Recipe: Turmeric Roasted Roots
Turn these delicious roasted roots into a main meal by serving on a bed of cooked grains, like quinoa, along with a few dark salad greens like baby kale or spinach.
This colorful root-based dish is a wonderfully healthy way to enjoy “starchy foods,” whether as a finger food, a side dish, or a fancy shared plate. What’s more, you can easily turn it into a main meal by serving these delicious roasted roots on a bed of cooked grains, like quinoa, along with a few dark salad greens like baby kale or spinach for good measure. To give the dish even more color (and a wider array of antioxidants), use rainbow carrots, if they’re available.
Turmeric Roasted Roots
Serves 4, (when served as a side dish)
1 pound small carrots, peeled and trimmed
1 pound small parsnips, peeled and trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Sea salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut-milk yogurt (or another nondairy variety)
Zest and juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
2 tablespoons torn fresh mint leaves
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. You’ll want the carrots and parsnips to be about 1⁄2-inch thick and 4–6 inches long, so depending on the size of the roots, leave them whole or slice them into halves, quarters, or evenly sized sticks.
3. Place the cut roots into a mixing bowl, along with the olive oil, maple syrup, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Spread the roots on a baking sheet in an even layer and roast for 25–35 minutes, tossing once or twice during the cooking time, or until the roots are tender and lightly browned.
4. While the roots are cooking, combine the yogurt, lime zest, lime juice, and 1⁄2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Mix well and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
5. When the roots are fully roasted, spoon most of the yogurt sauce over a platter, add the roots, and drizzle the remaining spoonfuls of sauce on top (for a less-dramatic presentation you can also just toss everything together). Sprinkle the roots with hemp seeds and mint, and serve warm.
Brain Boost: Toss the roots with 1/2 teaspoon of schisandra powder after they’ve been roasted.
Excerpt adapted from Smart Plants © 2019 by Julie Morris, with permission from Sterling Epicure.
Want more chakra-balancing recipes? Try these three root chakra soup recipes.
About the Author
Julie Morris is a natural-food chef, writer, consultant, and advocate of whole, plant-based foods and superfoods for optimal health. She is the author of five books with Sterling: Superfood Kitchen, Superfood...
