Salt-Roasted Beets and Carrots

By Amanda Paa – Updated December 3, 2021
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After having a brown Christmas (quite unusual for Minnesota), we received a blast of bright white snow that’s now snuggled on the branches of big pines and house canopies, much like these Salt-Roasted Beets and Carrots. And to tell you the truth, they look mighty cozy, don’t they? Kind of how I feel on a cold day covered in blankets with a good book and a cup of joe.

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And here we are, at the end of another year! Filled with both joy and sadness, trials and tribulations and so much to be grateful for.

Salt-Roasted Beets and Carrots | heartbeet kitchen

Sometimes I get overwhelmed with all the talk about about diets to start the new year, everything classified as good or bad, with no in-between. Instead I like to focus on it being a clean slate, so fresh and ready to painted with more rich experiences. With new people that will come into our lives and change it for the better, and new opportunities we may have never dreamed of.

Salt & Herb Roasted Vegetables | heartbeet kitchen

You won’t find me talking about a detox or cleanse like you’ll see in every magazine or plastered all over Pinterest. I’ll be eating and writing as I always do, striving for healthy balance. That is nourishing myself with real food, mostly plant-based and baking sweet treats in moderation.

Even throughout the holidays, when the buzz is all about warding off extra calories at parties and gatherings, I try and honor my body’s want for a little indulgence and the need for rest, a way of mindful living. I try and shut out the negative noise, and look forward to the time with others, the reasons for gathering, and the food, all of which nourish the body and soul.

Salt Roasted Beets & Carrots on a bed of Lentil Quinoa Pilaf

And that’s one of the things I’m going to try and do more throughout the entire year – to be in the present. And be glad. Sometimes I get caught up thinking about the things I need to do in the next few days and all of a sudden I’ve missed part of a conversation. Or I’m trying to multi-task as I eat, send an email, check my voicemail, etc.

Things like taking the time to enjoy your meals without distraction can be so satisfying. I’ve started putting away the computer and phone, just focusing on eating as an experience. It allowed me to really taste the nuances of the herbs and the sweetness in these beautiful salt-roasted beets and carrots, a technique I’ve been wanting to try since Laurie posted about it.

Salt-Roasted Beets & Carrots over a Lentil Quinoa Pilaf

Yes, it’s a lot of salt, but don’t let that turn you away. They don’t taste too briny, in fact they’re perfectly seasoned from the outside in without any work.

The sugars caramelize inside their skins as they roast, and they cook evenly, becoming soft enough to pierce with a fork and moist. Interestingly they don’t leach any color like when you roast them in aluminum foil; the snowy salt stays perfectly white.

Some recipes suggest mixing the salt with egg whites to make the crust, but I was out of eggs so I did a dry-roast as Leite’s Culinaria suggests, barely adapting the recipe. As you can see, the salt creates a thick layer around the vegetables and eventually starts to crack. It feels like the end of science project when you break open that outer shell, a nerdy food-lovers heaven.

More than ever, thank you all for being here, for reading, for listening and enriching my life. Cheers to another great year for all of us, xo.

(p.s. – These pictures were taken with my iphone and at the time I didn’t plan on posting about it, but after tasting the vegetables I just had to share! Hope you don’t mind.)

Recipe barely adapted from Leite’s Culinaria

Salt-Roasted Beets and Carrots

Vegetables become super flavorful and tender when roasted on a bed of salt.
No ratings yet
Prep Time :5 minutes
Cook Time :40 minutes
Total Time :45 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Author: Amanda Paa

SCALE:

Ingredients

  • 1 pound kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons mixed whole peppercorns
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 springs fresh rosemary
  • 3/4 pound carrots cleaned and trimmed
  • 4-5 beets cleaned and trimmed

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large shallow pan, add half the kosher salt, peppercorns, rosemary, and thyme, mixing them thoroughly. Nestle the carrots and beets in the salt mixture, then cover with remaining salt. It's okay if they mostly covered, but completely.
  • Bake until the veggies are tender throughout, 35-40 minutes, depending on the size of the vegetables.
  • Remove the pan from the oven and let cool slightly. Take out the beets and carrots, then peel the skin off, using a knife to get a start.
  • You can run them under water and use your fingers to rub the skins off if you are having trouble. They are amazing when they're hot, and they make great leftover salads when served at room temperature.

