Carrots Three Ways: Roasted, Soup, & Salad

Gluten Free

Carrots Three Ways: Roasted, Soup, & Salad

I wanted to think outside the box, Chopped! style, I was on season 12. When I got my first bottle of Dona Masala Chai concentrate. I came up with three recipes that will make the most delicious carrots! Masala means spice, and chai means tea. Masala Chai is a black tea infused with fragrant spices, typically served with milk in India.

I love the flavor that the masala brings to the carrots. Note: If you don’t have tea on hand you can use 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. If you make this, tag me on Instagram at @chefcarlacontreras

Eat Well,

xo Chef Carla

PS: This recipe is in my book, Collagen A Love Story: Inside you'll find 20 Beauty Food Recipes: Smoothies, Drinks, Soup, and Sweet Treats Download your Free Copy

Roasted Carrots;

These carrots are GOOD. I mean, really good. Not like when someone boiled them for you when you were a kid. Be careful, as you might eat the entire pound in one sitting.

Store-bought carrots work. Carrots from a farmers market are a game changer. They’re delicious on their own, with chopped pistachios, or in a salad or blended into a soup.

Ingredients (serves 2-4)

1 pound carrots, any color will work, in 1/2-inch half-moon pieces, rough dice also works*

1 Tbsp. butter or preferred fat*

1 Tbsp. avocado oil or preferred fat*

2 Tbsp. Dona Chai Masala Concentrate, or 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, or pumpkin pie spice.

1/8 tsp. sea salt

3–4 cranks of fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Place all ingredients on a rimmed baking sheet lined lined with parchment paper.*

3. Cook for 35–45 minutes until carrots are cooked through and have slightly brown edges. The butter will have a brown color and smell nutty.

Chef Carla Notes:

1. You can cut the carrots how you like. To get half moons, slice the carrots in half and then cut them in 1/2-inch slices. If you have smaller carrots, you can also cut in half and have large carrots halves. These will take longer to roast.
2. Fat is really up to you. Avocado oil has a really high smoke point. You can cook up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. By adding the butter, it lowers the smoke point a bit, but you get these amazing brown butter flavor. Play with the fats and see what works for you.
3. I use parchment paper because I don’t want to clean up. You can cook directly on the cookie sheet too.

Spiced Vinaigrette:

I can’t stop making this dressing!

Pro tip: Make this the day before because the chai is more pronounced the second day. If you want to learn more about dressing and how to prep greens, see my Insta worthy salad course.

Ingredients (yields serves 2-4)

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2 tsp. Dona Chai

1 tsp. honey

1 tsp. Dijon mustard or whole grain mustard

1/4 cup olive oil

1/8 tsp sea salt

2–3 grinds freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Add apple cider vinegar, Dona Chai, honey, and mustard to a medium bowl.

2. Drizzle olive oil into the vinegar mixture while whisking to create an emulsion (brings them together). Season with salt and pepper.

3. Store in a mason jar with a lid or glass-lock container. Dressing lasts up to one week in the fridge.

Chef Carla Notes:

1. The difference between Dijon and whole grain mustard is texture. If you want a creamier dressing, use Dijon. If you want the crunchy texture from the mustard seeds, use whole grain.
2. Depending on how much acid you like, or how vinegary you want your dressing to taste, you can add more or less olive oil. I love a really acidic dressing, so I use less olive oil. The traditional ratio is three parts olive oil to one part vinegar.

What to Dress:

• This goes well with all salads, like kale or spinach, and with bitter greens, like radicchio, endive, or arugula. It’s also a great match for carrot and beet salads—the dressing’s tangy brightness wakes up the earthiness of the beets and plays off their sweetness. Cheeses like goat cheese and Parmesan also go well.

Roasted Carrot Soup:

This is a perfect recipe for leftover roasted carrots. It’s a quick weeknight meal. Just add stock! You can add as little or as much stock as you like. I like to add toppings to my soups, like radishes; herbs like dill, cilantro, and scallions; and crunch, like pepitas or sunflower seeds.

Ingredients (serves 2-4)

1 pound roasted carrots with Dona Chai recipe, cooked

1–2.5 cups of chicken or vegetable stock like Brodo, depending on the consistency you like*

1/8 tsp. of salt; taste before adding*

3–4 cranks of freshly ground pepper; taste before adding*

Directions

1. In a blender or food processor, add the carrots and 1 cup of stock, and blend.

2. Add additional stock by 1/4 cup until you achieve the consistency you like.

3. Heat in a saucepan until warm.

4. Top with garnishes of choice.

5. Store up to three days in the fridge.

Chef Carla Notes:

1. You can make a puree, kind of like a mashed potato consistency, that would be a great side dish or you can go for a full-on soup and add more liquid. If you make a puree, it would be amazing served alongside a braise, like short ribs.
2. Some store-bought stocks are saltier than others. Make sure you taste before you add more salt or pepper.

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