Embark on a flavor-packed journey with these 20 easy carrot recipes offering wholesome soups, satiating salads, and delicious desserts.

From savory mains to delectable desserts, these recipes showcase carrots’ versatile and nutritious nature and offer wholesome and easy meal ideas.

Easy carrot recipes

Carrot is a versatile root vegetable that is incredible for bread making, cakes, sides, stews, soups, pasta, and more.

You can eat carrots in many ways: raw, steamed, boiled, mashed, roasted, or as part of a flavor base (soffrito) in numerous main dishes.

Whether you have surplus carrots in your fridge or love cooking with this root vegetable, these delightful and tasty recipes will please you and your family.

1. Roasted carrots

Roasted carrots with a white spoon

Roasted carrots are a buttery tender side dish, perfect for many occasions, from a simple weeknight family dinner to a special holiday meal.

Make them with your favorite toppings (try tahini yogurt sauce and pickled red onions) for a guest-friendly appetizer or vegetable side.

2. Vegan carrot cake

vegan carrot cake cut into squares

Despite having less sugar, less oil, and no eggs, this cake’s taste is incredible and perfectly moist, and the texture is light, just like the carrot cake of your best dreams.

Serve it as is, or top it with our creamy cream cheese frosting. You can make it roundsquare, or rectangular; it will be delicious, whatever shape you choose.

3. Carrot ginger soup

carrot soup in a bowl with hands

Don’t be fooled by the simple ingredients and the prejudice most of us have against humble carrots.

When made correctly, carrot soup is one of the best, tastiest soups you’ll ever have. It’s creamycolorful, and, most importantly, delicious with sweet and aromatic notes.

4. Carrot salad

simple carrot salad

Our raw carrot salad recipe is inspired by a classic French carrot salad (carottes râpées).

We make it with crunchy, raw shredded or grated carrots and a simple mustard vinaigrette.

5. Moroccan carrot salad

Moroccan carrot salad on a white plate

The following carrot recipe on our list is MiddleEasterninspired with a creamy cumin dressing.

Moroccan carrot salad is a delicious and aromatic recipe with tender boiled carrots that pairs incredibly well with couscous, flatbread, or pita bread.

6. Carrot raisin salad

carrot raisin salad with mayo

Shredded carrots, mayonnaise, and raisins are a match made in heaven.

Bring this salad to potlucks and picnics, and serve it as a side dish with a high protein main dish.

7. Butternut squash and carrot soup

butternut squash soup with croutons

With our “bake and blend” technique, you can make this soup with minimal effort and maximum flavor.

Butternut squash soup with carrots is easy to make, and it’s excellent as a cozy startervegetarian main, and for a special holiday meal.

8. Italian carrot cake

Italian carrot cake on a white plate

Also called carrotorange cake, this Italian dessert idea is an easy singlelayer cake with almond flour.

This cake is light, soft, and with a moist crumb. This cake’s light Mediterranean flavor palette makes it excellent for breakfast or as a light, sweet snack with a cup of tea.

9. Carrot tomato salad

Italian tomato salad with onion, celery, and carrot.

Upgrade your tomato salad with a grated carrot for a crunchy and colorful plate. Add chopped onioncelery, carrot, and basil to your sliced tomatoes.

It’s a great appetizer with bruschetta, crostini, or focaccia.

10. Vegetable soup with carrots

Vegetable soup with silver spoon

What’s essential when making a tasty vegetable soup is starting with a flavor base of onioncelery, and carrots gently fried in olive oil.

Add your favorite chopped veggiescanned tomatoes, white beans, and broth, and simmer until the veggies are fork-tender.

11. Carrot ginger dressing

carrot and ginger dressing

This dressing is excellent for salads, roasted veggies, and Asian recipes.

Carrot Ginger Dressing is a simple recipe for a vegan, dairyfree, glutenfree, and egg-free salad dressing made with fresh ingredients in only a few minutes.

12. Sweet potato carrot soup

sweet potato soup with chili oil

Carrots are lovely for adding sweetness and a refined flavor to soups.

Our creamy sweet potato soup is a tasty and convenient onepot recipe you can make in 30 minutes with simple ingredients for a tangy and aromatic meatless meal.

13. Roasted carrots and broccoli

roasted carrots and broccoli in a white bowl

Roasted carrots and broccoli are a simple and delicious side dish you can serve for any occasion, from Thanksgiving and Holiday meals to weeknight dinners.

Those two veggies are delicious together because the sweetness of roasted carrots balances out broccoli’s slight bitterness.

14. Carrot lentil salad

Lentil carrot salad with shaved almonds

In this Moroccan-inspired recipe, lentils and carrots are seasoned with a delicious cumin, lemon, and olive oil dressing.

As a result, they make a tasty vegetarian lunch idea, and they’ll make you fall in love with this simple dish.

15. Roasted potatoes and carrots

Roasted carrots and potatoes after baking in a bowl

Our roasted carrots and potatoes recipe is a simple and effective vegetable side dish.

It allows you to have perfectly roasted carrots and potatoes that are buttery tender, slightly caramelized, packed with flavor, and never dry.

16. Lighter coleslaw

Coleslaw with cabbage and a spoon

This easy coleslaw is a classic side dish that combines crisp cabbageshredded carrot, and creamytangy, and flavorful dressing.

