Orange-Braised Carrots and Parsnips

My parents are big believers in eating lots of vegetables, and they passed it on to me. If I don't eat a vegetable with a meal, it just doesn't feel complete. We ALWAYS have some sort of vegetable side dish to accompany every meal. In most cases, we eat our veggies in their raw state - my absolute favorite being a fresh tomato salad with fresh herbs and sour cream. However, even in Florida we have those cold, bleak days when comfort food is a must.

I stumbled upon this recipe on one of my visits to the bookstore, leafing through one of Ina Garten's cookbooks, Foolproof. Right away, I was intrigued and had to try it for myself. The carrots and parsnips are braised in fresh orange juice and a bit of chicken broth, with some aromatic shallots and thyme to give it more flavor. I love the simplicity of this dish. You toss all the ingredients together in a pot and let them cook in the oven.

This colorful dish is certainly comforting but also has so many cheerful notes of freshness. The citrusy flavors and fresh herbs sprinkled in at the end really give it a zing. 

Ingredients:

1 lb carrots
1 lb parsnips
1-2 shallots, sliced
3-5 thyme sprigs
1 ½- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
½ cup orange juice, divided plus zest
¼-1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth
salt, pepper
½ - 1 Tablespoon butter, softened
1-2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Peel the carrots and the parsnips. Cut each into approximately 2 inch long pieces, ½-3/4 inch thick.

You can also use turnips or celery root in this recipe. If you're not a fan of parsnips or the other delicious root vegetables that I mentioned, you can omit them and just use 2 lbs of carrots instead. 

Place the carrots, parsnips, thyme, orange zest, ¼ cup orange juice, chicken broth, salt, pepper, olive oil and shallot in a Dutch oven or a heavy bottomed pot. Bring it to a boil on the stove top. Cover and place in the preheated oven. Braise the vegetables in the oven for 30-45 minutes, just until the carrots and parsnips are tender. Stovetop Option:

You can also make this dish completely on the stovetop. If I use the stovetop method, I like to sauté the shallots in a bit of oil first before adding the rest of the ingredients to the dutch oven or skillet. You can also add some minced garlic, if you'd like. Bring the chicken broth to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

When the vegetables are tender, using either the oven or stovetop method, finish the dish by adding another ¼ cup of freshly squeezed orange juice, lemon juice, butter and fresh parsley to the vegetables right before serving. Discard the thyme sprigs. Mix gently, seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.

This recipe reheats really well too, so you can make it the day before you plan on serving it and then simply reheat on medium low heat on the stove.

Orange-Braised Carrots and Parsnips

Olga Klyuchits

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Sides

Servings 4 -6

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb carrots
• 1 lb parsnips
• 1-2 shallots sliced
• 3-5 thyme sprigs
• 1 ½- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup orange juice divided plus zest
• ¼-1/3 cup chicken broth
• salt pepper
• ½ - 1 Tablespoon butter softened
• 1-2 Tablespoons fresh parsley minced
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Peel the carrots and the parsnips. Cut each into approximately 2 inch long pieces, ½-3/4 inch thick.
• Place the carrots, parsnips, shallots, thyme, olive oil, orange zest, ¼ cup orange juice, chicken broth in a Dutch oven or a heavy bottomed pot. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bring it to a boil on the stove top.
• Cover and place in the preheated oven. Braise the vegetables in the oven for 30-45 minutes, just until the carrots and parsnips are tender.
• Discard the thyme sprigs.
• Add another ¼ cup of freshly squeezed orange juice, lemon juice and fresh parsley to the vegetables right before serving. Mix gently, seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
• This recipe reheats really well too, so you can make it the day before you plan on serving it and then simply reheat on medium low heat on the stove.

Notes

You can also use turnips or celery root in this recipe. If you're not a fan of parsnips or the other delicious root vegetables that I mentioned, you can omit them and just use 2 lbs of carrots instead.

You can also make this dish completely on the stovetop. If I use the stovetop method, I like to sauté the shallots in a bit of oil first before adding the rest of the ingredients to the dutch oven or skillet. You can also add some minced garlic, if you'd like. Bring the chicken broth to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Continue with the rest of the recipe instructions.