5 Genius Ways to Cook This Year-Round Superfood

Garlic-roasted carrots

“Until recently, the only way I ever really ate carrots was raw and dipped in hummus — until I discovered this garlic-roasted carrots recipe on Damn Delicious.

Roasting veggies is the easiest, most delicious way to prepare the fresh produce we pick up at our weekly farmers market, and this balsamic-garlic marinade only enhances the earthy flavor you get from softening carrots under high heat.

It’s the perfect side dish for pork chops and really elevates the humble carrot from crudité status.” — Cristina Velocci, director, editorial operations

Carrot and black bean tacos with pico de gallo

“I was never a huge carrot fan, but this recipe converted me! I was planning on making black bean burgers, but forgot half the ingredients. However, I had tacos and pico, so I was like — let’s do this! Taco time. So glad I discovered this; now it’s one of my favorites. Try my recipe, below, or find a similar one here.” — Yvonna Groom, social media manager

Taco filling recipe

Ingredients:

1 large carrot
1 (15.25 ounce) can black beans
2 limes
3 – 4 garlic cloves
Taco seasoning (as desired)
Himalayan sea salt 
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup frozen corn 
Soft or hard taco shells (as many as desired)
Pico de gallo (recipe follows)
Lettuce or greens (as much as desired)

Directions: 1. Wash the carrots. There’s no need to peel them. Food process the carrot or grate them if you don’t have a processor. 2. Rinse the black beans, then add them to the food processor (or bowl) with the carrot. 3. Add the juice of two limes, garlic, pepper, taco seasoning and a dash of Himalayan sea salt. 4. Add the carrot-bean mixture to the stove with 2 tablespoons of water. You’ll want to keep adding a dash of water here and there as the mixture cooks. 5. Add the tomato paste. 6. Add the frozen corn. 7. Cook on med heat for 6 to 10 minutes and make sure to add water to keep it from burning (small amounts people, small amounts!). 8. Chop up as much lettuce as you think you’ll use. 9. Place carrot bean mixture in your taco shells, then add lettuce and pico. Note: If you don’t have a food processor, put the carrots, black beans, lime juice, garlic, pepper, taco seasoning and sea salt into a bowl, mix together and start mashing the beans with a potato masher. The add the tomato paste and corn when you cook. 

Pico de gallo recipe

Ingredients:

4 vine-ripened tomatoes or 10 –15 cherry tomatoes or 4 Campari tomatoes (just chop up a nice bowl’s worth of tomatoes)
Handful of cilantro, rinsed and finely chopped
2 – 3 limes
1/2 – 1 red onion (depends on how much of everything else you have and if you like a lot of onion)
1 tablespoon black pepper
Himalayan sea salt
Dash of hot sauce or hot pepper sauce

Directions:1. Mix all the ingredients, taste, adjust and mix again.

Vichy carrots

“Vichy carrots is a French form of preparing carrots that’s simple and delicious.

“This recipe, my favorite, is adapted from a French restaurant in New York called Buvette, and here’s another good one to try.” — Susan Kaplow, chief content officer

Pickled carrots

“I will eat just about anything that’s pickled — pigs feet definitely excluded — but you’d be hard-pressed to find a pickled veggie that I don’t love. My favorite is pickled carrots!

They’re great for summer because they’re so crisp and refreshing, and the balance between the sweet carrots and salty vinegar brine is just so delicious. Plus, you can make a big batch and it will last all week! Try this Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon recipe from Closet Cooking.” — Kenzie Mastroe, community editor

Garlic butter-roasted carrots

“I made these garlic butter-roasted carrots on Christmas, and they were so easy and good! They almost tasted like sweet potatoes — now I make them any time of year.” — Sarah Lazzari, branded content editor