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Braised and Glazed Carrots and Parsnips with Orange and Cardamom

Braised and Glazed Carrots and Parsnips with Orange and Cardamom

A simple bowl of carrots and parsnips become luxurious, thanks to a glossy, citrus-and-spice glaze.

By Rose HattabaughSeptember 3, 2021

  • Makes
    4 to 6 servings
  • Cook Time
    1 hour 50 minutes
  • Active time plus cooling
    20 minutes active
  • Rating

For these simple but luxurious root vegetables we use a high oven temperature to reduce the braising liquid, and we finish the roots with a little butter to give them a rich, glossy glaze. The sweet, fruity orange, is nicely rounded out by the floral, piney notes of ground cardamom and a sprinkle of fresh herbs. The start-to-finish time for this side dish is long but the cooking is largely hands-off. This is delicious alongside a simple roast, but also is elegant enough for the holiday table.

Tip

Don’t use carrots and parsnips that are very slender, as they will overcook. Look for ones that are medium in size, and don’t slice them thinner than ½ inch. Also, don’t bother stirring the vegetables as they braise. There’s simply no need to.

Ingredients
  • 3

    tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 4

    scallions, whites minced, greens thinly sliced on the diagonal, reserved separately

  • 1

    tablespoon grated orange zest, plus 1 cup orange juice, divided

  • 1

    teaspoon ground cardamom

  • ¼

    teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 1

    pound medium carrots (about 5), peeled and sliced ½ inch thick on a sharp diagonal

  • 1

    pound medium parsnips (about 4), peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick on a sharp diagonal

  • 2

    tablespoons salted butter, cut into 2 pieces

  • ¼

    cup lightly packed fresh dill OR fresh mint OR a combination, chopped

Step 1

Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position.

In a large Dutch oven over medium, cook the oil and scallion whites, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add ¾ cup of orange juice, the cardamom, pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt, then bring to a simmer. Stir in the carrots and parsnips.

Cover, transfer to the oven and cook until almost no liquid remains and browning has formed on the bottom of the pot, about 1½ hours.

Step 2

Remove the pot from the oven. Uncover and stir in the remaining ¼ cup orange juice, the orange zest, butter and herbs, scraping up the browned bits.

Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the scallion greens.