Carrot Puree Recipe

How to Make Carrot Puree

How to Make Incredible Carrot Puree

My wife loves to prepare recipes from the Wall Street Journal's "Slow Cooking Fast." Last week, we enjoyed a must-try salmon with quick-pickled vegetables and carrot puree. It was "as good as it gets"!

What makes a meal as good as it gets? Easy: Would I be happy if I were served this meal in a good restaurant? If the answer is yes, it's a keeper.

I'm sure you can find this recipe on WSJ's website. But I wanted to share the carrot puree part of this recipe with you.

Why? It was delicious and can be served as a side dish for many other meals as a healthy alternative to potatoes, grains, and rice. Besides serving salmon, this carrot puree works well with pan-fried fish, chicken, or pork.

Chef Kwame Onwuachi

This recipe is from Chef Kwame Onwuachi of Washington, DC's Kith/Kin and Philly Wing Fry restaurant fame. If his name is familiar, it's because he has been on the television show Top Chef and was named one of Food & Wine magazine's "Best New Chefs" in 2019.

What Is A Puree?

A puree sometimes called a mash, is made with cooked fruits, vegetables, or legumes blended in a food processor or blender until they reach a creamy consistency. You can also use a food mill or other food press to achieve the desired consistency.

Think hummus, Baba ghanoush, applesauce, or baby food. Puree comes from the Old French language, meaning "refined."

Chef Kwame suggests using either fresh carrot juice or chicken stock to make the carrot puree. We had homemade chicken stock on hand, but I would like to try making this with fresh carrot juice next time to see how the two compare.

Sweating Vegetables

Sweating vegetables is a fundamental culinary technique to coax out flavors and aromas while softening their texture. It involves cooking chopped or sliced vegetables over low to medium heat in a small amount of fat, such as oil or butter, in a covered pan. The goal is to gently cook the vegetables until they become translucent and tender without browning them.

The process begins by heating the fat in a pan and then adding the vegetables, which are often aromatics like onions, garlic, celery, or carrots. As the vegetables cook, their natural moisture is released, and they start to soften. The lid on the pan traps the steam, allowing the vegetables to cook in their own juices, intensifying their flavor. Sweating vegetables is a precursor to many dishes, including soups, stews, sauces, and stir-fries, as it enhances their overall taste and contributes to a more cohesive final dish.

📖 Recipe

Print Recipe

Carrot Puree Recipe

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil olive oil works fine too
• 4 carrots peeled & sliced into thin coins
• ½ onion thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 3 cups fresh carrot juice or chicken stock

Instructions

• Heat a medium-sized pot on medium-high. When the pan is hot, add the oil. When the oil gets hot, add the carrot slices, onion slices, and cumin.
• Sweat the carrots until they start to soften on the edges.
• Add the carrot juice or chicken stock and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes or until the liquid in the pot reduces by a third.
• We used a hand blender to puree the carrots, which worked well, but you could also transfer the ingredients to a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
• Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
• Serve as a side dish to whatever you're cooking.

Notes

DELICIOUS

Salmon served on a bed of carrot puree.