Healthy Carrot Side Dish Recipes

A simple vegetable peeler turns carrots into beautifully thin strips in this healthy vegetable side dish recipe. If you have a spiralizer, you can go for an artful tangle instead. Serve with miso-glazed fish or tofu.

Napa--also known as Chinese cabbage--is the preferred cabbage in this healthy Asian stir-fry recipe because it's much sweeter and more tender than green cabbage. If napa cabbage isn't available at your grocery store, try Savoy cabbage or bok choy.

In this veggie-forward spin on Texas-style barbecue, we swap the traditional brisket for root vegetables and rely on the chipotles in the sauce to bring the smokiness to the table. These vegetables are a versatile side for all sorts of mains, whether you're in the mood for meat or want to go vegetarian with grilled tofu or a bean dish.

Dashi gives this vegetable rice recipe its savory depth. Rinsing the rice may seem like an extraneous step but it removes some of the surface starch for fluffier rice. And soaking the rice in seasoned dashi before cooking infuses the dish with more flavor.

This carrot-raisin salad is both tangy and sweet, thanks to the combination of lemon juice, pineapple and raisins; carrots bring color and crunch. Letting the salad sit at room temperature for 30 minutes is a great way to help the flavors intensify.

The colorful combination of sugar snap peas, red bell pepper and carrot plus Asian-inspired flavors make this side dish a pleasure to whip up for a weeknight dinner.

An orange glaze brings out the sweetness in one of the kid-friendliest vegetables around. With convenient pre-shredded carrots, there's no chopping required.

Take advantage of convenient mini ("baby") carrots to make this simple but sophisticated classic French side dish.

Make this creamy carrot-and-parsnip casserole for your next holiday meal--everyone will beg you for the recipe! Our healthier version skips the heavy cream and butter found in most recipes--saving about 160 calories and 12 grams of saturated fat compared to a traditional version.

A little bit of cayenne adds an unexpected kick to these classic roasted carrots.

This easy spinach salad features plenty of fresh veggies and warm, garlic-infused dressing for a quick side dish.

This pickling liquid gives bright flavor to carrots—try it with green beans or peppers as well. Serve these pickled carrots alongside Koji-Brined Pork Shoulder for a bright, acidic side dish.

Roasted with chili powder and cumin then tossed with cilantro and lime juice, these carrots are bursting with zesty flavor. Serve them with simple roast chicken or pork.

Sliced carrots are poached in olive oil to create a healthy side dish in this recipe from chef Eric Skokan.

It's been said that serving cabbage for New Year's promises prosperity, so adding a few carrot coins can only sweeten the purse.

This centerpiece-worthy salad calls for buying up the most colorful roots in the produce section. We like using a rainbow of beets and carrots for the most stunning presentation.

A combination of brown sugar and apple juice makes these easy candied carrots sweet but not cloying. Chopped fresh thyme brightens the flavor in this classic side dish, but feel free to omit it if you want an even simpler dish. Serve with chicken, pork or your Thanksgiving dinner.

Roasting these carrots with only a bit of butter and some cardamom gives them a rich, nutty flavor that belies how healthy they are. A single serving gives you over 600 percent of the daily recommendation for vitamin A!

Take roasted carrots to the next level with this hasselback version of a vegetable-side favorite. Adding thin hasselback cuts to whole carrots not only allows more flavor to seep into the veggies, it also speeds up the cooking time.

Smashing steamed carrots coated in curry powder then finishing them under the broiler lets the flavor set in and gives the carrots a light, crispy edge.

A mixture of boiled root vegetables--turnips, carrots, parsnips and onion--are cooked until tender and mashed just like potatoes. This tasty side dish is a healthy and beautiful addition to any meal.

Toasted sesame seeds add taste and eye appeal to a cheery plate of crunchy carrots.

These sweet and tender honey-roasted carrots get a bit of char from the oven. These are topped with sesame seeds, but topping with a fresh herb like parsley can add a pop of color to this easy side dish.

Soaking the freekeh and cooking it with caramelized onions results in an almost risotto-like texture. Grill up your favorite vegetables in place of the zucchini, carrots and scallions, if you like--or skip the vegetables altogether and serve it as a simple whole-grain side. It's really that good on its own.