Made with sticky sweet carrots and fresh greens, this maple roasted carrot and spinach recipe can become a tasty side salad, or a full meal in itself.
Winter or not, roasted carrots are always a huge hit in our household. I mean, what’s not to love about a tray of sticky sweet, delicious rot vegetables? I love it when fresh vegetables can be cooked in a simple way. Even better if their cooking time needs little to no involvement from my end. With a handful of fresh ingredients, this easy maple roasted carrot and spinach recipe unites a green leafy vegetable and staple rot vegetable, to become a tasty and easy dinner option for all home cooks.
If you‘ve stumbled across my site before, you‘ll know that healthy recipes with whole foods and whole grains are my passion. Everyone should have access to good food year round, and I want to bring great recipes with great flavour from my table to yours. I especially love those dishes you can bring together in one large skillet, large saucepan, or baking tray. They‘re the sort of cooking experiences that show us how simple recipes can be, and that a healthier life doesn‘t need to come with lots of extra work.
This carrots recipe is no exception. So next time you‘re looking to incorporate additional spinach into your meals, or are simply looking for something new, try my maple roasted carrot and spinach recipe.
Ingredients
Carrots as our staple root vegetable. I used the standard orange bunch in my original recipe, but purple and yellow carrots would work just as well and look just as beautiful.
Fresh spinach. I chose baby spinach, simply because that’s what I had at home. English spinach will go just as well, but you only have firmer types like silverbeet, you may need to blanch the leaves before adding them to this delicious side dish.
Maple syrup. I love using maple syrup for roasting.The more liquid consistency makes it so much easier to evenly coat your vegetables than when using honey. It also means you‘ll need to use less oil in your carrot recipe without impacting the flavours of your dish.
Lemon. I‘m using a little lemon zest over my carrot and spinach recipe, which was perfect for the amount of natural juices my dish had. If you find yours to be a little dry, add some lemon juice or a little of my maple vinaigrette.
Olive oil as the obvious fat for roasting.
Fresh parsley to top your dish with.
Salt and black pepper to taste.
How to make this delicious carrot and spinach recipe
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). While the oven’s heating, wash your produce.
Slice your carrots into slices, or thin sticks. I like to mix things up and cut a few different shapes into the same dish, to make it look a bit more fun. At the end of the day, do whichever is easiest for you.
Place the carrots in a large mixing bowl and toss them in olive oil, maple syrup, about a teaspoon salt and pepper. Make sure the carrots are evenly coated to achieve best results.
Spread the carrot mix onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Roast them in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until tender and caramelised.
While your carrots are roasting, grate some lemon zest and finely chop your parsley. Set these aside.
Once your carrots are ready, take the tray out of the oven and fold your handfuls of spinach into the carrots. You could blanch your spinach separately, but I figured while we already have one big hot baking tray, we might as well make use of that. Whatever saves us from more washing up, right?
Place the baking sheet back into the oven and let your spinach semi-cook for 2-3 minutes. Watch it closely to avoid it from drying out.
Turn off the oven, take out your baking tray and transfer the carrot and spinach mixture into a nice dish.
Sprinkle with parsley and lemon zest.
Serve hot as a tasty side dish, or as a main with some crusty sourdough bread.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and try to finish it within the next day.
Different flavor variations to try:
I‘ve already mentioned my maple vinaigrette and a little lemon juice. But you could also try one of these variations to keep things interesting:
Stir a little fresh cream through your dish once cooked. It‘s the best way to turn any rustic recipe into a bowl of comfort food.
To spice things up, top your dish with a little green chili. Served over brown rice, it‘s a whole new flavour. You might even go a step further and replace the olive oil with a hot oil like chilli oil for some extra spice.
Add fresh ginger. Ginger is one of those ingredients I love to add as a side to most of my dishes, even if it doesn‘t really go with the flavours of the dish. What‘s a common ingredient in Japanese recipes and Korean recipes is often disregarded in Western cooking. I always have a jar of pickled sushi ginger in the fridge, and add a few slices as an easy, tasty side to my meals.
Other recipes to try
Easy tasty maple roasted carrot and spinach recipe
A tasty side salad, or a full meal in itself.
Ingredients
- 500g carrots
- 200g baby spinach
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Fresh parsley to garnish
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). While the oven’s heating, wash your produce.
- Slice your carrots into slices, or thin sticks. I like to mix things up and cut a few different shapes into the same dish, to make it look a bit more fun. At the end of the day, do whichever is easiest for you.
- Place the carrots in a large mixing bowl and toss them in olive oil, maple syrup, about a teaspoon salt and pepper. Make sure the carrots are evenly coated to achieve best results.
- Spread the carrot mix onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Roast them in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until tender and caramelised.
- While your carrots are roasting, grate some lemon zest and finely chop your parsley. Set these aside.
- Once your carrots are ready, take the tray out of the oven and fold your handfuls of spinach into the carrots. You could blanch your spinach separately, but I figured while we already have one big hot baking tray, we might as well make use of that. Whatever saves us from more washing up, right?
- Place the baking sheet back into the oven and let your spinach semi-cook for 2-3 minutes. Watch it closely to avoid it from drying out.
- Turn off the oven, take out your baking tray and transfer the carrot and spinach mixture into a nice dish.
- Sprinkle with parsley and lemon zest.
- Serve hot as a tasty side dish, or as a main with some crusty sourdough bread.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and try to finish it within the next day.
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