Never ever will you be that girl in the films that comes home after a hard day’s work, opens up her larder and goes, ‘Yes, that’s what I’ll have’ before whipping up a gourmet meal out of pre-bought ingredients that looks neither wilted or mouldy. Because for starters, what the hell is a larder?
If that’s that corner of the cupboard you share with your housemate Jerry and a mouldy potato that neither of you will claim, then we’re in real trouble, because the only thing that’s likely to be edible in there is a bloody carrot. And that’s not going to get you very far at all.
So, here’s a few bits of foodie inspiration for you to take that carrot and turn it into something quick and delicious.
1. Carrot, tomato and coconut soup
Time taken: 20 minutes
As soups go, 20 minutes is super speedy. I tried to make matzo ball soup once and did all the preparations right up to the part in the recipe where it said ‘simmer for 24 hours’. Mother trucker. I was hungry then. Not in 24 hours time. So a soup that can be tasty in just 20 mins is always going to be a winner in our book.
Plus, a lot of carrot soups come with cream or dairy-based ingredients so the usage of coconut milk in this one is good for those allergic (or pretending to be allergic) to milk. You literally just need a couple of carrots, onions ’n’ garlic, coconut milk, tomatoes and a couple of spices. Head to Green Kitchen Stories for the full recipe.
2. Mashed chickpea salad
Time taken: However long it takes you to mash and/or pulse a bunch of stuff together
Zero cooking required with this one. Which is handy when your flatmates are monopolising the hob for that disgusting pasta/gravy combination they’ve been eating steadily since second year.
This recipe does involve a food processor (although if you’re a real champ, a masher can work) and literally just involves combining a bunch of mashed veg in a bowl together. If that’s not enough for you, spread it on toast. Head to The Glowing Fridge for the full recipe.
3. Carrot pasta with a creamy, zesty garlic sauce
Time taken: 15 minutes
Don’t try making carrot noodles without a spiralizer mate, it’s not worth the time or the effort. And it doesn’t work. You can use a peeler to make thicker noodles but basically, I’d invest in a spiralizer. They’re £3.99 on eBay and worth every penny. I did nearly cut my finger off with one of these, but I think that was definitely more me than the spiralizer.
Anyways, this carrot ‘pasta’ is a good way of loading up on comfort food without eating more carbs than an Olympic swimmer. Get the full recipe over at Tales Of A Kitchen.
4. Carrot sinus Juice
Time taken: However long it takes you to turn your blender on
If you really can’t be buggered to cook, or you’ve got home really late, make a massive juice instead. This one’s meant to be good for clearing your sinuses (sinai?) which is super handy as you’ve probably had a snotty nose since 1 September.
You do need a Nutribullet or something along those lines for this, mashing and chopping isn’t going to cut it this time. On the upside, you only need four ingredients and your shopping basket should cost less than a quid. Head to Juicing For Health for full recipe.
5. A Buddha bowl
Time taken: 45 minutes if you bother to include the roast potatos. Otherwise, about 20?
What the bloody hell is a buddha bowl anyways? Something they bloody love serving at street food markets, that’s what. It’s basically a bowl of healthy grains, greens, raw veggies with some toppings like seeds and the like. Anyways, this one has carrots in.
Just grate some carrots and fill the bowl with a whole other bunch of healthy stuff. Instagram it for ultimate smugness. Head to In It 4 The Long Run for the recipe.
6. Carrot and orange soup
Time taken: 25 minutes
It’s not fancy, but it’s healthy, cheap and super easy. This student recipe is worth bookmarking to live off for the end of the month when you’ve got £7 left in your bank account and and a council tax bill a-looming. Make a huge vat and live off it until the cash starts rolling in (hello 2024). Head to Student Recipes for the full recipe.
7. Carrot chips
Time taken: 45 minutes
I mean, this is legit, just a case of chopping carrots so they look like chips, covering with oil, salt and pepper and roasting until they’re soft and tender (oh yeah). Because these are carrot chips they’re obviously healthier than potato chips. So team them with a massive burger.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.