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Carrot

Vegetables · Root vegetables

Carrot

Crunchy orange root, sweet raw or cooked, used in salads, stews, stocks, curries and cakes.

Also called: carrots, gajar, havuç, zanahoria

183 recipes with it

Photo: Evan-Amos, via Wikimedia Commons (public-domain)

What it is

Carrots are tapering taproots, usually orange but also purple, yellow and white, with feathery green tops. They are sweet and crunchy raw and sweeter still when cooked. Parsnips look like pale carrots but are softer, sweeter and more aromatic.

Daucus carota subsp. sativus

How it’s used

  • Diced with onion and celery as a soup and stew base (mirepoix)
  • Grated raw into salads and slaws
  • Roasted or glazed as a side
  • Cooked into gajar halwa
  • Baked into carrot cake

Characteristics

Taste
Sweet and earthy.
Texture
Crisp and crunchy raw; tender when cooked.
When cooked
Holds its shape in long braises; caramelises when roasted.
Sold as
fresh, frozen, canned
Cooking uses
Usually eaten raw, Commonly cooked, Suitable for baking, Suitable for boiling, Suitable for grilling

Storage

Refrigerated. Remove leafy tops and refrigerate in a bag; carrots keep well. Discard if slimy or mouldy; limp ones are fine for stock.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
41 kcal
Protein
0.93 g
Carbohydrate
9.58 g
Fat
0.24 g
Fibre
2.8 g
Sugars
4.74 g

USDA FoodData Central: Carrots, raw.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Parsnip — In roasts, soups and cakes; sweeter and softer.
  • Sweet potato — In soups and curries; softer and sweeter.

Related ingredients

Recipes with carrot

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