It’s an excellent way of pairing cabbage and carrots, and it’s a brilliant dish for potlucks, BBQs, pizza nights, picnics, or dinner with friends and family.

17. Lentil vegetable soup

Lentil Vegetable Soup with a spoon held by Louise

You can make a big batch of this lentil vegetable soup and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze it for months.

Most ingredients for this lentil recipe are easy to find, and pantry and fridge staples, such as spinach, carrots, dried lentils, and canned tomatoes.

18. Red cabbage slaw

creamy red cabbage slaw

Our red cabbage slaw recipe is made with shredded red cabbage and carrots to add sweetness and a touch of parsley for freshness.

We add a tangy and creamy dressing made with our vegan mayo (any other mayo works) and Greek-style yogurt for a refreshing and lighter slaw.

19. Barley salad

Barley salad on a platter with a side of hummus

This easy barley salad with roasted vegetables is a Mediterranean-inspired dish that is excellent for meal prep, potlucks, and a nourishing meal.

Barley is one of the oldest grains cultivated by humans; it has a satisfying chewy texture and slightly nutty flavor that works wonderfully in salads with most vegetables.

20. Creamy macaroni salad

Macaroni salad with green peas and grated carrots

Macaroni salad is a creamy pasta salad that never disappoints. You can make it with fresh veggies, such as bell peppers, shredded carrots, and a tangy mayo-yogurt dressing.

Serve it as a creamy summer pasta salad with other BBQ dishes, such as BBQ tofu, potato salad, or grilled tofu.

21. Curry lentil soup

curry lentil soup with garlic, turmeric and lime wedges

Our curry lentil soup is an Indian-inspired recipe where lentils are simmered in a rich tomato sauce enriched with spices, carrots, and spinach.

You’ll love this recipe because it’s easy to make in just over 30 minutes in one pot. It’s packed with flavor, plant-based protein, and umami.

Sauces for carrot recipes

Upgrade your carrot side dishes with these bright and delicious sauce ideas:

mashed grilled carrots and cannellini beans
Mashed carrots with chimichurri, salsa verde, and tahini sauce.

For many more side dish ideas, check out our sides category page.

Easy carrot recipes with soups, salads, and side dishes

Easy carrot recipes

By: Nico Pallotta
5 from 2 votes
Carrot ginger soup is one of our easy carrot recipes that combines the natural sweetness of carrots with fresh and zesty ginger into a creamy and comforting soup.
You can make carrot soup in one pot with simple, wholesome ingredients. It’s a nourishing, invigorating recipe, excellent for cold fall, winter, and early spring days.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Appetizer, Main
Cuisine: International

Equipment

  • Immersion blender or standing blender

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 inch ginger grated, or more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • â…› teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 pounds carrots chopped into small pieces
  • 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
  • 2 twists black pepper
  • 3 cups vegetable broth add more if necessary
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup coconut cream optional, swap heavy cream
  • 1 handful fresh parsley or cilantro

Instructions 

  • Heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large pot, add 1 large onion (chopped), 2 cloves garlic (chopped), 1 inch ginger (grated), ¼ teaspoon cumin, â…› teaspoon red pepper flakes and cook gently for 5 to 10 minutes.
    flavor base for carrot soup in a casserole
  • Add 2 pounds carrots (chopped), season with 1 teaspoon salt, 2 twists black pepper, and cook for 5 more minutes.
    sliced carrots with flavor base in a white casserole
  • Add 3 cups vegetable broth, bring to a boil, and simmer until the carrots are fork tender (about 20 – 30 minutes).
    broth and sliced carrots in a casserole
  • Blend, then taste and adjust for salt. Also, add more broth if the soup is too thick.
    Optionally, stir in 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar and ¼ cup coconut cream and simmer until hot.
    carrot soup in a casserole with a hand mixer
  • Serve in a bowl, then garnish with a drizzle of cream and 1 handful fresh parsley.
    Carrot soup with fresh parsley and coconut milk

Notes

Nutrition information is an estimate for one serving of carrot ginger soup out of four servings.
STORAGE & MAKE AHEAD
Make ahead: carrot ginger soup is excellent for meal prep as it keeps well in the refrigerator or in the freezer.
Refrigerator: let it cool down, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer: let it cool down completely, transfer it into a freezer-friendly container, and freeze it for up to 3 months. Don’t thaw and freeze multiple times. It’s best to freeze the soup in single portions in small jars if you know you are going to need single portions later on.
Thaw: defrost the soup in the refrigerator over several hours or overnight. Alternatively, thaw in the microwave.
Reheat: reheat it in the microwave for 30 seconds, then stir and reheat for 1 to 2 minutes. It will splash, so cover the dish. Alternatively, reheat in a small pot on the stovetop. This way, you can adjust consistency easily by adding some water.

Nutrition

Calories: 257kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Potassium: 861mg, Dietary Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 37997IU, Vitamin B6: 0.4mg, Vitamin C: 18mg, Vitamin E: 3mg, Vitamin K: 54µg, Calcium: 99mg, Folate: 56µg, Iron: 1mg, Manganese: 1mg, Magnesium: 40mg, Zinc: 1mg
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Nico and Louise in the kitchen

Hi! We are Nico & Louise

Welcome to The Plant-Based School, a food blog with easy, tasty, and wholesome recipes.

Our aim is to help you and your family eat more veggies through delicious recipes with simple ingredients.

Easy right?

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