This Roasted Carrots and Asparagus recipe is an easy side dish to take you from winter to spring. This easy healthy side dish is made with caramelized carrots and fresh crisp asparagus drizzled with a tangy lemon dressing.
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Looking for a new way to spruce up your favorite spring veggies? This recipe is simple and incredibly flavorful. It is a restaurant-quality side dish that goes with just about anything.
You can serve it with a weeknight meal or pair with our gluten-free corn casserole and modern green ban casserole for the perfect Easter side dish trio!
Side dishes don't get better than that!
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📖Why This Recipe Works
- Simple Ingredients. Just a couple of veggies, a few simple seasonings, and a 5-ingredient sauce that is bright and flavorful.
- Quick to Make. This recipe comes together in 25 minutes with just 5 minutes of prep!
- Properly Cut Veggies. Getting your fresh carrots and fresh asparagus the same size can be challenging so we do just a little bit of chopping to ensure they roast evenly.
This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan as written.
🧾Ingredient Notes
Asparagus - You'll need 1 pound of medium-sized asparagus stalks. Be sure to trim the ends off of each asparagus stalk before cooking.
Carrots - Use whole, regular carrots rather than baby carrots. It's easier to match the size to the asparagus to ensure everything cooks properly. You can use regular orange carrots or rainbow carrots.
Lemon- This recipe uses lemon juice. If you use fresh, you can also add in the lemon zest.
Olive Oil - You'll need just a couple of tablespoons to coat the veggies before cooking.
Seasonings- Fresh garlic, salt, and pepper.
Fresh Parsley or Chives - Pick one or the other to brighten up the veggies. If you want to use other chopped fresh herbs, feel free. You can also try a little green onion if you like.
See the recipe card for exact quantities.
⏲️How to Roast Carrots with Asparagus
Properly prepping the vegetables is the key to success in this recipe!
STEP 1 - Prep the Veggies
Trim the ends off of your asparagus spears. Be sure that you completely remove the stringy, woody ends of the asparagus so you get the right texture. One of the easiest ways to tell where the "good part" of the asparagus starts is by bending the stalk. The woody part, aka the part you want to discard, should snap off easily.
If the stems are thick you can peel them down with a vegetable peeler. However, I find this rarely necessary.
Thoroughly wash the carrots. Peeling the carrots is optional. Trim the greens off and the tip if it is dry. Unless you have found very thin carrots you will need to cut them in half lengthwise. If they are still significantly thicker than your asparagus then cut the carrots in half lengthwise a second time.
STEP 2 - Season and Roast
Arrange the veggies in a single layer on a large-rimmed baking sheet. Optionally, you can line the baking sheet with parchment paper or with aluminum foil to make for easy clean-up.
Drizzle the veggies with a little bit of olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper, then toss the veggies until they're fully coated.
Place the baking sheet with the veggies into a preheated oven and roast at 400ºF for 20-25 minutes. The cooking time will vary slightly depending on the size and thickness of your veggies. Keep a close eye on them towards the end of the cooking time so they don't burn.
To check that the veggies are done, pierce them with a fork. If it easily slides in, they're ready to go.
STEP 3 - Make the Sauce
While the veggies are roasting, mix together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender to make your lemon garlic sauce. Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy, then keep at room temperature and serve with the finished veggies. You can also do this in a food processor or just shake in a sealed jar.
🥗What to Serve with Carrots and Asparagus
This roasted asparagus and carrots recipe is designed to be served with the simple lemon garlic sauce.
If you want to switch things up a little bit, your veggies would also be delicious with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese or another sauce entirely. Try them with ramp pesto, balsamic olive tapenade, herb compound butter or garlic butter sauce, or even homemade honey mustard sauce.
Looking for some main dishes to serve alongside your roasted vegetables? I find the fresh flavors of this dressing pair well with cast iron seared bavette steaks, almond flour chicken piccata, blackened fish, juicy garlic butter steak bites, or any of your favorite dinner recipes.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tip
Want to prep ahead of time? You can make the lemon garlic sauce and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days before serving.
When you're ready to serve, simply bring it to room temperature before serving it with your veggies.
🌡️Storage
While the veggies are best served right away, any leftovers will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, warm in a skillet over medium heat on the stove or in the oven until heated through.
I don't recommend freezing them because the texture won't hold up well when thawed.
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💬Frequently Asked Questions
There's no need to blanch asparagus before roasting. Simply roasting results in perfectly tender asparagus without the extra step. Blanching the asparagus beforehand will likely result in overcooked asparagus.
If your asparagus is soggy, then it's likely overcooked. We're going for crisp-tender, so be sure that you take it out as soon as it can be easily pierced with a fork.
The asparagus may also be soggy if you use too much oil. I use 2 tablespoons for all of the veggies and they come out perfectly! We want them to be lightly coated; not drenched.
Tough carrots are more than likely undercooked carrots. They should be soft enough that you can easily slide a fork through them. To make sure the carrots cook all the way through, slice them into thinner sticks before roasting. Whole carrots will still be crunchy when the asparagus is done.
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📖 Recipe
Roasted Carrots and Asparagus with Lemon Dressing
Equipment
- Parchment Paper optional
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus medium sized stalks
- 1 pound carrots
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley or chives minced
Lemon Garlic Sauce
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (optional).
- Trim the ends of the asparagus. Peel and cut your carrots so that they are similar in length and width to your asparagus. Typically cut the carrots in half or quarters lengthwise.1 pound asparagus, 1 pound carrots
- Arrange the vegetables in a single layer. Pour over the olive oil and toss until lightly coated. Lightly with salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 to 25 minutes, until fork tender.2 tablespoons olive oil, kosher salt and ground black pepper
- Transfer the vegetables to a serving platter. Drizzle over the lemon-garlic sauce and sprinkle with parsley.1 tablespoon fresh parsley or chives
Lemon Garlic Sauce
- While the vegetables are roasting combine all the ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy. About 90 seconds. Keep at room temperature.¼ cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
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