Sumac and Honey Roast Carrots

Roast Carrots are an incredibly common dish for home cooks, and with good reason. They’re so easy to make and always taste good. However, let’s face it; they’re a little bit boring sometimes! In this recipe we’ll show you how to completely transform the flavors of this roast vegetable classic with our delicious Sumac and Honey Roast Carrots. The combination of sweet and sour from the Honey and Sumac respectively offers a brilliant contrast of flavors that get the most out of these amazing vegetables. They’re so easy to make too, and well worth trying for your next homemade roast dinner

First of all, what is Sumac?

Sumac is a wonderful African spice that is becoming increasingly popular in the pantries of homes across the world in recent years. It is a unique spice in that it brings a beautifully bright, slightly sour Lemon flavor to the table. Quite a rare and unique flavor profile for a spice!

It’s naturally used a lot in popular African dishes which consist of heavy braises and sweet ingredients. The Sumac is used similarly to how Lemon or Vinegar is used, to brighten up a dish and offer balance. It works great when paired with Honey for that exact reason. Offering a balanced flavor profile that enables the Carrot and Honey flavor to shine, without it being overpowering in the dish

How to make Sumac and Honey Roast Carrots

This dish is prepared just like you would regular Roast Carrots. The only difference is the seasoning that is added to the Carrots before they go into the oven. First step is to prepare the Carrots. I prefer to cut them into large chunks as I find they roast the best

Once peeled and prepared, scatter your Carrots onto a sheet pan lined with foil. You don’t have to use foil, but it’s a lot easier for cleaning up. Especially as we’re using Honey, which tends to get sticky and difficult to clean off a sheet pan!

Seasoning the Carrots

Now it’s time to add the seasoning. There are two approaches for creating the seasoning / dressing for our Sumac and Honey Roast Carrots, and either way works. The first is to combine all the ingredients separately into a small bowl and then drizzle it over the Carrots. This technique is great because you can ensure an even distribution of ingredients that hit each Carrot

The second approach is the lazy approach, which I prefer! Simply season the Carrots with each ingredient separately and then give them all a little bit of a mix through on the pan. You may not get a completely even coating of each ingredient, but that’s part of the charm of this recipe! Some Carrots will end up sweeter, others more caramelized. It gives the dish more character and uniqueness I find. Also, one less dish to wash up too!

In addition to the Sumac and Honey we add Olive Oil, fresh Thyme Leaves and Salt to the Carrots. Olive Oil is another fat option which helps to caramelize the Carrots. It also mixes well with Honey, allowing for a more even distribution. Adding fresh Thyme gives the dish a vibrancy and beautiful fragrance

Time to cook the Carrots!

What I love about Roast Carrots is they don’t take as long as other classic roasting vegetables like Potatoes or Onions to cook. A typical Carrot cut up into large bite-sized chunks is going to take about 25 minutes to cook, which is what we’re aiming for with this recipe

Now, many say that you need to flip your Carrots halfway through the cooking process. Honestly, I don’t think it matters all that much with Carrots. They’ll cook evenly if you don’t flip them, and you’ll have a nice contrast of colors and textures with one side being slightly charred and caramelized once cooked. So, flipping is up to you

The best way to check if your Carrots are done is by sight

Unlike cooking proteins which can be deceiving to tell when they’re cooked, Carrots are pretty easy to tell just by looking at them. You want the Carrots to have slightly caramelized, turning a dark orange color with some parts starting to slightly brown

I recommend checking the Carrots at around the 20-minute mark and then checking every 5 minutes after that. Each oven cooks a little differently, and each Carrot is going to be shaped a little differently. So, the cooking time may vary slightly

You can tell when a Carrot is overcooked as it will begin to shrivel up and form some weird looking wrinkles on the outside. To get the beautiful caramelization on the outside while having the inside still slightly chewy (which to me is the optimal texture), roasting the Carrots on a relatively high temperature (between 400F – 425F) will yield the best results

What to serve with Sumac and Honey Roast Carrots

The classic pairing for this dish is a good old-fashioned Roast Dinner. Pork, Lamb, Beef, or Chicken is going to be a great protein to serve alongside these Carrots. A classic Sunday Roast with a side dish of the best tasting Carrots you’ve ever eaten is a fantastic pairing!

If you’re looking for some great Sunday Roast-style recipes, then here’s four of our favorites we recommend:

• Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder
• A Classic Roast Beef Dinner
• Crispy Roast Pork Shoulder
• The Perfect Roast Chicken Dinner
  
  

Other than a Roast, these Sumac and Honey Roast Carrots can also simply be enjoyed by themselves. They pair great with simple Yoghurt dressing to cut through the richness. Just mix some Greek Yoghurt with Lemon, Garlic, and a little Salt and serve it on the side

Sumac and Honey Roasted Carrots Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 Carrots
• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp. Honey
• 1 tsp. Sumac
• 8 Thyme Sprigs, stalks removed
• 1 tsp. Salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Peel and cut the Carrots into large bite-sized chunks then scatter over a sheet pan lined with foil
2. Combine the Olive Oil, Honey, Sumac, and Salt in a small bowl then drizzle over the Carrots. Alternatively, you can just add each ingredient straight to the Carrots
3. Sprinkle with Thyme then Roast the Carrots in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes until they begin to slightly caramelize
4. Once cooked, place the Carrots in a serving bowl and sprinkle with a little bit more Sumac and Salt. Serve immediately
   
   

Recipe Notes

• Check your Carrots for doneness at around the 20-minute mark. Once they begin to slightly darken on the outside, they’re cooked
• There’s no need to turn the Carrots halfway through. Just keep them roasting until they are cooked
  
  

These delicious Sumac and Honey Roasted Carrots are a delicious Vegetable Side Dish to pair alongside your favorite protein. You can even enjoy them on their own with some fresh Yoghurt Sauce. Either way, they taste great and well worth making at home

For more wonderful Vegetable Side Dishes such as this one, check out these delicious recipes:

• Broccolini with Oyster Sauce and Toasted Panko Breadcrumbs
• Split Peas with Bacon
• Pea Puree with Roast Garlic
• Oven Roasted Fennel
  
  

Happy Cooking!