There is no doubt that carrots are one of the most popular ingredients in worldwide cuisines because you would find no difficulty seeing this ingredient in recipes from many countries.
People use carrots as both the main ingredients with simple cooking and the sub-ingredients to make the dishes tastier. A few delicious dishes with carrots that you can try are carrot & apple salad, roasted carrot squash & sweet potato soup. Above are only some of the many yummy recipes with carrots. For more recipes, please refer to the list of 20+ recipes with carrots for your reference here.
Yet, to diversify your daily meal, let’s find a few carrot substitutes with the same nutrient content, shall we?
Good-To-Know Information About Carrots
Carrots or Daucus Carota (scientific name) is a root vegetable. It originates from Europe and Southwestern Asia. But nowadays, the majority of carrots that you can buy at supermarkets are cultivated in China and delivered to all countries.
There are various types of carrots with different colors, such as orange, yellow, white, purple, and red. Their taste is all mild with natural sweetness, and their texture is crunchy.
All cuisines in the world use carrots as essential ingredients in their many dishes. So what is the reason for the popularity of carrots?
The popularity of carrots stems from their rapid adaptation to climates. That causes them to be grown in many places. Also, their typical taste suitable for both salty dishes and sweet desserts, and their high nutrient content good for health make carrots more and more well-liked. Carrots are rich in nutrients such as vitamin A, K1, B6, Biotin, etc., some of which are especially good for eyes, skin, oral health, digestion, and so on.
Impressive Health Benefits Of Carrots
It is common knowledge that carrots are rich in vitamin A and very good for the eyes. Besides, carrots also have other benefits promoting your health if using in your daily meal. Read on, and you will be surprised at how many benefits carrots bring back.
- Control cholesterol levels and insulin levels at normal
- Improve eyesight and digestion
- Decrease your risk of cancer and heart disease
- Reduce signs of premature aging and improve skin
- Boost to the immune system
- Detoxification
- Better oral health
- Support weight loss process
Top 8 Carrot Substitutes Recommended By Chefs
Everyone knows how vital and nutritious carrots are. So, why should we need to find out this theme? “Carrot has all that I mean,” “I love carrots since all its nutrients they bring back.” Oh, yes, you are right, but you are not a rabbit, and you can not eat carrot 365 days per year, right?
As a result of this, I would like to list down the top 8 best carrot substitutes. Basing on the list, you will have more options to get the same nutrient value instead of eating carrots daily.
1. Squashes
Squash or Cucurbita (scientistic name) is a family of plants including several different types with different colors (green, yellow, red) and shapes (straight, crooked, round). Their wild origin is Central America and Mexico.
Squashes are divided into two types: winter squash (pumpkin squash, acorn squash, buttercup squash, butternut squash,…) and summer squash (zucchini squash, round zucchini, tromboncino squash,…)
People usually substitute squashes for carrots in soups. Because they have the same mild taste as carrots, squashes also have a natural sweetness and will not ruin your soup savor.
Besides similar savors, squashes are also high in vitamin A, dietary fiber, and potassium. That means squashes also have the same good effect on your health as carrots do.
If you want to replace carrots with squashes, you can use the same amount following your recipes. But, one note is that squashes cook faster than carrots, so you need to pay attention to time.There are many delicious recipes with squashes that you can find in this link: 40+ Seriously Awesome Squash Recipes to Make All Year Long.
2. Zucchini
As noted above, Zucchini is a summer squash with dark green or yellow color and a straight shape.
Compared to carrots and others in the squash family, the taste of zucchini is not as sweet as others. Even so, it is still of the top 5 healthiest food. Because it contains valuable nutrients. Zucchini strengthens bone, promotes a healthy prostate, and improves thyroid function.
In some respects, zucchini has more nutrients than carrots. Both zucchini and carrots are rich in potassium. Carrot is an excellent source of vitamin A, but zucchini is an excellent source of vitamin C. Besides, zucchini has 59% fewer calories and 68% fewer carbohydrates than carrot does.
If you want to replace carrots with zucchini, you should decrease the amount by at least one-third. Serving raw is not an ideal recipe as zucchini is a pretty boring, tasteless vegetable. Below are a few top best recipes that you can try to have tasty dishes with zucchini: Golden Turmeric Noodle Miso Soup, Air Fryer Zucchini Chips, Basil Zucchini Soup,..
3. Cucumber
Cucumber is such a common vegetable in the culinary world that you can see and buy them in any market in the world. They are very juicy and are an ideal substitute for carrots in all juicy recipes.
Cucumber is native to India and was cultivated at least 3,000 years ago. Cucumber does not contain many nutrients with high content. Yet, they still become a favorite ingredient in many dishes due to their fresh juicy taste.
Cucumber contains a large proportion of water (95%), which is an excellent source of water for our body. Thus, you can make yummy juices or smoothies of cucumbers. If not, you can enjoy them raw without cooking with no problems.Some easy-to-make recipes with cucumber for your fresh weekend: 10 Most Popular Cucumber Recipes
4. Beet
Another carrot substitute that I will show you next is beet. Beet is also a root vegetable, the same as carrots. It was grown for their leafy top by the Greeks along the Mediterranean coasts a long time ago.
Sometimes, beet has an orange color, same as carrots, but the most popular type has the shade of dark purple. This is because both beet and carrot are rich in dietary fiber and potassium. If carrot has more vitamin B3 and vitamin B6, beets contain more folate (one of the B vitamins).
