Smashed Roasted Carrots

By Melissa Clark

Published Jan. 25, 2023

Smashed Roasted Carrots
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(489)
Comments
Read comments

This wintry salad, inspired by Asian smashed cucumbers, stars sweet roasted carrots. After being roasted until just tender, the carrots are lightly flattened to create texture on their surface, then broiled to char their edges. The gingery, garlicky dressing is a bracing contrast to the sweetness of the carrots. You can use either black vinegar or rice wine vinegar here. Although their flavors are completely different — the black vinegar is caramelized and rich, the rice vinegar lighter and fresher — they each harmonize with the other ingredients in the dressing. Serve this salad warm or at room temperature: It holds up well if you want to make it a few hours in advance. This salad will also work with parsnips.

Featured in: 4 Winter Salads That Are Anything but Sad

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 2pounds carrots, trimmed and scrubbed, large carrots sliced lengthwise into approximately 1-inch-thick pieces
  • 2tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or safflower, or peanut oil
  • 2teaspoons fine salt, plus more as needed
  • 2tablespoons black vinegar or rice vinegar, plus more to taste
  • 1½tablespoons soy sauce, plus more to taste
  • 1tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2teaspoons dark brown sugar, plus more to taste
  • 2teaspoons freshly grated ginger
  • 2garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
  • ¾cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus more for garnish if desired
  • ⅔cup coarsely chopped roasted peanuts, for garnish
  • Chile oil or chile crisp, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

285 calories; 16 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 33 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams dietary fiber; 16 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 791 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place carrots on a rimmed sheet pan, and toss with oil and salt. Roast until tender and caramelized, about 10 to 14 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Remove carrots from the oven. Using the bottom of a glass measuring cup or a heavy mug, lightly press carrots to flatten slightly and smash. (This will create texture when broiling.) Heat broiler, and broil carrots until charred in spots, 2 to 4 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    While the carrots are roasting, make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger and garlic. Whisk until combined, then taste and add more vinegar, soy sauce or brown sugar, if needed.

  4. Step 4

    Pour dressing over charred carrots and toss to combine. Add cilantro and toss. Serve with chopped peanuts and chile oil or crisp, and more cilantro if you’d like.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

4 out of 5
489 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

G

Made this tonight for guests as written (but with a mix of purple, orange, and white carrots), and it was a hit. I was totally unable to smash the carrots after roasting, though— they just wouldn’t smush under my Pyrex measuring cup. The carrots still charred beautifully under the broiler, and I don’t think it mattered at all, so you might as well skip the extra step. Don’t skip the peanuts.

SD

I found that the initial roasting time was more like 18-20 minutes with my thicker carrots. And then use another sheet pan to smash and flatten the carrots--and put your back into it. The measuring cup just sends the hot slippery carrots shooting all over the place.

xanadu

great winder salad. Tasted amazing.

Yanne

This was delicious, I´m making it today for the 3rd time. I didn´t bother with smashing the carrots at all. Just chopped them lenghtwise into strips the size of my little finger. They charred nicely in approximately 18mn. The dressing is AMAZING. Don´t skimp on the peanuts and cilantro. Didn´t have chile oil, but I had spring onion, so went with that, adds another layer of crunch. Brilliant recipe.

dimmerswitch

What a delicious way to use up the great farmers market carrots in the fridge crisper drawer and the cilantro there too. Zero waste + excellent eats = keeper recipe. Took more like 18 min for roast time to have carrots smashable. Used a grill press (maybe aka bacon press?) to do it. The charred spots after broiling add to the appeal. Prefer a lot less salt. Great using the black vinegar option.

JayLow

At 10-14 minutes roast time, this simply doesn’t work.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.