These delicious honey roasted carrots and parsnips are tossed in a very simple 4-ingredient glaze with honey, mustard, butter and herbs. They're very easy to prepare, perfect for a special occasion such as Christmas, Easter, or a family roast dinner. You can even get ahead by preparing them the day before.
3teaspoonsfresh thyme(Pull small leaves off tough stalks by running fingers down the stem.) Or use 1 teaspoon dried thyme. Or other herbs (see notes below).
½teaspoonsaltOr to taste.
¼teaspoonpepperOr to taste.
For the honey glaze
2tablespoonshoneyOr maple syrup.
1teaspoonmustardAny kind (Dijon and wholegrain work well).
1tablespoonbutter
1tablespoonvinegarAny kind (cider vinegar works well). Substitute with lemon juice if you don't have vinegar.
Peel and wash the carrots and parsnips. Carefully slice into quarters or halves lengthwise (quarters for large, halves for medium or small). Cut any very long ones in half width wise if necessary to fit into a large saucepan.
½ kilo carrots, ½ kilo parsnips
Cook the vegetables in boiling water in a large saucepan for 5 minutes (parboil). Drain in a large colander and allow to steam dry for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C/355F/gas mark 4 (for a fan oven, otherwise 200C or gas mark 6).
Empty the parboiled vegetables into a large roasting dish or onto a large baking tray. Toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper and thyme (if using different herbs, see note below).
Roast the carrots and parsnips for 50 minutes. While they're roasting, put all of the honey glaze ingredients into a small bowl. Microwave for around 20 seconds to melt the butter and honey. Alternatively heat briefly in a small saucepan. Mix well.
Take the vegetables out of the oven. Pour in the glaze, then toss the vegetables well so that all are well coated. Roast for another 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender in the middle and lightly caramelized/crisp around the edges.
Serve immediately, or cover with aluminium foil and keep warm until ready to serve.
Notes
Carrots and parsnips: Try to use fresh, firm large or medium sized carrots and parsnips. I usually peel them but you can just scrub them and leave the skins on if you prefer. If very large, slice the vegetables in quarters lengthwise, if medium or smaller, slicing into half should be enough. If any are too long to fit into your largest saucepan, feel free to cut in half width wise as well. Please be careful with your fingers!Avoid really large parsnips as they can tend to be 'woody' in the middle. If you see any woody parts when you cut into them, I suggest slicing these parts out. They're easy to spot!Herbs: Rosemary works well too. Simply chop finely and add at the beginning of roasting, as with the thyme. You can use different fresh herbs, too, such as basil, parsley, dill, oregano or coriander/cilantro. These herbs are more delicate, so add them into the honey glaze/marinade instead. You can also use dried herbs, but you'll only need around a teaspoon. Mixed Italian herbs are also a good choice. Preparing ahead: You can get ahead by parboiling the vegetables the day before you want to serve the dish. Simply keep them covered in the fridge overnight. You can also prepare the marinade ahead. Just mix everything together and keep covered in the fridge. Storing and reheating: These honey roast carrots and parsnips will keep in the fridge well covered for up to 3 days. You can reheat covered with aluminium foil for around 20 minutes in the oven at 175C/350F/gas mark 4. The vegetables may soak up most of the glaze, but they will still taste delicious.Variations: As well as choosing different herbs, you can make this dish even fancier by sprinkling with a few nuts such as walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts, and/or crumbly cheese such as blue cheese, feta, or goat's cheese either for the last 10 minutes of cooking, or just when it comes out of the oven.