If you were asked to name the most memorable food or dish from your childhood, what would it be? For me, it’s carrots and parsnips.
Every holiday meal incorporated roasted carrots and parsnips … and usually some roast potatoes too. Even when it was not a special meal, my mother would always make some version of carrots and parsnips, whether they were roasted or made on top of the stove, they were almost always there. I never got tired of them, so sweet and fulfilling and they go fantastically with almost anything - from roast chicken to turkey, pot roast or lamb especially when you can cover them with gravy!!
While this dish is simple, it is close to my heart, so I just had to share it with you. I updated my mother’s recipe slightly with the addition of fresh mint at the end, which works extremely well with the sweetness of the vegetables.
Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Mint
3-4 servings
1 pound carrots washed (peel if necessary)
1 pound parsnips, peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup.
Slice the carrots and parsnips diagonally into 1-inch slices (they are prettier this way). Place the sliced carrots and parsnips on the baking sheet. Toss the vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper then place them in the oven for about 25-35 minutes. Half way through cooking toss the vegetables around so they roast evenly. The carrots and parsnips should be slightly caramelized and tender. Remove from the oven, toss with the chopped mint then serve.
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Welcome to Inspired Taste! We are a newly married couple who find inspiration from food and cooking. We only post recipes that have been tested in our small kitchen and most importantly, everything we make is always devoured within minutes of taking the photographs. 
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
These two veggies can also make the basis for a delicious soup. The soup has a rich, slightly sweet taste. I enjoy adding pepper to it for alittle extra kick. Like with many root vegetable soups, I’d recommend puree’ing it for the presentation.
Btw, I’m glad to see the December updates come rolling in! Keep them coming!
Wonderful. Loved them. Thanks for the nice clear photos of the prep stages, they were very helpful. Parsnips are basically sweet, too bad more people don’t know use them more often. Here in Michigan, I find only small quantities in the produce stores, none in the supermarkets. Also, they help sweeten and flavor a vegetable soup when you have no meat or chicken bones to help with flavor. Carrot, celery and parsnip make a good soup, with some paprika at the end for color (meaning you don’t need canned broth), but don’t add potatoes, they change the nature of the soup. Thanks again. Ann Marie