These roasted rainbow carrots are as delicious as they look! The perfect recipe when beautiful bunches of fresh carrots are available from the garden or farmers’ markets. Of course, you can also make them with any orange carrots or even peeled little carrots without tops. Let the feta and greens make them divine.
Roasted rainbow carrots with balsamic vinegar, chili lime finishing salt, Chaeban feta and cilantro.Also Read:Quick & Easy Feta Flatbread Appetizers, Beet Salad with Feta and Roasted Carrots with Hot Pepper Jelly
The first time I made this recipe was when I pulled these carrots from my garden. I needed to thin out the carrots and this is what I got! I was thrilled to have these tender, colourful carrots and wanted a recipe that would make them the star of the show, not just some regular, everyday side dish.
This recipe is perfect for a bouquet of fresh carrots.
Half an hour later and I was munching on this delicious platter of roasted carrots with balsamic vinegar and Chaeban feta. Since then, I’ve served it on several occasions, each time to rave reviews. I know you’ll get rave reviews too!
This was my first version using the first carrots of the summer. It was going to be part of dinner, but I ate the whole platter full myself!
My Love Affair with Feta
I confess, I didn’t always enjoyed feta as much as I do now that I’ve discovered Chaeban Artisan feta. I find typical grocery store feta too tangy and overpowering. For the longest time, I only used feta for recipes that absolutely need it, like spanakopita and Greek salad. That was true until about a year ago when Joseph Chaeban, the Master Cheesemaker at Chaeban Artisan, asked me to try some of his new feta. I was blown away – it was everything I could have asked for. Chaeban feta has just the right balance of salty and tangy flavour, not overpowering at all.
These roasted carrots are begging for some Chaeban feta!
Today, I use Chaeban’s soft creamy feta or firm feta A LOT! Yes, this is a paid partnership, but I wouldn’t promote a product that I don’t love and use regularly. For this recipe I used the Firm Feta because it’s slightly easier to crumble, but you can definitely use the Soft Feta too. Use whichever one you have in the fridge!
I’m not the only one who’s fallen in love with Chaeban Feta. From the comments I get, lots of you have too! If you haven’t tried it yet, I have good news – soon Chaeban cheese will be available in grocery stores throughout Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Whoo Hoo!! Keep your eye on the the Retailers section of Chaeban Artisan website to discover where you can get Chaeban cheese.
Chaeban’s feta, both the firm and creamy soft, is the Goldilocks of feta cheese – not too tangy, not too salty – JUST RIGHT!Pro Tip: For longest shelf life, best flavour and consistent texture, always buy feta in brine. Feta in brine will last about 4 weeks once opened while dry feta without brine will only last 5-6 days.
Summertime, when rainbow carrots can easily be found is a perfect time to make these beautiful roasted carrots. Fancy enough to serve at a posh dinner, easy enough to make any day! Can't find rainbow carrots, no problem use whatever carrots you've got. Be sure to use the best quality balsamic vinegar and feta you can buy.
Prep : 10 minutesmins
Cook : 25 minutesmins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
2bunchesrainbow carrots (total of 10-12 carrots(2lb))*
Wash and scrub carrots. If using carrots with greens, leave about 1/2 inch of greens on carrots. Trim off skinny root end. Cut any thick carrots in half lengthwise to make all carrots roughly even in thickness.
Coat carrots with 1-2 Tbsp of canola oil all over and arrange in single layer in large baking dish or on a sheet pan.
Drizzle with good quality balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with chili lime finishing salt or salt and hot pepper flakes.
Bake for 15-20 minutes depending on how thick your carrots are.
Remove from oven. If there's any vinegar left on the pan, roll the carrots in it to soak it all up before transferring to serving dish.
Arrange nicely on serving dish or platter and add feta and cilantro or parsley.
If desired drizzle with a little more balsamic vinegar.
Notes
Bunches of fresh carrots with the tops are usually sold in 1lb bundles, about 5-6 carrots. Bagged carrots without the tops are usually sold in 2lb bundles, about 10-12 carrots.
Feta brine is salted water that is used to hold finished feta so that it keeps its peak texture, taste and shelf life. It prevents the feta from drying out and keeps the flavour locked in.
If you ever spill or don’t have enough brine to completely cover your feta, you can make your own brine. Simply dissolve 1 tsp kosher salt in 1 cup water. Make as much as you need to cover your feta in a sealed container and keep in the fridge. If you wish, you can use less salt, but the feta won’t last as long.
