Balsamic Roasted Carrots and Shallots

Balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, Dijon mustard and garlic come together to create a sweet and savory sauce for roasted carrots and shallots. A perfectly simple side for your Thanksgiving Day feast.

I don’t know about you, but I’m in Thanksgiving dinner planning mode and side dish ideas are top of mind. To offset the calorie-rich stuffing and gravy-topped mashed potatoes, I always like to have a simple, healthier vegetable side dish option for guests. This year, it’s going to be these balsamic roasted carrots and shallots.

While carrots provide a host of beneficial nutrients such as potassium, vitamin C, vitamin K and fiber, the beta carotene content is off the charts. Beta carotene is a pigment that gives carrots, and other fruits and vegetables, their orange color. In the body, beta carotene is converted to vitamin A, an essential nutrient for eye health. Beta carotene also acts as an antioxidant that can help ward off chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer. This nutrient also provides anti-inflammatory benefits. Chronic inflammation in the body can lead to a host of conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and heart disease.

Roasting is what makes these beta carotene-packed carrots and shallots really stand out. This cooking method intensifies the natural sugar in both vegetables, giving them a richer, sweeter, more complex flavor. For even cooking when roasting vegetables, cut pieces to a uniform size and arrange in a single layer on the sheet pan. Stacking the vegetables on the pan can result in a mushy texture.

You’ll notice in the recipe instructions that the carrots and shallots are tossed in olive oil and roasted for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. The balsamic glaze mixture is added, and the vegetables are roasted an additional 10 minutes, allowing the glaze to thicken and coat the carrots and shallots. If you’re looking to lighten the cooking load on Thanksgiving Day, complete the initial 30-minute roasting of the oil tossed carrots and shallots the day before and pop them in the refrigerator. On Thanksgiving Day, toss the pre-roasted carrots and shallots in the balsamic glaze mixture and roast for 10 minutes or until the glaze thickens. Now you have a side dish that’s ready in less than 15 minutes.

To your health,

Darlene

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BALSAMIC ROASTED CARROTS and SHALLOTS

Yield:  7 servings

Serving Size:  about 1/2 cup

Prep:  15 minutes

Ready:  55 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• Vegetable oil cooking spray or parchment paper

• 2 pounds fresh whole carrots (to yield about 6 cups diagonally sliced carrots)

• 2 shallots, cut lengthwise into wedges

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and coat a large sheet pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.

2. Peel and clean whole carrots. Slice carrots diagonally (about a 1/4-inch thick) and place in a large bowl along with shallot wedges. Drizzle vegetables with oil and toss to coat. Place vegetables on sheet pan and roast in oven for 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven, move carrots and shallots around sheet pan and return to oven to roast an additional 15 minutes.

3. While vegetables are roasting, in a small bowl whisk together vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, and garlic until sugar dissolves.

4. Remove sheet pan from oven, drizzle carrots and shallots with balsamic vinegar mixture and gently mix to coat. Return vegetables to oven and roast an additional 10 minutes, allowing balsamic glaze to thicken and coat vegetables. Remove vegetables from oven, season with salt and pepper. Place roasted vegetables in a serving bowl, garnish with parsley, and serve.

Nutrition Information per Serving

115 Calories, 4 g Total fat, 0.5 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 0 mg Cholesterol, 175 mg Sodium, 19 g Total carbohydrate, 4 g Dietary fiber, 10 g Total sugars, 2 g Added sugars, 2 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 46 mg (4%) Calcium, 1 mg (6%) Iron, 74 mg (2%) Potassium

© 2023 RECIPES MADE HEALTHY BY DARLENE ZIMMERMAN, MS, RD LLC

Balsamic Roasted Carrots and Shallots

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