Grilled Carrots with Lemon and Thyme (Vegan + GF)
These grilled carrots with lemon and thyme are sweet, smoky, and surprisingly tasty. A great vegan side dish for any barbecue.
Ingredients
- 4 large carrots
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Marinade
- In a large freezer bag or bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Peel the carrots and remove the ends. Cut each carrot lengthways into approx. 4 slices, around ½ cm thick. For larger carrots, cut these in half first before slicing lengthways.
- Add the sliced carrots to the marinade bag/bowl. Take a minute to coat the carrots evenly in the mix (a freezer bag makes it easy to move everything around). Leave to sit for around 1 hour on the work surface or in the fridge.
BBQ/grill
- Preheat the barbecue/grill to a medium heat (not too hot or else the carrots will quickly burn). Add the carrot slices and cook for approx. 5 minutes on each side, doing this in batches if necessary. Before flipping over, brush lightly with some of the marinade.
- The cooking time will vary slightly depending on how hot your barbecue/grill is and how soft you want the carrots to be. For a little bit of bite in the middle, 5 minutes on each side should be plenty. Once the carrots have turned golden-yellow with a few light char marks, remove from the heat. Drizzle over some of the leftover marinade and serve.
Griddle pan
- Heat the griddle pan on low/medium heat. Add the carrot slices and cook for approx. 5 minutes on each side, doing this in batches if necessary. Before flipping over, brush lightly with some of the marinade. Once the carrots have turned golden-yellow with a few light char marks, remove from the heat. Drizzle over some of the leftover marinade and serve.
Notes
Marinade: I like to give the carrots up to an hour in the marinade, as it lets the olive oil and lemon juice soak in before cooking. If you don't want to marinate the carrots, I'd recommend at least brushing them with some oil before cooking.
Slicing the carrots: If you're struggling to cut the carrots without them moving around, start by cutting a thin slice on one side then place the flat side down on the chopping board.
Thyme: For one tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme leaves, you'll need anywhere from 5-10 sprigs depending on the size. If using dried, the recommended ratio is approx. 3:1 (so replace the tablespoon with one teaspoon of dried).
Other herbs: You could use other woody herbs such as rosemary, or softer herbs such as coriander, parsley, or dill. If using softer herbs, sprinkle these over at the end instead of adding to the marinade.
Reuse your freezer bag: If using a freezer bag for the marinade, remember to wash it out and reuse in future. We keep one at home that we wash and reuse every time we cook something like this. Note that acidic ingredients may weaken the bag over time, but you should be able to get at least a few uses out of it.
Oven-roast: This recipe is all about getting carrots on the grill, but you could also just roast them in the oven. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F), then add the carrots to a roasting tin and cook for 10-12 minutes or until tender. You may prefer to cut the carrots into larger chunks rather than slices, in which case you'll need to increase the cooking time accordingly.
Olive oil: You could swap this for another oil or leave it out altogether – just be aware that the carrots are more likely to burn on the grill without the oil.
Storage: The grilled carrots will keep in the fridge for up to a week (but will be better the sooner you eat them). While you can certainly freeze the carrots, I'd recommend throwing them into a soup or stew instead.
If you liked this recipe, you might also enjoy:
- Grilled Teriyaki Tofu Steaks
- Grilled King Oyster Mushroom Steaks
- Teriyaki Grilled Aubergine
- Rainbow Slaw with Sesame Ginger Dressing
- Courgette and Carrot Salad with Peanut Dressing
- Easy Hummus Recipe
- Vegan Rice Paper Rolls
- Crispy Baked Falafel
The nutrition info below is for one serving, based on a total of four servings (one whole carrot per portion as a side dish).
Nutrition
Calories: 38kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.5gSodium: 28mgPotassium: 137mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 6849IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition Facts
Grilled Carrots with Lemon and Thyme (Vegan + GF)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 38
Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Saturated Fat 0.5g3%
Sodium 28mg1%
Potassium 137mg4%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 6849IU137%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Calcium 18mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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