Over time, especially once you begin to use feta, you’ll notice that the brine becomes a little cloudy with bits of white and become more acidic. That’s normal, it’s just soaking up the flavour and creaminess of the feta. This may get more pronounced as you use your feta and little bits break off. That’s the way it should look.
How to Tell if Feta Has Gone Bad
If your brine looks thick or slimy, smells sour or off and has an odd colour, it’s gone bad. It’s best to toss the brine and feta at this point. Another indicator is if the feta itself has a funny taste, colour, odor or any spots of mold. Feta is considered a soft cheese, so if there’s mold, toss it all out – unlike hard cheese, you can’t just cut around it since the mold grows long unseen tendrils/roots that spread quickly in soft cheese.
Feta brine is simply salt water that keeps your feta’s flavour and texture at its peak. As you use your feta, it will naturally look a little cloudy with white bits. You can use this brine in recipes.
How to Use Feta Brine
That brine may look a little cloudy with tiny bits of feta, but it has built in flavour and is ready for you to use. Here are some ideas to try:
Use it as a… brine! Brining or marinating whole chickens or other meats in salty liquid is all the rage – hello feta brine! You can also marinade chicken pieces, kabobs, vegetables or whatever!
Cook whole grains, pasta, rice or beans with it by replacing some of the water with brine. Start with replacing 1/4 of the amount of water you use and don’t forget to reduce the amount of salt you add.
Replace some of the water in bread recipes. Again, start with a small amount and gradually increase if you like the results.
Add to salad dressings and skip the salt.
A little hesitant to try? That’s okay, it can seem strange to use something you’ve been pouring down the drain for years. Try just a tablespoon here or there to start getting used to the idea. Then let me know what you think. In the meantime, just enjoy the feta in recipes like this!
Beautiful roasted carrots and Chaeban feta – a match made in heaven!
I love the morning cooking tip because Summer can get hot and no one wants more heat in the house. I did this recently but by the time dinner came I noticed my carrots had shriveled up quite a bit. I wonder what I could have done to preserve them better. I roasted the carrots about 4 hours ahead and put them in a non stick skillet on top of the stove to quickly reheat for dinner. I served them with feta and a tahini sauce and they were still delicious…even if they looked a bit funny.
Your roasted carrots with tahini and feta sound so delicious! 😋
Next time, to reduce shrivelling (some is bound to happen), let them cool before storing, add a light drizzle of oil, and cover loosely.
To reheat, try adding a splash of water and steaming them in the microwave or in a covered skillet — it won’t fully rehydrate them, but it’ll perk them up.
Serve on a fresh platter with a new drizzle of dressing, some herbs, crumbled feta, and toasted seeds or nuts — they’ll look and taste amazing!
hi Getty , my name is Pam Airs from Melbourne Australia .I came across your page today , I was so impressed I had to sign up right away ! my sort of recipes ,simple ,tasty and easy ,I am not in love with being in the kitchen all day .I will look forward to more from you .Thanks so much Getty .PAM
I love the morning cooking tip because Summer can get hot and no one wants more heat in the house. I did this recently but by the time dinner came I noticed my carrots had shriveled up quite a bit. I wonder what I could have done to preserve them better. I roasted the carrots about 4 hours ahead and put them in a non stick skillet on top of the stove to quickly reheat for dinner. I served them with feta and a tahini sauce and they were still delicious…even if they looked a bit funny.
Your roasted carrots with tahini and feta sound so delicious! 😋
Next time, to reduce shrivelling (some is bound to happen), let them cool before storing, add a light drizzle of oil, and cover loosely.
To reheat, try adding a splash of water and steaming them in the microwave or in a covered skillet — it won’t fully rehydrate them, but it’ll perk them up.
Serve on a fresh platter with a new drizzle of dressing, some herbs, crumbled feta, and toasted seeds or nuts — they’ll look and taste amazing!
Thank you Getty, I knew you could help me with some smart advice. All the best! Heide
hi Getty , my name is Pam Airs from Melbourne Australia .I came across your page today , I was so impressed I had to sign up right away ! my sort of recipes ,simple ,tasty and easy ,I am not in love with being in the kitchen all day .I will look forward to more from you .Thanks so much Getty .PAM
Hi Pam! I’m so glad you found me, it sounds like we have similar tastes – easy seasonal tasty recipes! Wishing you all the best from Canada. Getty