If you’ve ever turned down a carrot because you’ve heard that they are too high in sugar, listen up: that’s bananas!
Yes, carrots have natural sugar. But, they aren’t high in sugar.
Even though carrots have a sweet taste, they actually don’t have a whole lot more sugar than other vegetables. In fact, 1 medium-sized carrot has only 3 grams of sugar – the same amount found in 1 cup of green beans or 1 medium tomato.
Plus, carrots also have a low glycemic load, meaning that the impact on blood sugar is fairly low.
Regardless of the sugar content, carrots are nutrient rich:
Carrots are especially high in beta-carotene – the antioxidant that makes carrots bright orange and is associated with heart health. Your body also converts beta-carotene to vitamin A, which is helps keep your skin and eyes healthy and is especially important for maintaining good night vision.
Carrots also have soluble fibre – the type of fibre that can lower LDL, or the “bad”, blood cholesterol.
Carrots give you potassium (linked to lower blood pressure) and vitamin C (for good immune system health).
So, please don’t deprive yourself of the deliciousness of carrots (or bananas for that matter)! You especially wouldn’t want to miss out on this roasted carrot salad – it’s like a party in your mouth. Enjoy!
Vibrantly Yours,
Shannon
Roasted Carrot Salad with Spicy Chickpeas
Sweet tip: When it comes to carrots, size matters. Bigger is not better. Medium sized carrots tend to actually be the sweetest-tasting and have the best texture. Smaller carrots have great texture, but are less sweet than the medium ones.In this salad, go for medium-sized carrots.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Roasted Carrots and Onions
2 pounds of carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 Tbsp plus one teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon coarsely ground sea salt, divided
Roasted Chickpeas
1 can chickpeas (398ml/1 ½ cups), drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
1 tsp sumac
¼ tsp chili flakes
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
¼ tsp coarsely ground sea salt
1 small clove garlic, minced
Salad Toppers
1 big handful arugula microgreens or baby arugula
1/3 cup crumbled creamy feta or goat cheese
2 Tbsp roasted, salted sunflower seeds
Optional: 1 small avocado chopped, 2- 3 Tbsp pomegranate arils
Dressing
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp honey
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground sea salt
How to Make
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, toss carrots with garlic, one tablespoon honey and one tablespoon of the oil. Spread carrots on one of the lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with just over half the salt.
3. In a small bowl, toss onions with the other tablespoon of oil. Spread onions on one half of the other lined baking sheet, leaving room for the chickpeas. Drizzle on the teaspoon of honey. Sprinkle on the remaining sea salt. Place both baking sheets in the oven and roast for a total of 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add all chickpea ingredients and stir until well combined. When there are 10 minutes of roasting time remaining, remove the onion-baking sheet and spread the chickpeas on the other half of the sheet. Return to the oven and roast for final 10 minutes.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
6. Place the carrots on a large serving platter. Top with the onions and then chickpeas. Add the remaining toppings, then drizzle on the dressing. Enjoy immediately.
Optional serving suggestions: you can create the salad right on the carrot sheet pan for a more rustic meal. Alternatively, build individual salads on small plates.
Download the recipe to print here.
Sources:
Canadian Nutrient File version 2015
Produce Made Simple producemadesimple.ca