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Balsamic Roasted Asparagus and Carrots

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Spring is such an exciting time!  It means gorgeous flowers, beautiful sunshine, and, most importantly, lovely garden fresh, spring vegetables!  This Balsamic Roasted Asparagus and Carrots dish highlights the inherent flavors of the vegetables and allows them to shine.  The beauty of spring is all natural, so your veggies should taste that way too.  Fresh, crisp, and flavorful.  This recipe is ready in 20 minutes and you can use any fresh veggies that are available to you.  Asparagus and carrots are just the start.  Get creative and let your spring inspiration shine! 

Balsamic Roasted Asparagus and Carrots on a plate surrounded by yellow and purple flowersThis post contains affiliate links.  I only post links to products I completely trust and highly recommend.  Please see full disclosure here.

Note: This post was originally published on my food blog, A Bite of Inspiration (read more about it in this post here).  It’s been slightly edited and modified to make the content even more inspiring and the recipe even more delicious! Enjoy! 😀

The way the weather has been, I honestly thought that spring would never get here.  Good news, though!  It’s finally here… mostly.  We did get a little bit of snow two weeks ago, but—well, whatever.  I’ll take it.  At least my daffodils are starting to bloom!

I love spring!  It’s the season of growth, beauty, and new beginnings.  Nothing gives you hope and joy like spring does.  All those beautiful flowers, gorgeous weather, and more daylight.  What’s not to love?

Asparagus and Carrots before they become balsamic roasted vegetables

Seeing the beginnings of spring always gets me excited for fresh, spring vegetables like asparagus and carrots.  So, surprise!  This dish is all about asparagus and carrots.  Saw that one coming, huh? 😉 My favorite way to cook vegetables is by enhancing their natural flavors, while still maintaining texture.  I don’t usually cook vegetables into a mush or dump a lot of heavy sauces on them, unless there’s a specific reason for it.  I like my veggies to taste fresh, clean, and crisp—just like spring!  I’ve also recently read in Dr. Mark Hyman’s  (he’s one of my functional medicine heroes) newest book, Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?, that the less time you cook veggies and the more texture they have, the more nutritious they are.  Bonus!

This Balsamic Roasted Asparagus and Carrots dish is so simple, yet so delicious!  Balsamic vinegar is the secret (or not-so-secret—I did put it in the title) ingredient for the delicious flavors in this dish.   Balsamic has such an enticing balance of sweet and sour that turns any old dish into an exciting one!  The ingredients for this dish are: asparagus, carrots, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, vegetable broth, salt, and pepper.  No, really.  That’s it.  But, that’s all that these gorgeous spring veggies need to taste amazing.

Asparagus and carrots in the baking dish about to be balsamic roasted vegetables

Roasted spring vegetables, balsamic roasted asparagus and carrots in a baking dish

You toss all the ingredients in a baking dish, crank the temperature to 425 degrees, and let the oven work its magic.  Within 10 minutes, the flavors have melded and the veggies have caramelized (pictured above: before roasting on top, after roasting on the bottom).  That’s the beauty of balsamic vinegar—it has sweetness in it, so you get that lovely caramel flavor without adding any actual sugar.  You’ll be surprised at how complex this dish tastes considering the small number of ingredients.  A little sweet, a touch of sour, a bit of salt, and a lot of tasty, freshness.  Perfect!

Another great thing about this dish is that you can use the same recipe to cook lots of other vegetables besides asparagus and carrots.  Olive oil and balsamic vinegar complement practically any fresh vegetable.  Brussel sprouts, onions, tomatoes…even fennel!  Discover your own veggie inspiration with this recipe– the sky’s the limit!  Just adjust the cooking time a bit for whichever vegetable you’ve chosen and follow the rest of the recipe as written.  Done– so easy! (If you have specific questions about a certain vegetable, feel free to comment below.)

Spring doesn’t need a lot of fanfare to get people excited.  It gets its popularity from simply being beautiful.  Shouldn’t your spring veggies be served the same way?  So, go ahead. Welcome spring with this easy, gorgeous side dish!