Notes

This is more of a loose recipe, depending on the size of pan and amount of vegetables you use. Beets and carrots work well because they have an outer skin that works very well for the outside-in seasoning technique. I used a shallow 9 x 13 pan and about 3/4 pound carrots and 4 beets, both red and golden. We ate them straight out of the oven as we peeled away their hot skins, but they were so delicious served upon a bed of brown lentils & quinoa (here's a recipe for a similar pilaf), with some mashed avocado as shown in the pictures above.

Salt-Roasted Beets and Carrots | heartbeet kitchen

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December 29, 2014

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23 comments

  1. kristie {birch and wild}

    Ohhh, I have never made vegetables cooked in salt, but it sounds incredible! I love this :)

  2. PolaM

    Have to try baking beets this way! they look delicious!

    • Amanda Paa

      Do it! They are quite delicious. Thanks so much for stopping by.

  3. Julia | Orchard Street Kitchen

    I love this idea, Amanda! I’ve seen salt-roasted salmon before, but not vegetables. This has an old world feel to it that makes it quite special! Also, I totally agree with your thoughts on new year’s diets and cleanses. Finding balance every day is really the best philosophy to follow. I hope your 2015 is off to a lovely start!

    • Amanda Paa

      oh, salmon – nice! that would be fun to try. it felt almost like excavating when i dug the vegetables out of the salt :)

  4. Kim

    Now I know what to do with those beets in my refrigerator. Do you save the salt afterward and reuse?

    • Amanda Paa

      Hi Kim! I saved about a coup of the salt and put it in a mason jar for later use. I just didn’t think I’d go through enough of it fast enough to warrant saving more. Hope you enjoy!

  5. Laurie

    I too have done that mental to-do list, missed out on conversations and had to fake it to catch up:/ Enjoyed the post and think your iPhone took nice photos- especially the salad. Mmm…

    • Amanda Paa

      :) all inspired by you my friend! so glad i finally did this. i want to do it with potatoes too. would be so awesome for entertaining. happy new year!

  6. Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough

    I love this recipe just as much as I love your intentions for the new year. YES. Let’s make this the year of being present (and eating all the yummy salt-roasted veggies, too ;)).

    • Amanda Paa

      happy new year stephanie! thanks for connecting this year, i’m so glad we got to meet IRL. and cheers to your awesome success…

  7. Sarah @ SnixyKitchen

    You took these with your iPhone!? Girl, you amaze me. I was sitting over here in awe of how you captured the wintry beauty of a simple delicious dish! These vegetables look like the perfect accompaniment to the winter snow. I like the words you’ve given to 2015 – ” to be in the present” – words I will also try to embody as I try to find balance in the new year. Wishing you a wonderful NY!

    • Amanda Paa

      Sarah! I’m so glad that 2014 brought us together. And in 2015 we meet IRL… yes! I promise I won’t bring any snow with me to San Fran. Oh, and thanks for not thinking it was horrible to post iphone photos :) xo

  8. Amy @FragrantVanillaCake

    I have never heard of salt roasting veggies, but it sounds wonderful and I bet they are delicious! Wise words on the coming of the new year and I could not agree more :).

  9. Sofia // From the Land we Live on

    Oh wow! I’ve had salt crusted fish before but have never thought about doing the same to veggies. Beautiful pics + love the idea. Thanks for sharing!

  10. Christie - Food Done Light

    These look so delicious and I love the cooking method. I can’t wait to try it.

    • Amanda Paa

      Thank you Christie! So much flavor. And thank you bunches for sharing my Egg Bake recipe from your Facebook page yesterday! xo

  11. Lynn @ Order in the Kitchen

    I have never heard of this technique and I am so intrigued!!! I would have been so nervous to try this before reading this post but now I’m thinking I’ll go for it :)

    • Amanda Paa

      Hi Lynn! This was my first time too, and it really is quite easy. Like dumping a bunch of snow on vegetables :) Then the oven does all the work.

  12. Millie | Add A Little

    I’ve always wanted to try out salt roasting – it looks amazing on fish and potatoes too!! I totally agree with what you were saying too – I like to live healthily and happily, rather than just going on a fad diet for the sake of the new year!

    • Amanda Paa

      thanks for stopping by Millie! i’ve seen fish done like this, but never tried that either – maybe that’s next :) happy new year!

  13. Amanda

    Amanda, these are SO beautiful. I love the idea behind this and can’t wait to try it for myself!!!

    • Amanda Paa

      Thanks for stopping by Amanda! They’re so flavorful, and the texture is one that turn around those who think they don’t like vegetables. they don’t get mushy or soggy, but are nice and soft. xo