 21, 2015 at 12:22 pm

      What a gorgeous recipe. I so want to try this. So many great ingredients, and I'm loving harissa right now .. especially after reading so many great RR posts.

      Reply
      • Whitney Reist says

        January 22, 2015 at 4:35 pm

        Thank you, Liz! Yes - Recipe Redux has had some amazing recipe contributions lately. Such a great group to be a part of!

    11. Elizabeth Jarrard RD (@ElizabethEats) says

      January 21, 2015 at 10:28 am

      those are some sexy carrots!

      Reply
      • Whitney Reist says

        January 22, 2015 at 4:35 pm

        Thanks!

    12. Karli @ PeasofCake says

      January 21, 2015 at 8:41 am

      Oooh those look amazing and so pretty! I have yet to try harissa. 🙂

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Dallas Foodie Finds says:
      January 23, 2015 at 10:27 am

      […] version of hot sauce. And boy, is it amazing! I’ve already been into my can with the roasted carrots I posted earlier this week. Wow. This will be my condiment of choice for the forseeable […]

      Reply

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