Licorice-Glazed Roasted Carrots with Goat Cheese
Roasted carrots glazed in a reduced licorice root tea with orange and thyme, finished with creamy goat cheese — an easy side dish built around the tea's natural sweetness.
Carrots and licorice are a natural fit — both share an earthy sweetness that intensifies with roasting. Brewing licorice tea extra strong and reducing it into a glaze turns the tea's gentle anise sweetness into a concentrated, almost caramel-like coating for the vegetables.
The trick to this dish is patience with the reduction. Simmering the tea slowly with a little orange zest and fresh thyme draws out a savory depth that balances the sweetness, so the glaze tastes complex rather than just sugary.
Roasting the carrots first at high heat caramelizes their natural sugars before the glaze goes on, so you get layered sweetness — first from the roasting, then from the licorice reduction — without anything tasting flat or one-note.
Finish with crumbled goat cheese and a scatter of toasted walnuts right before serving. The cheese's tang and the nuts' crunch keep the dish from feeling like dessert, turning it into a side that holds its own next to roast chicken or a simple grain salad.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs (700g) carrots, halved lengthwise
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 cup strong-brewed licorice root tea (2 tbsp dried root steeped 10 minutes)
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
- Flaky sea salt for garnish
How to make it
- 1Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Toss carrots with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on a sheet pan for 25–30 minutes, turning once, until tender and caramelized at the edges.
- 2Meanwhile, brew the licorice tea strong and strain. Combine with orange zest and thyme sprigs in a small saucepan; simmer over medium-low heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 12–15 minutes.
- 3Whisk butter and remaining 1 tbsp olive oil into the reduction off the heat. Discard thyme sprigs.
- 4Toss the hot roasted carrots with the licorice glaze until well coated.
- 5Arrange on a platter, scatter with goat cheese and toasted walnuts, and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt before serving.
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