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Balsamic Roasted Beets and Carrots with Blue Cheese

Balsamic Roasted Beets and Carrots with Blue Cheese

By Rose HattabaughOctober 5, 2022

  • Makes
    6 servings
  • Cook Time
    1 hour
  • Active time plus cooling
    30 minutes active
  • Rating

This simple root vegetable dish is easy to prepare yet yields striking results, making it a perfect addition to the holiday table. The beets and carrots are roasted in separate foil packets to accommodate different cooking times. To amplify the vegetables’ naturally sweet, earthy notes, we mix caramelly dates into the beet wedges before baking and enclose an entire head of garlic, cut in half, in the packet with the carrots. When the garlic is soft and creamy, we mash the cloves and use them in a tangy-sweet balsamic-honey vinaigrette laced with plenty of fresh thyme. Salty-sharp blue cheese completes the colorful dish. If you’re able to find rainbow carrots, the mix of colors makes for an especially stunning presentation.

Tip

Don’t roast the beets unpeeled. For this recipe, we find it better to peel them while raw so they can be dressed while hot, allowing them to absorb some of the seasonings so each bite is deeply flavored.

Ingredients
  • 1 ½

    pounds medium (2 to 2 ½ inches in diameter) red or golden beets, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges

  • ½

    cup pitted dates, halved lengthwise

  • ¼

    cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 1 ½

    pounds medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into 3- to 4-inch lengths

  • 1

    small head garlic, outer papery skins removed, halved crosswise

  • 2

    tablespoons balsamic vinegar

  • 2

    tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped

  • 1

    tablespoon honey

  • 2

    ounces blue cheese, crumbled (½ cup)

Step 1

Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the middle position. Cut two 18-inch squares of extra-wide foil; place 1 on a rimmed baking sheet. In the center of the foil, combine the beets and dates. Drizzle lightly with oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper; toss. Enclose the beet mixture in the foil and tightly crimp the edges, forming a well-sealed packet. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 10 minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile, place the carrots and halved garlic head in the center of the second sheet of foil. Drizzle lightly with oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper; toss. Seal in the same way as the first packet.

Step 3

After the beet mixture has roasted for 10 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Slide the beet packet to one side of the baking sheet, then place the carrot packet beside it. Return to the oven and roast until a skewer inserted into the beets and carrots meets no resistance and the garlic is softened, 30 to 35 minutes; be careful of escaping steam when opening the packets.

Step 4

When the vegetables are done, remove the garlic from the carrot packet. Using tongs, squeeze the garlic cloves out of the halves of the head into a medium bowl; discard the skins. Using a fork, mash the garlic to a paste. Add the remaining ¼ cup oil, vinegar, thyme, honey and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper; whisk to combine.

Step 5

Using tongs, transfer the carrots to a serving platter, leaving any liquid in the foil; discard the liquid. Drizzle the carrots with about half of the dressing. Top with the beet mixture, again discarding any liquid in the foil. Drizzle with remaining dressing and sprinkle with the blue cheese.

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