Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Cilantro Salsa

Fresh cilantro salsa pairs perfectly with sweet roasted parsnips & carrots – . ~ by Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD

During the height of cookie season and general sugar overload, I wanted to share with you a veggie recipe that is also worthy of a holiday dinner table.

Enter roasted carrots & parsnips.

This dish came from my dietitian pal, Sanna Delmonico, who currently is an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America in California. I’ve been lucky enough to have visited Napa and Sonoma wine country many times over the years – wining and dining at incredible vineyards and restaurants but one of my most memorable and favorite meals was when Sanna had me over for dinner with her family in her Napa home. She cooked a whole chicken on her grill butterfly style (in her backyard garden that boasts a fig tree), made the most delicious Gnocchi alla Romana and served up a beautiful dish of roasted carrots with a cilantro sauce.

Now this meal was years ago, before the fresh, whole foods movement took storm across the country but was already a way of life in Napa (which let’s face it, is a food nirvana because they can grow and raise such an amazing variety of foods, literally in their back yards!)

Since I’m now getting parsnips in my CSA share, I figured I’d add them, too. When it comes to parsnips, you can cook them like you would any root veggie. They look similar to a carrot and are sweeter than most winter root vegetables. I also love these Roasted Rosemary Parsnips (baked in a mixture olive oil, butter and apple cider – SO GOOD!)

But this recipe is really no fuss – you just need to peel and chop and then you let the oven do the work.

Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Cilantro Salsa

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• Author: by Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD
• Yield: 12 servings 1x

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Description

A healthy and delicious winter veggie side dish worthy of your holiday table. Roasted carrots and parsnips are topped with a cilantro shallot sauce.

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Ingredients

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For the parsnips & carrots:

• 2 pounds parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick sticks
• 1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick sticks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the salsa:

• 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, toss parsnips and carrots with 2 tablespoons olive oil, pepper and salt. Spread out on a baking sheet evenly. Roast for about 30-35 minutes (or until tender) turning them over a few times during cooking.
2. Right before serving, in a small bowl, mix together cilantro, red onion, garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar and red pepper flakes. Drizzle over vegetables.

And thanks Sanna, for the inspiration all those years ago! (And I have to give food styling credit to my sister-in-law, Kathy, who lent me her gorgeous ceramic baking dish for these photos.)

Do you have a favorite holiday vegetable dish? Have you ever cooked parsnips? Ever been to Napa or Sonoma? Tell us – we love hearing from you!