Marinated Carrots (Zanahorías Aliñadas)

Vegetables are not the first thing one thinks of when they visualize Spanish cuisine. However these tasty marinated carrots are a mainstay Spanish side dish often seen at the family table.

Marinated Carrots with garlic and oil on a plate

There are quite a few vegetarian Spanish dishes, such as the famous tortilla to the sweet and salty fried eggplant with honey. However most people outside of Spain don’t even know that these marinated carrots, called zanahorías aliñadas in Spanish, are quite popular at home.

While rarely making lists of the best Spanish recipes, I love making these marinated carrots as a side dish when I cook meat heavy dishes. The acidity really helps balance fatty things like steaks or stews.

How To Make Spanish Marinated Carrots

Spanish Marinated Carrots ingredients on a counter

I first had this dish as a side in a restaurant in Valencia, and have always wanted to cook it at home. Luckily it’s a super simple dish that takes very little effort.

Ingredients

  • 6 Carrots – try to find carrots that are more long and slender rather than short and fat. These will have a more uniform shape so are easier to cook properly.
  • 3 tbsp Olive Oil – as the olive oil is not being cooked, try to use the best quality olive oil you can find.
  • 2 tbsp Sherry Vinegar – you can actually use any type of vinegar you want, but I find a good sherry vinegar really elevates this dish compared to a regular white vinegar.
  • 2 tsp Lemon Juice – freshly squeezed
  • 1 tsp Dry Parsley – I actually use a spice mix called ajo y perejil which is dry parsley with dry granulated garlic, but you can just use dry parsley if it is easier.
  • 2 cloves Garlic – roughly chopped
  • 1/2 tsp Salt – you can always add more salt if you want after you taste them, but start with just a half a teaspoon for now
  • 2 tsp Cumin Seed – optional
sliced carrot rounds on a cutting board with a knife

Peel your carrots and slice them into rounds. Try to go for a uniform thickness. I sliced mine to about 1/4 inch or 1/2 cm roughly. Then boil them just until tender – about 3-4 minutes. You don’t want them to get squishy and soggy so it is better to undercook than overcook in my opinion.

Drain the carrots and add them to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Use a good quality Sherry Vinegar for this recipe. The lightness and acidity it provides is so much better than lesser, common vinegars.

Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and place in the fridge. I like to let these Spanish marinated carrots sit for at least six hours before eating (although I understand if you don’t want to wait that long). Properly sealed this dish will last up to a week in the fridge, so it is a perfect make-ahead side!

marinated spanish carrot side dish on a plate

Marinated Carrots (Zanahorías Aliñadas)

This easy side dish is not only vegetarian and vegan, but a delicious and refreshing complement to heartier or fatty meat dishes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Spanish
Servings 4 people
Calories 117 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Pot or Pan to boil carrot pieces

Ingredients
  

  • 6 Carrots try to find carrots that are more long and slender rather than short and fat. These will have a more uniform shape so are easier to cook properly.
  • 3 tbsp Olive Oil as the olive oil is not being cooked try to use the best quality olive oil you can find.
  • 2 tbsp Sherry Vinegar you can actually use any type of vinegar you want but I find a good sherry vinegar really elevates this dish compared to a regular white vinegar.
  • 2 tsp Lemon Juice freshly squeezed
  • 1 tsp Dry Parsley I actually use a spice mix called ajo y perejil which is dry parsley with dry granulated garlic but you can just use dry parsley if it is easier.
  • 2 cloves Garlic roughly chopped
  • 1/2 tsp Salt you can always add more salt if you want after you taste them but start with just a half a teaspoon for now
  • 2 tsp Cumin Seed optional

Instructions
 

  • Wash and peel the carrots and then slice them into rounds. Aim for uniform thickness. I go around 1/4 inch or 1/2 cm.
  • Boil the carrot pieces just until tender, or even slightly before as they will soften more while marinating. Check them after 3-4 minutes.
  • Drain the carrots and add them to a bowl along with the rest of the ingredients. Seal well and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 6 hours.
Keyword Carrots, Marinated, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
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