Boiled Carrots
Boiled carrots are a nutritious and colorful side dish. When cooked just right, they maintain some firmness and their natural sweet flavor. Can be used in purees, soups, salads, and as a simple side.
⏱️ Cooking Time: 15 minutes
🥘 Ingredients
- 4 medium carrots
- Enough water to cover
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Butter and parsley for serving (optional)
👨🍳 How to Make
- 1
Peel carrots and cut into 1cm rounds or sticks.
- 2
Place in pot and cover with cold water.
- 3
Add salt and bring to a boil.
- 4
When boiling, reduce to medium heat.
- 5
Cook for 10-15 minutes (thin rounds 10 min, thick 15 min).
- 6
Test with fork: should enter with slight resistance (al dente).
- 7
Drain and season with butter and parsley if desired.
🔄 Cooking Variations
| Method | Time | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steamed | 12 min | Steam for 10-12 minutes. Preserves more nutrients and flavor. | |
| Roasted carrots | 30 min | Halve, drizzle with olive oil and honey, roast at 200C for 25-30 min. Caramelizes beautifully. |
💡 Tips
- ✦ Cut into uniform sizes for even cooking.
- ✦ Cooked carrots are more nutritious than raw - heat releases more beta-carotene.
- ✦ For glazed carrots, cook with butter, sugar, and a little water.
- ✦ Whole baby carrots cook in 8-10 minutes.
🧠 Did You Know?
Carrots were originally purple! The orange variety was developed in the Netherlands in the 17th century.
Eating too many carrots can turn your skin orange (carotenodermia) - but it is harmless and reversible.
🥗 Nutrition Info
A 100g serving of cooked carrots contains about 35 kcal, 8g of carbohydrates, and 0.8g of protein. Excellent source of beta-carotene (vitamin A), essential for eye health.