Glazed Orange-Cardamom Carrots

You remember the Colossal Carrot in the lower right corner of this picture? Well, I harvested its twin the next day! That gargantuan yellow carrot did not want to leave the ground, and when I finally dug it up with a trowel, it was the size of my forearm! Between that and the Colossal Carrot,…

Linda Ly
Glazed orange-cardamom carrots

You remember the Colossal Carrot in the lower right corner of this picture? Well, I harvested its twin the next day!

Colorful carrot harvest

That gargantuan yellow carrot did not want to leave the ground, and when I finally dug it up with a trowel, it was the size of my forearm! Between that and the Colossal Carrot, I had a whole pound’s worth of carrots and an idea forming in my brain for a dish that would throw it all down.

It sounds rather fancy, but this surprisingly simple recipe can be whipped up as a weeknight side dish and pairs deliciously with Swedish meatballs and creamy mashed potatoes. It’s a gourmet take on plain ol’ sauteed carrots, and the recipe is worth filing away for the holidays, too.

Glazed Orange-Cardamom Carrots

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds of carrots
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon orange zest
Juice from 1 orange
Ground black pepper to taste

Making Your Orange-Cardamom Carrots

Cut your carrots into matchsticks about 1/4 inch thick and 2 inches long (or use baby carrots whole). If you can get your hands on some multi-colored carrots, it’ll really make your dish pop!

Cut carrots into matchsticks

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the sugar, cardamom and orange zest, and let the flavors infuse the sauce for a few minutes.

Melt butter and stir in sugar, cardamom, and orange zest

Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the carrots, stirring to coat all the carrot sticks evenly with sauce. Cook until crisp-tender, about 15 minutes.

Saute carrots in butter-cardamom sauce

Pour in the orange juice and simmer uncovered until most of the juice has evaporated.

Pour in orange juice and simmer

Add freshly ground black pepper to taste, stir, and serve!

Glazed orange-cardamom carrots
Yield: Makes 6 servings

Glazed Orange-Cardamom Carrots

Glazed orange-cardamom carrots

It sounds rather fancy, but this surprisingly simple recipe can be whipped up as a weeknight side dish and pairs deliciously with Swedish meatballs and creamy mashed potatoes. It’s a gourmet take on plain ol’ sauteed carrots, and the recipe is worth filing away for the holidays, too.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds carrots
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • Juice from 1 orange
  • Ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cut your carrots into matchsticks about 1/4 inch thick and 2 inches long (or use baby carrots whole)
  2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. 
  3. Stir in the sugar, cardamom, and orange zest, and let the flavors infuse the sauce for a few minutes.
  4. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the carrots, stirring to coat all the carrot sticks evenly with sauce. 
  5. Cook until crisp-tender, about 15 minutes.
  6. Pour in the orange juice and simmer uncovered until most of the juice has evaporated.
  7. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste, stir, and serve!

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4 Comments

  1. It snowed in our neck of the woods today (western NC). This looks like a perfect recipe for the last of our homegrown carrots! Just discovered your blog…what a find.

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