Tangy Spanish Carrots – Marinated Carrots Recipe

The first time we had this Spanish carrots recipe was at a tapas bar in Seville on quite a hot day. They were entirely refreshing. Zanahorías aliñadas is a marinated carrots recipe and a good way to use up a bag of carrots that have been sitting in the fridge. They also make a good side dish for any roasted meat or fish, or an easy-to-make-ahead addition to a tapas night.

 
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What Are Zanahorías Aliñadas

This is a typical dish in Andalusia and can be found on tapas menus in cities like Seville or Malaga. Aliñadas means marinated and in this case, the carrots are marinated in white wine vinegar and a bit of garlic. Zanahorías is the Spanish word for carrots.

Although, where we lived in Catalonia, the word for carrots was pastanagas. Just one of the challenges of being a Spanish speaker in Catalonia. 

Unlike in Catalonia, Seville is a city known for its amazing tapas bars and restaurants. The cuisine in the Andalusian region tends to be a little more tangy, fresh, and fragrant than other parts of Spain, mostly because of the African, and in particular, Moroccan influence on the region. 

Looking for vegan tapas? Check out our list of the Best Spanish Vegan Tapas Recipes.

Check out some of our other Spanish and Moroccan Salad Recipes:

Spanish Potato Salad – Ensaladilla Rusa

Papas Arrugadas – Wrinkled Potatoes

Moroccan Beet Salad

Moroccan Carrot Salad

Spanish Pisto – Vegan Spanish Ratatouille

Ingredients For Spanish Carrots

Bags of carrots in Ireland are always big, made for big Irish families. We often need to purchase only a few for a recipe and end up looking for ways to cook carrots in a different way.

This marinated carrots recipe from Southern Spain is a great way to use up excess carrots. It also makes a great addition to a tapas night because it can be made ahead of time. 

The carrots are cooked in salted water. Then, the carrots are marinated in a blend of fresh garlic, oregano, cumin, cumin seeds, black pepper, and sweet paprika.

We love cooking with garlic and often use more than required in a recipe. In this case, though, because the garlic is not cooked, you don’t want to use too much.

The fresh garlic can overpower the dish. I like to add cumin seeds to add a bit of texture to the carrots recipe, but this can be skipped if you don’t have cumin seeds at home.

You can also use smoked paprika, which is sometimes used in Spanish carrots recipes in Andalusia, but I prefer sweet. It’s a preference more than anything. 

Then, all of these ingredients are marinated in a blend of white wine vinegar and water, added to the bowl in equal parts. 

Ingredients For Marinated Carrots: 

• Large carrots peeled
• Salt
• Garlic
• Dried Oregano
• Ground Cumin & Cumin Seeds
• Sweet or Smoked Paprika
• Black Pepper
• White wine vinegar
• Water 
• Spanish olive oil

How To Make This Spanish Carrots Recipe

Fill a medium-sized stockpot with water and salt. Bring the water to a boil. Add the carrots and cook for 10-15 minutes until they just start to soften, but before they get too soft and mushy.

Time should be adjusted based on how big the carrots are. Larger carrots take more time. While the carrots are cooking, prepare the marinade according to the instructions below. 

Remove from the stovetop and drain the water. Rinse the carrots in cool water to stop the cooking process. This will ensure they don’t stay too mushy. Once cool enough to handle, cut the carrots into rounds. 

While the carrots are cooking, in a medium bowl that can be covered, add the pressed garlic, oregano, cumin, cumin seeds, and paprika and blend. Add the vinegar and water and blend with the seasonings. 

When the carrots are cooked and cooled, add them to the bowl. Add any additional vinegar and water in equal amounts until the carrots are covered.

Place a lid on the bowl and place them in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours. Remove the marinated carrots from the fridge, drain the vinegar and water. Place in a serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil before serving. Top with fresh parsley. 

FAQs – Marinated Carrots Recipe