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Carrot Ginger Sauce

March 14, 2012

When it comes to my kids, if they're offered rice or pasta they pretty much could care less what its mixed with. But when I served this Carrot Ginger Sauce tossed with long strands of noodles they were dubious. What was this "orange pasta" sitting on their plates?

That initial skepticism changed almost immediately after their first bites. With sweetness from the carrots, salty flavor from the miso and nuttiness from the tahini, they were so hooked by the incredible taste, I think they're going to start paying a lot more attention to what's on their pasta and rice from now on!

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Carrot Ginger Sauce  (1 cup )

  • Prep Time:1 minutes,
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes,
  • Total Time: 17 minutes,

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced
  • 4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons miso
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 2 tablespoons water

Preparation

  1. 1. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.
  2. 2. Add garlic and sauté until soft, about 30 seconds.
  3. 3. Add ginger and carrots.
  4. 4. Cover and cook until carrots are soft, about 15 minutes.
  5. 5. Transfer to a food processor and add the miso, tahini and water.
  6. 6. Puree until smooth.
  7. 7. Serve tossed with pasta, soba, udon noodles or rice.
  9. * Stays fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Accompaniments: Soba Noodles, Brown Rice, Pasta

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Comments






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  1. Nicolette Pink

    April 28, 2013 at 3:44 pm

    Reply

    What color miso do you use? I believe there is brown, white and yellow? I could be wrong :)

    • catherine

      April 29, 2013 at 11:57 am

      Reply

      White or Yellow! The brown (or red) miso would be too strong in this, I think!

  2. neelum

    April 12, 2013 at 8:58 pm

    Reply

    hye wanna give u a suggestion when u give a recipe for kids plz make its video :-)

  3. levijel

    April 7, 2013 at 2:10 pm

    Reply

    This was terrific. Everyone ate it – ages 14 down to 5. Thank you!

  4. Hannah Brown

    March 28, 2013 at 6:22 pm

    Reply

    My 2 year old daughter is coeliac and can’t have miso. Just wondered if you could suggest an alternative ingredient that I could substitute it with as this sounds delicious!

    • catherine

      March 29, 2013 at 10:13 am

      Reply

      There is really no substitute for miso as it is such a unique flavor! You could try using maybe tahini instead? That would still provide the nutty flavor!

  5. Diedre

    March 13, 2013 at 8:20 pm

    Reply

    So frustrated. Tried this with my 2 toddler boys and they did not like it. Can not seem to get my 3 yo old to eat any vegetables (pureed, plain, with dip, etc). Oh well, it was good on my pasta.

  6. Rhonda Price

    March 6, 2013 at 5:36 pm

    Reply

    Love the recipes.

  7. cbm

    February 27, 2013 at 8:18 pm

    Reply

    Hi! Made this tonight and my 14 mth old loved it! Hooray! Can you freeze this sauce? Wasn’t sure b/c of the miso. Thanks!

    • catherine

      February 28, 2013 at 11:30 am

      Reply

      Yes! This sauce freezes beautifully! It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Either defrost in the fridge or in a saucepan over medium heat!

  8. mkk

    January 27, 2013 at 8:51 am

    Reply

    Has anyone tried freezing this sauce?

  9. Diana @ Eating Made Easy

    December 6, 2012 at 2:36 pm

    Reply

    Such interesting flavors in this sauce. Looks great paired with angel hair pasta too. Def on next weeks menu!

  10. Amy

    October 6, 2012 at 2:44 pm

    Reply

    Awesome awesome recipe!

  11. Lynnedays

    September 3, 2012 at 7:56 am

    Reply

    I really liked this – easy and nice way to get veggies into kids who still bulk at them in their original form (like my son). He is a super picky eater though and wouldnt’even try it (still going through a fear of new foods) – but my younger daughter loved it! I really had to add alot more water though to get the smooth consistency I wanted…but I liked the soft asian taste this had – perfect for kids.

  12. Azure

    July 9, 2012 at 8:00 pm

    Reply

    My whole family, including my 18 month old, my husband, and my sister (who remarked as she watched me prepare it, “Ew, miso paste?”) LOVED it! I found that I had to add a whole lot more water than the recipe called for, though, and a bit of salt, too.

  13. J

    July 4, 2012 at 6:12 am

    Reply

    Dd (22 mo) ate 3 servings last night! I didn’t use miso…just added olive oil and more salt. A big hit!

  14. mommyagot

    May 4, 2012 at 1:48 am

    Reply

    Hi Catherine, my son is allergic to nuts and soy. Can you pls. give other suggestions? i love this recipe because my son loves to eat carrots. Thanks!!

