Carrot “Hot Dogs” (Paleo, Vegan, Whole30)

I don’t think it’s unfair to say that paleo diets have a lot of meat as a staple. Paleo diets rely heavily on the meat as a center, and while many people state that as a reason why paleo diets are satisfying and easier to stick to, I personally get tired of meat. As a former vegetarian, both the Whole30 and paleo diets feel extremely meat-heavy, and often I find myself wanting to find non-meat alternatives. These carrot “hot dogs” are the perfect solution to your BBQ needs – they taste like meat-based hot dogs and have that hot-dog texture, and you can bring them to your get together around the grill!

I have to say that when I was a vegetarian, the only real thing that I missed eating was hot dogs. I’m not even joking – you could have put a steak in front of me and I would have said no all day, but I always had a hard time saying no to hot dogs. I wish I had known how easy it was to make these carrot hot dogs, since they satisfy everything you could ever want in a hot dog without the meat!

Obviously, if you are doing a paleo diet or Whole30 diet, you might not be able to use the gluten free bun. For my Whole30 people, I honestly eat these carrots the way I have eaten hot dogs for years – with a fork, and dipped in mustard and relish. It’s really up to you, but I find these so satisfying and delicious that I will be eating these all summer long, bun or no bun!

How to make Carrot “Hot Dogs”

You don’t need anything fancy to make this recipe, but I will say that one of the key components is cooking them over a real grill (as opposed to a counter top George Foreman type grill). That smokey flavor and charred outside is something that you really need to bring all these flavors together.

For this recipe, you will need:

• carrots
• coconut aminos
• apple cider vinegar
• water
• garlic powder
• onion powder

First, clean your carrots so that they are free of any dirt. Next, steam them for about 20 minutes on the stove. They should be fork-tender but not falling apart.

While the carrots are steaming, combine the coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, water, garlic powder, and onion powder in a large contain that will fit all the carrots.

Once the carrots have steamed, add them to the marinade and allow them to marinate over night. I have let them marinate for up to two days and they do get a stronger vinegar taste with time. If you don’t enjoy a strong vinegar taste, you might want to only marinate it over night.

Once your carrots have marinated, grill them on the grill like you would any other hot dog. Serve with your favorite gluten free bun (or not gluten free bun 🙂 ) and with your favorite toppings!

Enjoy!