Beets and carrots get even sweeter when roasted and this roasted beets and carrots recipe is the perfect blend of sweet and sour!
The combination of maple syrup and cider vinegar is perfect with the roasted vegetables and the herbs really kick it up a notch.
So easy to make, it's a delightful year round side dish.
Easy roasted side dish!
When my local CSA gave me some gorgeous beets and some equally gorgeous carrots in the latest pick up I knew that I needed to update this old blog post from 2011!
I make these easy roasted beets and carrots all the time, but kept forgetting to take photos and update this!
Beets and carrots get so sweet when roasted! They are tossed with lemon herb vinaigrette, roasted and then drizzled with a maple syrup and cider vinegar glaze and finished off until they are sweet, tender and tasty!
This recipe is similar to my Balsamic Honey and Roasted Root Vegetables, so be sure and check it out also!
Ingredients
- Lemon - you'll use the lemon juice and then add the lemon halves to the pan, so I try to use organic.
- Olive oil - I use extra virgin, you could also use any other neutral oil.
- Coriander - the seeds are crushed and this adds a very unique flavor to the dish. Can be omitted if you aren't a fan of coriander.
- Tarragon & Thyme - I used fresh, can also use dried. You can also omit both of these if you don't want an herb flavor with these.
- Maple Syrup - could also use honey.
- Apple Cider Vinegar - I've also used Homemade Tarragon Vinegar and Homemade Lemon Herb Vinegar.
- Beets and Carrots.
Step by step instructions.
Do you need to steam vegetables before roasting? Technically you don't have to, you can just roast them longer and they will eventually get done. However a quick steam beforehand allows them to cook quicker and more evenly. I do this all of my roasted hard vegetables - like potatoes and winter squash.
Preheat oven to 400.
Peel and trim the beets and carrots. Cut the beets into wedges and the carrots into 2-inch thick slices.
Heat about an inch of water to a boil in a saucepan large enough to hold the beets and carrots. Place them in a steamer basket over the water, put the lid on the pan and stem for about 5 minutes.
Place the steamed beets and carrots in a shallow baking or roasting pan.
In a bowl whisk together the juice of the lemon, oil, coriander seeds, tarragon and thyme sprigs. Pour over the beets and carrots, toss to combine and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place the lemon halves in the dish and roast for 30 minutes.
Combine the vinegar and maple syrup and pour it over the roasted beets and carrots and continue to roast for another 30 minutes or until the beets and carrots are tender.
Discard the lemon halves and enjoy!
This has become one of our favorite side dishes! It goes with everything. The maple roasted beets and carrots are the perfect blend of sweet and spicy!
You can also do this recipe with all beets or all carrots or include some parsnips! The original recipe which came from an old 2004 Cooking Light Annual included parsnips.
More roasted vegetable recipes:
Recipe
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Roasted Beets and Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds beets trimmed, peeled and cut into wedges.
- 1 1/2 pounds carrots peeled, cut into 2 inch lengths
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds crushed
- 2 teaspoons fresh tarragon or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 12 fresh thyme sprigs
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Place carrots and beets in a steamer basket and steam for 5 minutes.
- Whisk together juice from the lemon, oil, coriander, tarragon and thyme sprigs.
- Place beets and carrots in casserole or roasting pan and toss with lemon vinaigrette, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add lemon halves to pan. Roast for 30 minutes.
- Combine maple syrup and vinegar. Drizzle over the beets and carrots, stir to combine and roast for 30 more minutes.
Notes
Equipment
Video
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2011 and has been updated for 2021.
I never know what to do with beets in my CSA so this is a great idea! Thanks for this recipe!
and the list containing things that are improved by roasting gets longer! 🙂
I love beets, limas and okra... WELL---I only like fried okra. Someone one time tried to get me to eat some boiled okra... GADS.... Terrible!!!!
The beets and carrots dish sounds good. I'd probably love it.
Thanks, Pam.
Hugs,
Betsy
Love 'em!
I want to lick my computer screen. Those beets look so perfect.
I can pretty much guarantee that I'd be wearing beets if they ever reached my table. Specifically, my beloved refers to pickled whole beets as "purple horse apples." I do love roasted carrots, and I'm with Joanne in thinking parsnips would be a nice (read: acceptable) substitution!
I wish Thor could participate in weekend Cat blogging. Thank you ever so much for inviting him. I know he and Smudge were kindrid spirits.
I'm not normally a pickled beets kind of girl. But, your picture of the roasted sweet and sour beets & carrots looks SO good that I may just have to try it! Well, first let me just check out the recipe..... 😉
Wow - love beets and can't wait to try this recipe! By the way, have you ever had them in chocolate cake? It's amazing!
I am CRAZY about roasted beets. This looks so scrumptious!
I love beets! This looks delicious.
Those beets looks so incredible Pam. Your photography is also outstanding! I am so impressed with these Cooking Light recipes too!
Roz
I am a beet fan too. Pickled Beets are pure summer to me. Your recipe looks really good! I was surprised by the maple syrup - but worth a try.
We are beet lovers and I thought I'd tried every recipe. Not this one and I can't wait. I think I will do the parsnips as well as I think their sweetness will be a nice addition. I also stir fry or steam the beet greens--an added bonus! Thanks for a new recipe to look forward to trying.
Best,
Bonnie
Sigh. It's at times like these that I really wish I loved beets. Maybe I could swap them for parsnips?