Melting Carrots with Garlic Butter

These Melting Carrots with Garlic Butter are proof that a simple vegetable can be the shining star at the table. Roasting beta carotene–rich carrots brings out their earthy sweetness, while a simple garlic-lemon butter sauce adds brightness and depth. The result is a tender, silky texture that truly lives up to the “melting” name. With minimal ingredients, simple pantry staples and big payoff, this is a side dish you’ll find yourself making again and again. Want to try for yourself? Read on for our best tips and tricks below, including simple swaps to make this dish your own.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

• Make sure your carrots are the same size to ensure that they cook evenly and in the allotted amount of time.
• Use a mix of yellow and orange carrots for a pretty presentation. 
• Swap out the thyme for another fresh herb. Woodsy herbs like sage or rosemary will work well too.

Nutrition Notes

• Carrots are best known for their eye-health benefits, but did you know this beta carotene–rich veggie does so much more for our bodies? This root vegetable helps support immunity, heart health and even skin health thanks to phytonutrients like lycopene, retinol and biotin. Carrots also contain a flavonoid called luteolin that can help reduce inflammation and support brain health. 
• Garlic adds additional immune-supporting benefits along with the carrots, thanks to a compound called allicin. Like carrots, garlic can also support heart health and reduce inflammation. 
• Butter may not have the best reputation, but it provides some valuable benefits to this recipe. The fat in butter can actually help you better absorb the vitamin A from the carrots because vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. This recipe includes butter in moderation while providing a good serving of fiber-rich veggies.