Sautéed Carrots

I’m in love with sautéed carrots! Carrot side dishes aren’t always chic like asparagus or hearty like the potato, and we tend to overlook them when thinking about making dinner. But however boring we may have previously thought carrots are, the short prep time and ease of the recipe deserve some attention.

Sautéed carrots don’t have to just be for weeknight dinners; served up with fresh herbs, sautéed carrots are also a great choice for a holiday vegetable side dish like Easter or Thanksgiving.

Simple Ingredients

• medium-sized regular carrots: peeled and cut to ¼” thick rounds.
• Butter, Fresh dill, season with salt and black pepper

How to make Sauteed Carrots in Cast Iron Skillet

1. Start by slicing 1 pound of baby carrots into 1/4″ rounds. Place the sliced carrots into a large cast iron skillet and pour in 1/3 cup of water.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper to the skillet. Stir well to ensure the carrots are evenly seasoned.
3. Cover the skillet with a lid and set the heat to medium-high. Let the carrots cook in the boiling water for about 7-8 minutes. During this time, check the tenderness of the carrots occasionally to prevent overcooking. Adjust the cooking time as needed.

4. Once the carrots are tender, remove the skillet from the heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, stirring until it melts completely.
5. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh dill over the carrots and stir to cover carrots. If fresh dill isn’t available, use 2-3 teaspoons of dried dill, though the flavor might be slightly less intense. Serve warm!

A few things that might help when planning

• Baby carrots are recommended for their sweetness and tenderness. Avoid using canned carrots, as they are pre-cooked and not suitable for this recipe.
• Keep the skillet covered as much as possible during cooking to retain steam, which helps cook the carrots evenly.

What is stovetop sautéing?

To sauté is to cook over relatively high heat using a small amount of oil or fat. Because carrots take a while to soften, we speed up the cooking process by adding a little water to the mix.

Sautéing veggies has a lot of advantages over other cooking methods. It’s fast and convenient, and unlike roasting or baking, it doesn’t require the oven, meaning you won’t end up in a steaming-hot kitchen.

How to Season Carrots

If you are looking to pair sautéed carrots with a meal with a specific flavor profile, try a variation that will best match your main dish:

• Herbs: this recipe calls for fresh dill, but there are many different herbs that taste amazing with sautéed carrots. Try thyme, rosemary, chives, oregano, basil, or parsley for a slight variation.
• Other additions: Onions, shallots, garlic, ginger, honey or maple syrup, and citrus pair nicely with carrots.
• Asian: Add a bit of orange juice or other citrus and a couple of dashes of soy sauce with fresh or powdered garlic.
• Mediterranean: Use basil and oregano instead of dill and a couple of dashes of lemon juice.
• Indian: In place of dill, use fresh mint and add ½ tsp each of cumin and coriander.
• Mexican: Use fresh cilantro instead of dill and squeeze fresh lime juice over carrots.