What to use instead of carrot
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Sweet aromatic in a mirepoix or soffritto
It is the sugar in the base. Cooked slowly it balances the onion's sharpness and the acid from wine or tomato, and it adds body as it breaks down.
ParsnipRan out
1:1 by weight, diced larger
Sweeter with an aniseed edge, and it collapses faster, which is why the dice goes up a size.
Red bell pepperRan out
1:1 by weight
Sweet with no starch, so the base stays looser and the colour goes orange-red.
Celeriac + sugarRan out
1:1 by weight, plus 1 tsp sugar per 2 carrots
Savoury and nutty. Without the sugar the finished stew tastes noticeably flat.
Sweet potatoRan out
1:1 by weight, added in the last 20 min
Much sweeter and it dissolves into the sauce, thickening it. Added early it disappears completely.
What doesn't work: Leaving the carrot out and adding a spoonful of sugar instead. Sugar sweetens, but a slowly softened carrot also brings body and a roasted-vegetable depth, so the sauce comes out sweet and thin.
Crunchy raw shred in a slaw or salad
Dense and low in water, so it holds its snap in dressing for hours where softer vegetables go limp within minutes.
Kohlrabi, juliennedRan out
1:1 by weight
Crisper and milder, and the closest match for texture. No orange colour in the bowl.
Daikon or watermelon radishRan out
1:1 by weight, salted and drained 20 min first
Peppery and much juicier. Skip the draining and it waters the dressing down within the hour.
JicamaRan out
1:1 by weight
Wetter and sweeter, and it snaps where carrot shreds. It holds its crunch in dressing for the best part of a day.
Red cabbage, shredded fineRan out
1:1 by volume
More bitter, and it bleeds purple through the whole bowl within an hour.
What doesn't work: Pre-shredded bagged carrot for a slaw you are making ahead. It was cut days earlier and has dried at the edges, so it goes limp in dressing within an hour where fresh-shredded holds a day.
Bulk vegetable that survives an hour in a stew
Dense and low in water, so it holds its shape and stays as distinct pieces while softer vegetables dissolve into the sauce.
Turnip or swedeRan out
1:1 by weight
Peppery and less sweet, so the stew needs a pinch of sugar or a splash of cider to balance.
ParsnipRan out
1:1 by weight, added 15 min later than the carrot would go in
Sweeter and softer, and it will fall apart if you give it the full hour.
Winter squash, cubedRan out
1:1 by weight, added in the last 25 min
Sweet and it thickens the sauce as the edges break down. In from the start it is soup.
Waxy potatoesRan out
1:1 by weight
No sweetness at all, and they soak up salt from the broth, so taste before you season at the end.
What doesn't work: Frozen sliced carrots in at the start. They were blanched before freezing, so an hour in a stew turns them into orange mush. Stir them in for the last 10 minutes.