Not springtime yet? Try my Dairy-Free Chicken & Gnocchi Soup, a healthy winter classic that will warm you right up!

Beautiful balsamic roasted vegetables is a healthy vegetable side dish made with roasted spring vegetables like asparagus and carrots

Balsamic Roasted Asparagus and Carrots on a plate surrounded by yellow and purple flowers
5 from 10 votes
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Balsamic Roasted Asparagus and Carrots

This simple and healthy springtime side dish is the perfect accompaniment to any meal! Fresh veggies with a flavorful and slightly sweet balsamic glaze-- perfect! 

Cuisine Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Paleo, Soy-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole30
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 100 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb asparagus, woody ends snapped off
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable broth
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Mix olive oil and balsamic vinegar togther in a small bowl.
  3. Add asparagus and carrots to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour the olive oil and balsamic vinegar mixture over the top. Toss well to coat evenly.
  4. Add vegetable broth. Season generously with salt and pepper. Toss to coat again.

  5. Put baking dish in the pre-heated oven. Bake for 8-12 minutes until veggies are cooked through, but still crunchy. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

I recommend using a high quality balsamic vinegar for this recipe.  I love MiaBella Balsamic Vinegar.  It has great flavor and you only need a little bit.  I've had my bottle for at least a year! Use a tablespoon or two in salads or drizzle a small amount on meat/tofu for easy, healthy flavor.

You can substitute the vegetable broth for chicken broth, if that's what you have available.


This healthy vegetable side dish recipe is so quick & easy to make! Roasted spring vegetables (asparagus & carrots) is a delicious recipe for kids, picky eaters, and clean eating! The perfect low carb roasted veggie dish for a healthy dinner.

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Comments

    • Alyssa

      July 31, 2018 at 4:05 pm

      Yes Heather! I love it! Asparagus is one of my absolute favorite veggies and I’m sure you’ll love this recipe. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

  3. Swati

    March 30, 2018 at 2:49 pm

    Oh, I can hear you, how spring brings that feeling of joy in your mind. Yes, the flowers, the vegetables, and the weather everything you fell in love with. I love asparagus and will give your recipe a try soon

    Reply

  6. Kitty

    March 31, 2018 at 2:18 pm

    Very excited about fresh spring asparagus, But can you believe we are expecting a snowstorm for Easter! I’m just gonna make this and pretend it’s sunny and warm outside!

    Reply

    • Alyssa

      July 31, 2018 at 4:08 pm

      Oh no Kitty! The weather has been crazy this year. Sorry about the snowstorm, but this dish will definitely make you feel “spring-y” no matter what the weather is outside! Enjoy!

      Reply

  7. Jordan

    March 31, 2018 at 3:29 pm

    5 stars
    I’m a sucker for anything balsamic. I don’t know why I’ve never thought to use balsamic with asparagus! Such a smart combo. I can’t wait to try this out.

    Reply

    • Alyssa

      July 31, 2018 at 4:09 pm

      Right?? I love balsamic. It’s definitely one of my favorite condiments, especially for veggies. Thanks for stopping by Jordan!

      Reply

    • Alyssa

      July 31, 2018 at 4:11 pm

      Yes absolutely! I’m all about balsamic, especially on asparagus! The sweetness of the balsamic complements the natural sweetness of the asparagus perfectly! 🙂 Thank you so much for your comment!

      Reply

  13. Sues

    April 2, 2018 at 3:07 am

    5 stars
    So excited spring is finally here, too!! (even though it might snow a bit here tomorrow; WHAT). One of the reasons I’m most excited is for asparagus and this side dish looks just perfect!!

    Reply

    • Alyssa

      July 31, 2018 at 4:13 pm

      Thank you Sues! Ugh I know, the weather has been so frustrating this spring. But hopefully this dish will brighten your day! Enjoy! 🙂

      Reply

    • Alyssa

      July 31, 2018 at 4:14 pm

      Thank you Julie! Yes– balsamic, carrots, and asparagus all have a natural sweetness that makes them the perfet combo. Enjoy!

      Reply

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