Baby parsnips and rainbow carrots go perfectly with maple syrup and balsamic vinegar. This roasted carrots and parsnips recipe is a wonderful side dish and a great way to encourage kids to try some new vegetables.
This is a sponsored post with Freshgro.
This week we've loved trying out these lovely baby rainbow Chantenay Carrots and some equally delicious baby Piccolo Parsnips.
I've combined the two in this simple vegetable side dish. You are going to love this roasted carrots and parsnip dish. The addition of maple syrup and balsamic vinegar makes them taste divine.
This is one of those wonderful side dishes that requires very little preparation and happily cooks away in the oven while you either sit down and have a cup of tea or (more likely) cook the rest of the meal or tackle the washing up.
Why carrots are good for you
My Grandad (who was a greengrocer) always used to say to me that carrots would make my hair curl.
Now I'm not sure that's true as one of my children is carrot-obsessed and has extremely straight hair!
But while they might not make your hair curl carrots are full of fibre, vitamins, minerals and vitamin A and E.
Parsnips are good for you too
Parsnips on the other hand are a good source of vitamin C, folate and fibre and a top source of potassium.
The perfect dish to show off these veggies
When I was planning what to make with my piccolo parsnips and rainbow carrots I wanted to:
- show off the gorgeous colours of the rainbow carrots
- cook the rainbow carrots in one dish with the parsnips, AND
- make a recipe that would be suitable for vegans (so I could eat it too).
I decided to roast my baby carrots and parsnips with a maple and balsamic glaze to add a lovely tangy sweetness.
More about how these veggies are grown
Chantenay carrots and Piccolo parsnips are both grown by Freshgro, or Fresh Growers Ltd, which is a co-operative formed in June 1998 by 10 farmers.
They pioneered bringing Chantenay carrots back to the UK and now supply 90% of the UK market.
Freshgro have over 20,000 acres of farming land and 2 acres of factory space and they also produce piccolo parsnips, asparagus and other root crops.
Chantenay carrots are grown in Nottinghamshire and (here's a fun fact to share with your kids) are kept warm under straw blankets while still in the ground in the winter!
More carrot recipes for kids
What carrot recipes do your kids love? If you're looking for inspiration try one of these kid friendly carrot recipe ideas.
- These baby rainbow carrots look really pretty chopped up raw and served with hummus as a snack or in a lunch box.
- Wholemeal carrot soda bread rolls
- Healthy carrot muffins
- Mixed vegetable curry
- Carrot cake energy balls
- Carrot hummus
- Carrot cake oat bars
See my favourite carrot recipes and cooking tips
How to make maple balsamic roasted carrots and parsnips
For full recipe, ingredients and quantities go to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- The beauty of baby root vegetables is that they don't really need to be peeled.
- Once you've washed them you just need to put them in a roasting tin. I cut the parsnips in half but the carrots can be cooked whole.
- Because the parsnips are so young they don't need to be cored. I also don't peel them - but you can if you prefer.
- Then it's just a case of mixing together a glaze of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup, drizzling it over your vegetables and sticking in the oven.
If you've made this recipe please a leave a star rating and comment below. Thank you
Please do not reproduce this recipe without permission.
Maple balsamic roasted baby rainbow carrots and parsnips
Ingredients
- 500 g baby rainbow carrots
- 500 g baby parsnips
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- sea salt optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan)/200°C/gas mark 6.
- Wash the carrots and parsnips. Baby carrots and parsnips don’t really need to be peeled but you can if you prefer.
- Cut the parsnips in half and place them in a roasting tin. Add the baby carrots.
- Mix the olive oil, maple syrup and balsamic vinegar together and drizzle over the vegetables.
- Place in the centre of the oven and roast for 60 minutes, stirring after 20 and 40 minutes until soft.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin balsamic roasted carrots and parsnips for later
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Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post with Freshgro. All opinions are honest and my own.
Cat | Curly's Cooking
I love rainbow carrots and keep requesting them in my organic veg box each week! I didn't know you could get baby rainbow carrots though so that's something to look out for. I love the sound of this recipe and know my husband would too!
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks Cat! The baby rainbow carrots are really lovely - you should definitely look out for some.
Lucy Parissi
This is such a great side dish - and a kid pleasing one at that! I love root veggies with cooked this way.
Mandy Mazliah
It's such an easy way to make them delicious!
kellie@foodtoglow
How lucky of you to have a grandfather that was a greengrocer. Perhaps you inherited your love of vegetables from him? This is the perfect side to have throughout autumn and winter, sprucing up anything with which it is accompanied. Delish!
Mandy Mazliah
Yes I probably did. He certainly wouldn't have thought much of my fruit and veg hating eldest!!
Jacqueline Meldrum
I love roast veggies and balsamic works so well with them. I do some with balsamic and some with herbs, the parsnips I always give a sweet coating. Sharing now!
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks so much for sharing - really appreciate that!
Julia Frey
I've roasted these carrots as well and they are always a huge hit as they are so pretty and so delicious! Love the addition of parsnips here!
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks Julia - the parsnips go perfectly with the carrots!
anna
I love roasted root vegetables, so delicious! I was planning to make something similar for Christmas Eve 🙂
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks Anna - that sounds like a great idea for a Christmas eve recipe!