Whether it's as a Thanksgiving side dish or for a family dinner, these roasted asparagus and carrots make for a healthy vegetable side that feels a little special! No complicated steps or any need for fancy kitchen equipment, simply roast your veggies in the oven and use pantry staples to give them so much delicious flavor!
Have a peek at my roasted vegetables with honey and my roasted Tenderstem broccoli for another meal!
Roasting veggies is one of the easiest ways to serve up a flavorful side dish that's always a crowd-pleaser! The beauty of roasting veggies is their sweet caramelized flavor, and the option to add fragrant herbs and garlic too. So delicious!
With all simple steps, you can rustle up these roasted asparagus and carrots for your next weekend dinner with all the family or perhaps for a holiday celebration!
Do check out my pesto roasted vegetables, roasted broccoli and Brussels sprouts and my ginger Brussels sprouts for more flavorful veggies sides.
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⭐ Why this recipe is so good
Flavorful vegetable side. Roasting transforms more plain vegetables into something special by bringing out their natural sweetness.
Gets kids to eat their veggies! Now I can't guarantee this(!), but roasting veggies always get the kids in my family to clear their plates!
Simple recipe steps. No need for any fancy kitchen equipment, all you need is a little prep time and a baking sheet.
🥕 Ingredients
All the ingredients and their quantities are set out in the recipe card below.
Some notes to help guide you:
- Carrots - I suggest to choose longer thinner carrots rather than thicker ones so you have less prep and they have the same cook time as the asparagus.
- Asparagus - grab it at the store while it's in season! We use a bunch of asparagus for this recipe, and see below for how to prep it.
- Olive oil - this helps the vegetables get that delicious caramelisation.
- Mixed herbs - to add extra flavor. Choose from Italian herb seasoning, herbes de Provence or make up your own blend!
📖 Swaps and variations
Use dried herbs of your choice. Pick your favorite blend, or a single herb such as thyme.
Leave out the garlic. If it's not for you, simply leave the garlic powder out.
🔪 Step by step instructions
Making these roasted carrots and asparagus is very simple, with all easy steps. Simply grab your veggies, some parchment paper and your baking sheet!
All the instructions are in the recipe card below, but these photos should help guide you.
Step 1: Prep the asparagus
Hold your asparagus stem at each end and bend until it snaps. Keep the end with the flower and discard the tough woody end (image 1).
Step 2: Prep the carrots
Top and tail the carrots, then slice lengthways in half. If your carrots are thicker in size, slice into quarters (image 2).
Step 3: Roast the asparagus and carrots
Place the asparagus and carrots on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle on the herbs and garlic powder.
Toss the vegetables to evenly coat them in the oil and herbs, then spread out in a single layer on your baking sheet with a little space between them (image 3).
Roast for 18-20 minutes (add extra time if your veggies are thicker in size), then season with season with sesame seeds (optional) salt and black pepper to serve.
Note: if your asparagus stems are very thin, they will need less time in the oven. Begin by roasting the carrots, then add the asparagus after 5-7 minutes.
💭 Recipe tips and notes
- Discard the woody end of the asparagus stem. It's quite tough and not too pleasant to eat!
- If your carrots are thicker in size, slice into quarters rather than halves so they cook in the same time as the asparagus.
- Don't overcrowd the vegetables when roasting in the oven. Having them too close together means that they will steam rather than roast. Give them a little space!
- I suggest not to skimp on the olive oil. It is the oil that helps caramelise the vegetables for so much flavor.
📋 Frequently asked questions
Asparagus has a balance of earthy and sweet flavors, with a hint of bitterness.
There's no need to parboil asparagus. It will be delicious roasted in the oven.
It isn't usually necessary to peel carrots before roasting them. Simply give them a good wash, and dice as required. If the carrots are a little wrinkled, then you may like to peel them for freshness.
The olive oil helps the vegetables become caramelised, and so have that delicious sweetness.
The cook time for asparagus and carrots will depend upon their size. In this recipe we slice the carrots lengthways so they are thinner, giving them a similar cook time to thicker asparagus stems. If your asparagus stems are quite thin, they will need less time in the oven, so add them to the baking sheet once the carrots have had 5-7 minutes.
🍽 How to serve roast asparagus and carrots
Roasted veggies go with so many main dishes, and of course are always popular as a Thanksgiving side dish and for other holiday meals!
- Enjoy with chicken and turkey recipes such as my paprika chicken recipe, tarragon chicken recipe and my turkey mince rissoles.
- Serve as a side dish with my nut crusted cod or my pistachio crusted fish recipe.
- Pair with pasta dishes to add some healthy nutrients!
- Serve as a warm side with salads such as my roast beetroot and sweet potato salad and my summer wild rice salad.
🧊 Storage and freezing
Roasted carrots and asparagus are best eaten just out of the oven I think! But if you've got some leftovers they can keep in the fridge in a sealed airtight container for 2-3 days.
To freeze, allow the vegetables to cool, then add to a freezer-safe container or bag. You can freeze roasted vegetables for up to 2 months.
I suggest that my low histamine readers would be better freezing leftovers rather than allowing them to sit in the fridge (see SIGHI for more on food and freshness).
🥣 More healthy side dishes
Whether it's my easy air fryer baby carrots or air fryer lettuce or my guide for how to cook frozen cauliflower rice, you'll find so many tasty sides here, including these recent recipes:
I'm always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes! And I love to hear from you - so please do leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐ and comment if you've tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Roasted Asparagus and Carrots
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 medium carrots
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon mixed herbs
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390F / 200C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Hold the asparagus each end of the stem and bend so that it breaks. Keep the end with the flower and discard the woody end. Top and tail the carrots, then slice lengthways into halves (or quarters if the carrots are thicker).
- Arrange the asparagus and carrots on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle over mixed herbs and garlic powder. Toss to coat the vegetables, then spread out in an even layer with a little space between them (see note in next step). Roast for 18-20 minutes, or longer if you like more browning. Garnish with sesame seeds to serve (optional) and season with salt and black pepper.
- Note: if your asparagus stems are on the thinner side, they will need less cook time than the carrots. Begin roasting the carrots, then add the asparagus stems to the baking sheet after 5-7 minutes.
Notes
- Slice the carrots lengthways into halves if thinner, or quarters if thicker.
- Spread the vegetables on the baking sheet so they are in an even layer with a little space between them so they roast rather than steam.
- Cook time is slightly variable depending on how thick your asparagus and carrots are. Add a few more minutes if thicker in size to ensure they are tender in the centre and have browning on the edges.
- If your asparagus stems are thinner, begin to roast the carrots first, then add the asparagus to the baking sheet after 5-7 minutes.
- Nutritional information is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
- garlic and sesame, which score 1.
- black pepper, which scores 2.
- use low histamine herbs for flavor.
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