Oven-Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Orange Glaze, the AIP Way

A pan of rainbow carrots is a small, bright thing to put on the table. Purple, yellow, red, and orange, halved and glazed and roasted until their edges go sweet, this side looks like something worth celebrating even on an ordinary Tuesday.

Carrots are one of the richest sources of beta-carotene, which the body converts toward vitamin A, involved in immune function and the health of the tissue lining the gut. The orange and lemon add a little vitamin C to the glaze. This is nourishment, not a remedy, and it works best as one steady dish among many over a long stretch of careful eating.

There is something worth slowing down for in a vegetable that comes in this many colors. The orange carrot most of us know is a fairly recent cultivar, and the older purples and reds carry a longer history on the plate. Roast them with attention, finish with fresh chives, and serve them warm. Beauty and gratitude belong at the table.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 bunches rainbow carrots (about 16 carrots, roughly 2 lbs)
• juice of 1 large orange
• juice of 1 large lemon
• 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• chives, for garnish

Swaps made: none beyond the source's own AIP adaptation. The source already uses coconut oil rather than ghee, so no fat swap was needed.

Method

• Heat the oven to 400 F and grease a baking pan with the coconut oil.
• Trim the carrot tops to about an inch and halve each carrot lengthwise.
• Whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Pour it over the carrots and turn them by hand until every piece is coated.
• Roast for about 30 minutes, turning the carrots a couple of times so they glaze evenly. Finish with chopped chives.

Air fryer variation

Toss the halved carrots with the glaze, then air fry at 380 F, shaking the basket once or twice, until tender and caramelized at the edges, roughly 14 to 18 minutes depending on thickness. Air fryer time is untested for this recipe and is an estimate, so check early and adjust.

*Adapted from a-squirrel-in-the-kitchen*