Hapanese Cuisine

It’s easy to see why carrots are such a popular vegetable for all ages. It’s a well-known fact that they’re high in Vitamin A, they have a natural sweetness that appeal to kids (and if you grew up on Looney Tunes reruns like I did, carrots were crucial for a proper Bugs Bunny impersonation 😉). These crunchy gems are also a versatile part of a variety of recipes, from being part of an aromatic base for soups to playing the key role in carrot cake.

One quick and easy way to utilize carrots for dinner is to roast them in the oven, and adding a miso glaze puts a sweet and savory spin on this dish! For this recipe, I like using baby-cut carrots because they have already been washed and peeled (saving a ton of time), and since they are uniform in size, you don’t have to worry about them cooking unevenly. As one kind reader pointed out, if you’re using baby carrots (carrots that have been harvested before reaching full maturity), you still have to wash and peel them just like you would a regular-sized carrot.

This is a great side dish for a busy weeknight dinner!

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Miso-Glazed Baby-Cut Carrots

2 TBSP yellow miso paste

2 TBSP soy sauce

1 TBSP rice vinegar

1 TBSP honey

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 lb baby-cut carrots

1 TBSP oil

Preheat the oven to 425F, and line a baking sheet with either foil or a silicone mat. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the miso paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper until the miso is dissolved. (Some small chunks of the miso might not dissolve, but that is fine.) Set the mixture aside.

Toss the carrots in the oil, and arrange them in a flat single layer on the prepared pan. Roast for 10-12 minutes, then remove pan from the oven. Pour the glaze over the carrots, and use a spatula to stir them in the pan until evenly coated. Return the pan to the oven for another 10-12 minutes, until the glaze is caramelized and the carrots are fork-tender. Remove the pan from the oven, and serve immediately.

Serves about 4.