Spring Carrots & Parsnips – Roasted with Honey & Thyme

Young spring carrots and parsnips roasted to perfection with a drizzle of honey and some fresh thyme.

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Spring carrots and parsnips roasted to perfection

I adore spring carrots and parsnips. When the early veg starts to become available from March onwards, I head out and search. Fresh, succulent and tender, there is something extra special about eating it… Providing of course, it is cooked in a way that draws out and accentuates the sweetness and flavours locked inside.

I am not a great fan of carrots or any other root veg chopped and boiled. But spring carrots drizzled with honey, softly roasted to the point of caramelisation and seasoned with carefully chosen herbs will send me weak at the knees. It’s utter perfection… Honey-glazed and thyme roasted, accompanied with a smattering of spring parsnips… what could be better?

Easy to prepare and roast

Cooking root vegetables this way is one of my favourite side dishes, not just for the incredible flavours and sticky-tender texture, but because it is so easy. Every time I throw them in the oven, I wonder why on earth people bother with the whole boil to a pulp routine.  

Using spring carrots also cuts down on the whole peeling faff as well… All they need is a good wash and a little scrape and they’re good to go. Toss in a little olive oil, add a little honey, a sprinkle of fresh herbs and some salt and pepper and roast lovingly…

Finding spring carrots… Use your local farm shops

Although some of the better supermarkets will stock spring carrots and parsnips when in season, I prefer to use local farm shops. Not only will it support the local economy and growers, but the veg is likely to be fresher.

When I spotted these baby parsnips and purple spring carrots in my favourite farm shop (Macknade in Faversham), I just knew I needed to eat them. I also knew that the colour contrast of bright orange carrots against deep, almost gothic purple ones was going to make a stunning dish of loveliness. Adding the creamy-white baby parsnips was the icing on the cake.

Roasting with fresh spring thyme exudes a wonderful floral scent and a hint of aromatic herbyness. It also looks beautiful laid across the vibrant, honey-sweet carrots. And for the final touch, throw on a handful of sesame seeds for a little crunch and nuttiness. Delicious!

Made spring carrots Roasted with Honey & Thyme?

If you’ve tried my Spring Carrots, Let me know what you think. Have they made you ditch the boiled roots too? I love to hear how people have found my recipes so please leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag me on social media (my links are in the top right corner).

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4.86 from 7 votes

Spring Carrots & Parsnips – Roasted with Honey & Thyme

Young spring carrots and parsnips roastedto perfection with a drizzle of honey and some fresh thyme.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 10 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: British, Gluten Free, Vegan

Keyword: carrots, parsnips, vegetables

Servings: 5

Calories per serving: 169.1kcal

Author: Gluten Free Alchemist – Kate Dowse

Key equipment

• Oven
• sharp vegetable knife
• roasting tin

Ingredients 

0.33x0.5x0.66x1x2x

MetricUS Customary

• 500 g young/spring carrots mixed colours/rainbow – orange/yellow/purple
• 250 g young/spring parsnips
• a few sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2½ tbsp clear honey
• sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds 

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 200 C/400 F/Gas 6.
• Wash and scrape the parsnips and carrots and trim as necessary. If the vegetables are larger, slice lengthways into batons keeping them as long as possible.
• Lay the carrots and parsnips in a roasting dish, interspersed with sprigs of fresh thyme.
• Drizzle and lightly toss with a little olive oil to coat.
• Drizzle with honey.
• Season with salt and a good grind of pepper to taste.
• Bake for about an hour, turning occasionally until soft and beginning to caramelise. If the carrots and parsnips look like they are beginning to burn, cover with foil to protect.
• When nearly done, sprinkle with a spoonful of sesame seeds and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes.

Notes

* Note: nutritional information is an estimate & may vary according to portion size/ingredient variants.

Nutrition

Calories: 169.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 27.6g | Protein: 1.8g | Fat: 6.8g | Saturated Fat: 0.9g | Sodium: 74.7mg | Potassium: 515mg | Fiber: 5.4g | Sugar: 15.8g | Vitamin A: 16706IU | Vitamin C: 14.4mg | Calcium: 66.6mg | Iron: 0.9mg

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© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist

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