    • catherine

      May 7, 2012 at 11:47 am

      Reply

      You can leave them out altogether and add a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor of the remaining ingredients! The miso and tahini add saltiness and a nutty flavor that is pretty unique and difficult to substitute if you can’t use a different nut product.

  15. Krista

    April 4, 2012 at 7:46 am

    Reply

    Any tips for keeping the garlic from getting too brown/burning since it’s the first thing in the pan?

    • catherine

      April 4, 2012 at 12:51 pm

      Reply

      Make sure your heat is medium, not too hot. And you only saute the garlic for 30 seconds before adding everything else!

  16. Clara

    March 30, 2012 at 9:20 pm

    Reply

    My husband and two and a half year old loved this , and so did I. I served it with whole wheat spaghetti, broccoli and shelled edamame. My husband liked this a lot better than a peanut/tahini/ ginger sauce I usually make. We thought next time we’ll make it more substantial by serving it with shrimp or baked tofu. For those looking for miso paste, it’s in the refrigerated section, sometimes with the tofu. It’s awesome for soups thrown together at the last minute with whatever veggies you have in the fridge and those last strands of spaghetti in your box.

  17. Pingback: Five Friday Finds :: Morsels of Life

  18. Judy

    March 22, 2012 at 6:56 pm

    Reply

    I haven’t been able to find miso in the two supermarkets I shop in. Is there anything I could substitute for the miso? Also, is hummus tahini the same thing as tahini?

    BTW, both my grandson who’s 14 months old and my daughter are addicted to the zucchini-broccoli pancakes!

    • catherine

      March 23, 2012 at 3:28 pm

      Reply

      Trader Joe’s carries miso! Miso is such a unique flavor there isn’t really a good substitute.

      Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds. If the “hummus tahini” is just that then it is fine. If it lists garbanzo beans or any other flavorings on the label then it is not the same thing. Sometimes it is labeled “tehina” in the Kosher section of the grocery.

  19. Elodie

    March 18, 2012 at 7:39 am

    Reply

    We tried this today (without the miso and we replaced garlic with shallots): it’s really easy and the results was just perfect!

  20. Sophie

    March 18, 2012 at 4:16 am

    Reply

    Hi Catherine,

    In the picture, the carrot doesn’t look chopped. Do you put it in the food processor?
    Thanks!

    • catherine

      March 19, 2012 at 11:25 am

      Reply

      Oh those carrots in the background of the photo are just for a pretty decoration! I do roughly chop the carrots before cooking. No need to use the food processor since its just a quick rough chop with the Chef’s Knife! :)

  21. CJ @ Morsels of Life

    March 17, 2012 at 12:59 pm

    Reply

    I’m a fan of these recipes where it’s easy and tasty eats! I’ll have to give this a try. :)

  22. @HilaryFleming

    March 16, 2012 at 4:44 pm

    Reply

    Catherine, I made this for my family as well as your “No work Chicken” and my family loved it. My husband seriously wouldn’t shut up about the chicken. As for the carrot ginger sauce, I loved the consistency with the noodles. I added some Gomasio seasoning on the top and roasted some Turkey-veggie meatballs (ground turkey with shredded zucchini, shredded carrot, diced red pepper, shallots and garlic. Then I seasoned the meat with Bragg liquid aminos, garlic, and cumin. The result was a a sweet and nutty Asian infusion and a huge hit with the family. Then I added a sweet chili sauce mixed with soy sauce to dip the meat/noodle combo (because the carrot-ginger sauce wasnt too runny and my son is a “dipper”) and it was kind of amazing. I think the whole meal took me less than 30 minutes. Thanks for the meal inspiration. This will definitely be in my bi-weekly rotation from here on out. :)

  23. Renee

    March 14, 2012 at 11:33 pm

    Reply

    My son is not allergic to tomatoes, but they are just too acidic for him so we don’t eat tomato sauce. I use pesto a lot and garlic cream, but this will be another great alternative. Thanks!

  24. Naomi

    March 14, 2012 at 8:03 pm

    Reply

    Diana, we always buy Organic Miso Master brand. If you want a softer miso flavor, you can get barley, chickpea or mellow white miso – the red kinds are a bit more deeply flavored.
    I’m making this sauce right now and am adding additional carrots to cut the intensity. I plan to serve it over tofu and quinoa for lunch tomorrow! Tofu is my 17 month olds favorite food but sometimes I want to add something extra…. hope this works!

  25. Diana

    March 14, 2012 at 6:35 pm

    Reply

    I love the carrot-ginger salad dressings served at Japanese restaurants – this reminds me of those (not sure if the ingredients are the same) !

    Can anyone recommend a good brand of miso and where to buy it? Also which color? I got one at Ranch99 that was so salty and icky I have avoided miso ever since. But I love restaurant items made with miso so I must’ve bought the wrong stuff.

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