Beets are used in place of carrots in almost soups, boiled, steamed, or roasted dishes. Beets will bring back the attractive color of purple for your dishes. In addition, beets are pretty as juicy as cucumbers. Thus, fresh salads or smoothies are also ideal recipes with beets.Some must-to-try recipes with beets for your new menu: 20 beet recipes
5. Parsnip
Parsnips are native to Europe and Asia and were introduced to North America in the 17th century. They look like carrots except for their yellowish color. That is appearance. For taste, parsnip has a natural sweetness like carrots but with a stronger herbal smell. Even after cooking, they are sweeter than carrots.
Parsnips also provide a variety of necessary vitamins and minerals for our body. These nutrients include Calcium, Vitamin C, Iron, Folate, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Potassium, Magnesium, etc. These support the immune system and improve digestion as carrots do.
When cooking parsnips, like squashes, that parsnips are softer than carrots. If you set the time the same as carrots, your dish is easy to mushy.
6. Daikon
Daikons, parsnips, carrots are all root vegetables with a similar shape. But, it seems daikons are the biggest ones. If parsnips are used in Europe, daikons are the essential ingredients in Asian cuisine.
Daikon is rich in many nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, and copper. Even so, it’s highest in vitamin C and folate.
They are very juicy, mild, and crunchy, like carrots, but their color is white. Their taste is sweeter, but they are easier to mushy than carrots when cooking, so you need to notice the time.
In Asian cuisine, there is no difference in the way people cook daikon and carrots. That means daikons can be baked, boiled, and steamed. You can replace carrots with daikons in salads, noodles, and many other recipes.
In some Asian countries, people slice daikons, then dry them. After that, they will use dry daikons as vegetable reserves in the cold season.
7. Turnips
Well, one more time, I would like to introduce to you another root vegetable replaced for carrots. They are Turnips, which are quite the same as beets, but their color is white. Also, turnips are full of vitamin K, A, C, E, and minerals, which bring back the same benefits as carrots.
The taste of turnips is a combination of cabbage and radish. So in which recipes will you can use turnips to replace carrots?
You can use turnips instead of carrots in boiled, steamed, mashed, fried, or roasted dishes. Especially, adding turnips will bring back a delicious touch to roasted fish and meat.
Enjoying raw turnips is also a fantastic idea as well. Peeling and slicing the turnip to make a fresh salad will be the best choice if you have a plan to serve them raw.
Also, not only the roots but also the greens can be saved to cook soups. So don’t throw them away.
8. Celery
The last carrot substitute I refer to is celery. Celery is not a root vegetable like a carrot. Yet, celery is a part of the Apiaceae family, which includes carrot, parsnip, turnip. Celery is also native to the Mediterranean area.
Celery is a common ingredient in European cuisine, but now, it is easy to find this ingredient in Asian dishes as well. Celery is very high in vitamin C and antioxidant nutrients. This makes celery become a popular ingredient with those who pursue a healthy lifestyle.
The nutrients in the celery and its seeds provide a variety of health benefits. Some outstanding benefits include preventing inflammation and cancer, controlling blood pressure, preventing psoriasis and other skin disorders.
Unlike the above substitutes with a pretty similar taste to carrots, celery has a pungent taste. If you’re not used to this, then maybe celery is not the right option to go for this time.
Anyway, some must-to-try healthy dishes with celery are celery smoothie which helps you lose weight and prevent skin aging, celery soup, seared steak with celery & pepper caponata.
Frequently Asked Questions
May Carrot Substitutes Can Replace Carrots Completely?
No substitute can replace an ingredient completely. Substitutes only bring you more choices to get the same nutrient value. Below is an example for you.
Of the most famous recipes with carrots, carrot cake may be the most renowned one. The savor of these cakes comes from the taste of carrots. Unfortunately, though there are a few carrot substitutes for texture, nutrient content, color, they can not replace carrots at all.
Yet, you can make another tasty cake with two carrot substitutes – pumpkin and zucchini. Don’t hesitate to try new recipes!
Can I Use The Same Amount For Carrot Substitutes?
The answer depends on which carrot substitutes you decide to use.
If you use squashes like pumpkin, turnips, daikon, you may use the same amount.
If you choose zucchini, you should decrease the amount by at least one-third. For example, this means if your recipe requests 3 carrots, you will only use 2 zucchinis instead as a substitute.
If you choose parsnips, they are the same as zucchini.
Can I Keep The Same Time When Cooking Carrot Substitutes?
The answer is “No” because a few substitutes are easier to mushy than carrots. Thus, please take notice of the time with some carrot substitutes, especially pumpkin.
Can I Mix Carrots And Carrot Substitutes?
Yes, of course. It will be the mixture of the top most valuable things. Especially, you can mix them when making smoothies.
Conclusion
Carrots bring back high nutrient content to human health, which helps prevent cancer risk, heart diseases, skin aging, and strengthen resistance. All in all, it is hard to find an ingredient like the carrot that can be used not only as a vegetable but also as a fruit.
Yet, this doesn’t mean carrots are indispensable in most of our daily recipes. There are many carrot substitutes with the same or even higher level in nutritional indexes.
Besides carrots, take other notes to build up a healthy menu for yourselves and your relatives. Here are some helpful references for your deep understanding: Pigeon Peas Substitute, scallion substitute, broccoli substitute, substitute for garbanzo beans, Asparagus substitutes,…
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