Miso paste takes ordinary carrots to an extra-ordinary place in this easy carrot mash. This carrot mash with miso is simple enough for every day. Just 3 ingredients. Never serve boring carrots again.
Looking for more carrot side dishes? Try classic oven-roasted maple glazed carrots or a bit more fancy orange glazed carrots with feta and mint!
Miso paste is an ingredient I think every home cook needs to have on hand. Always. Period.
Miso adds so much flavour, so easily. I always have a carton in my refrigerator.
My favourite uses for miso paste
Of course, miso paste is a key ingredient in miso soup -- that soothing and comforting, warm bowl of goodness. But I use it for so many other things:
Miso has a deeply rich and salty flavour and can be added to soups or stews when you just need a little extra richness. A great stand-in for when you are short on a good quality vegetable stock.
White miso is my favourite. White miso paste is the mildest of the miso pastes and I find it has an almost buttery flavour, which is why it works so well in this recipe. Rich creamy white miso paste helps to cut the butter needed to flavour vegetables in half!
Add miso paste to sauces, yes even your favourite spaghetti sauce, to add richness and depth of flavour.
Toss roasted vegetables in a miso based glaze.
It's yummy in in salad dressings too.
How to use miso paste
Miso paste is full of good-for-you enzymes and probiotics. It is a living food. To keep these beneficial properties, don't boil miso. Add to a finished dish to add flavours at the end, after you have taken the dish off the heat.
Of course, if you do add miso paste to a hot dish and boil or continue to heat the dish, the miso will hold on to its rich flavours. It will just lose some of those good living food properties.
Miso will keep for several months, actually a really long time, in the refrigerator. So a small tub will last a long time. It can be a bit pricey, but it goes a long way and will last a while.
I like to stir into sauces or dishes at the end of cooking time if I can help it.
In this carrot mash, the miso is added just at the end as the carrots are pureed or mashed.
How to make carrot mash with miso
If you can boil carrots you can make this carrot mash with miso.
Simply bring some peeled and chopped carrots to a boil with enough water to cover the carrots. Alternatively, you can steam the carrots.
Once the carrots are tender, remove them from the pot (but keep the cooking liquid) and place them in a blender or food processor. I like a creamy mash, so I use my blender for this. If you like your "mash" with a little more texture go ahead and mash by hand with a potato masher!
Add the miso and small knob of butter to the blender with a tablespoon or two of the carrots cooking liquid. Pulse a few times until carrots are just crushed. Pulse until they are as smooth as you like them.
That's it! Serve.
Garnish:
For a bit of an Asian-inspired flavour, drizzle with a few drops of toasted sesame seed oil and sprinkle with some sesame seeds. Miso works well with toasted sesame.
But more classic flavouring also work so well with miso. Sprinkle the mash with fresh herbs - dill, parsley or chives.
Carrot Mash with Miso
Ingredients
- 1 lb carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon miso paste I used light miso
- 1-2 teaspoon butter or use a vegan butter to keep this recipe vegan
- salt and pepper to taste
- sesame seeds and toated sesame seeed oil for garinsh (optional)
Instructions
- Peel carrots, removing stem ends and cut into 1-inch pieces. Cover carrots with cool water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a low boil or simmer until tender. This will take 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the carrots.
- Using a slotted spoon remove carrots from cooking water, save some of the cooking water, and add the carrots to the base of a blender or food processor. Add in 1 tablespoon of miso paste and a small piece of butter. Place lid on the blender, be sure it is vented as the carrots are hot and will release steam, and pulse several times. Add 1-2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid as needed to get the carrots properly puree in the blender. Pulse several times until just smooth. Taste for seasoning, add additional butter or salt if needed. Serve. Garnish with a few drops of sesame oil or sesame seeds if desired. Fresh herbs are also a nice garnish.
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