Caramelized Garlic Carrots with Spicy Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
Flavorful caramelized garlic carrots with a creamy, spicy cilantro yogurt sauce. Fresh cut carrots are cooked in butter, sliced garlic cloves, and a touch of sweetener then drizzled with a lovely green dressing and garnished with lots of fresh herbs. An amazing vegetarian side dish that feels fancy and might be your new fav way to eat carrots!
Servings 6 servings
Calories 116cal
Ingredients
- For the carrots:
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 pound carrots, cut diagonally into ½ inch slices
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- Spicy Jalapeno Cilantro Dressing:
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro (a big handful)
- ¼ cup plain greek yogurt
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar (or sub coconut sugar)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 small jalapeno (do not seed if you want it spicy)*
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Optional: 1-2 teaspoons water, to thin sauce if necessary
- To garnish:
- Fresh torn basil, cilantro and mint
- Chopped honey roasted peanuts or cashews (about 2-3 tablespoons)
- Red chile flakes
Instructions
- Make the dressing: add ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend/process until well combined. Dressing should be able to be drizzled but not too thick. If necessary add a teaspoon or two of water to thin the dressing. Set aside in the fridge until you are done and ready to put over the salad.
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a large skillet and place over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add in the carrots and salt; stirring well to coat the carrots.
- Cover the skillet and cook for 10-15 minutes, removing the cover and stirring occasionally to prevent carrots from burning. After 10-15 minutes, remove the cover, add in the garlic and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally for 10 more minutes or until carrots are fork tender.
- Once carrots are tender, add in maple syrup or honey and cook for a few more minutes. Transfer carrots to a platter or pretty large shallow bowl and drizzle with a few tablespoons of dressing. Add torn basil, mint and cilantro on top and garnish with honey roasted peanuts or cashews and if you’d like, some red chili flakes. Serve warm, but honestly I also LOVE this salad cold and mixed with arugula and quinoa for leftovers.
Notes
To make vegan: use maple syrup instead of honey for the carrots, and a dairy free yogurt for the dressing or swap for my Jalapeño Green Tahini Sauce.
Optional: if you want to make this salad go a bit further, I suggest adding 3-4 cups of arugula onto the platter before you top with the warm carrots, then finish with the dressing and garnishes.
Please note you might have extra dressing, but it will stay good in the fridge for up to 1 week. Feel free to use it as a dip, sauce for roasted veggies or even as a yummy chicken or shrimp marinade. It also makes a fabulous salad dressing, too!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (based on 6) | Calories: 116cal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2.4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3.1g | Fiber: 2.2g | Sugar: 7.6g