A List of the 5 Best Carrot Substitutes

You don’t need to be Bugs Bunny to know how tasty and nutritious carrots are. But what’ll happen if you’re preparing salad or soup, and you realize that you don’t have a carrot in the fridge? Is there any carrot substitute that you can use instead?

I particularly love carrots especially when I juice it. I think that next to watermelon juice, carrot juice is the tastiest out there. It’s not only yummy but also very nutritious.

What is a carrot?

carrots grown on the ground

The carrot could be one of the more popular vegetables of all time. And it’s not because of Bugs Bunny, although let’s give him credit for making the little ones more familiar with carrots.

Carrots are tasty, crunchy, and very versatile. Aside from juicing it, you can also mash and grate it. Or dip them in equal parts cream cheese and sour cream.

Another reason why carrots are widely enjoyed around the world is the ease of growing them. It can also be incorporated in many dishes.

Top substitutes for carrots

While carrots are widely used in many cuisines, it doesn’t mean that it is indispensable. Here are some of the best replacements for Bugs’ favorite food:

1. Squash

types of Squash

Squash has a sweet and earthy flavor which makes it a good replacement for a carrot. But you just don’t replace carrots with squash. It would depend on the dish you are preparing.

I recommend replacing carrot with squash if you are making certain soups like carrot and cashew soup. Winter squash should complement the taste of cashew and affect the texture and taste of the soup. Butternut squash’s flavor is a bit sweeter, while acorn squash’s flavor is a little earthier.

In using squash instead of carrots, simply use the same amount of carrots as stated in the recipe that you are following.

2. Parsnips

Parsnips on the table

Parsnips look like carrots, except for the fact that the latter have an orange color. In terms of color, parsnips have a sweet herbal flavor. You can combine these two vegetables together for a nutritious and yummy recipe.

And in case you don’t have carrots in your fridge, you can use parsnips instead.

You can use the same amount of parsnip as stated in the recipe that you are following. But keep in mind that since parsnips are softer than carrots, this root vegetable will need a shorter cooking time.

I suggest that you add parsnip to soup and stew toward the end of the cooking time so that you can avoid mushy parsnips.

You should also peel parsnips before cooking, just like you would with carrots.

3. Beets

Beets on the chopping board and a knife on the table

Similar to parsnip, beets are a type of root vegetables. Its color can vary, from orange to dark purple. Its leafy top can also be eaten.

Beets can be steamed, boiled, or roasted. It can also be used in soups just like carrots. And yes, you can also use it in lieu of the popular orange vegetable.

You can use beets in the same way that you use carrot in any recipe that you are following because the taste of beets is close to the taste of carrots. In my experience, beets can replace carrots in soups, salads, and smoothies.

4. Zucchini

Zucchini and sliced Zucchini on the chopping board

When it comes to summer vegetables, zucchini should be one of the most popular. And why not? It is very abundant in the hot months. You can easily grow it and end up with a bumper crop.

Just like carrots, zucchini is very nutritious. It is rich in vitamin A, aside from having very few calories. And there are lots of ways to cook it, from breads, salads, and yes, juice.

Speaking of juice, you can use zucchini in any juicing recipe that requires carrots. You can use a large zucchini in lieu of 3 medium sized carrots. So if the recipe you are following says you need 10 carrots, you can substitute 3 large zucchinis.

5. Cucumber

a basket of cucumbers and cucumbers on the table

Last in our list is cucumber. Compared to zucchini, cucumber has more juice which makes it an ideal substitute to carrot for vegetable juice recipes. Cucumbers are also larger than most zucchinis, so you can get more juice from this vegetable.

You can use one large cucumber for 5 carrots needed in the recipe. So if the recipe calls for 10 carrots, you need to have two large cucumbers.

You can replace carrots with zucchinis for juice and salad recipes.

Conclusion

carrots on the table

Just like other fruits and vegetables such as ripe avocado and squash, carrot is a super food because it is so nutritious. But this doesn’t mean that it is indispensable in most recipes. As you have learned, there are other foods that you can use in lieu of carrots.

Did you learn anything valuable after reading this article? I hope so. Please don’t forget to share this article with your friends so they would know what to use for a particular recipe in case they don’t have carrots at home.