Sweet & Sour Carrots aka Copper Pennies
Here’s my mama’s recipe for Copper Pennies, also known as Sweet & Sour Carrots. If you’ve never tried this and love tangy veggie salads, you’re in for a treat that you’ll crave the rest of your life! 
Hello Everybody from Mama, Today I made Copper Pennies or marinated carrots. These babies are delicious. I first tasted these at a small café in Decatur, AL. They were served with the delicious Chicken Poulet (which Christy says translates as chicken chicken) and a hot homemade roll. My sister and I ate there whenever we got the chance and hate it that they have since closed.
I’m sure everyone remembers a favorite café that served that one dish that they cannot get out of their heads. These carrots and Poulet are those recipes for me and my sister. We are so lucky to have since found the recipes so that we can serve them to our friends and family. I love to make these two dishes whenever we are having friends over the weekend since both can be made ahead. I hate to have people over and then spend all my time in the kitchen. The wonderful thing about the carrots is that they will keep for about 4 weeks in the refrigerator. While they make a great side dish, they are equally good with soup and a sandwich. Heck, I sat down and ate a bowl of them by myself without anything at all. Even kids seem to like them. My grandson who is 16 months old couldn’t get enough of them.
The ingredients for today’s Sweet and sour carrots recipe are :
- Tomato soup
- Vegetable oil
- Sugar
- White vinegar
- Dry mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- Salt
- Pepper
- Onions
- Bell pepper
- Carrots
Keep scrolling for the printable recipe card.
To start:
Peel and slice the carrots into round coins. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Heat to boil over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until carrots are tender when pricked with a fork, about 10 minutes.
Drain the carrots and let cool. Add chopped bell pepper and onions and stir to distribute.
In a saucepan, whisk together the soup, oil, sugar, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Bring to boil over medium heat while whisking for 2-3 minutes. Set off heat and let cool to room temperature.
Pour sauce over the sweet and sour carrot mixture and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
Ingredients
- 10 carrots peeled and sliced (about 5 cups)
- 1 medium onion fined diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 small green pepper fined diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 can tomato soup undiluted
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place the carrots in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until tender when pricked with a fork.
- Drain the carrots, add the onions and bell peppers and set aside to cool.
- Combine soup, oil, sugar, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper with a whisk in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat while whisking to combine soup and oil. Continue to cook and whisk for about 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside and cool to room temperature.
- Pour the sauce mixture over the carrot mixture and stir to combine. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.Serve cold from the refrigerator.
Nutrition
“Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.”
~Zig Ziglar
Love and appreciate all of the dedication you put into this wonderful site! Fabulous recipes and inspirational blogs!!!
I made me these when I worked as the salad maker/salad bar supervisor at a local restaurant. Th seemed so strange, but people loved them. I probably made them half dozen times before i had the nerve to eat them myself…then I saw what the big deal was! Yummy!
Christy, i am wonderingif you plan to do a whole year of scripture writing? I am enjoying this months so much. it gives me a very needed time with God. I could do it on my own, but i like you giving me the verses to write, makes me feel like I Have To Do It
Thanks so much!
Margaret
I am going to do my best Margaret, hopefully I will get one up every month. 🙂
Welcome back Mama! Enjoyed reading your post. I am from Decatur and know the tea room you were referring to. That particular entree was my favorite! Marinated carrots are one of my favorite dishes. My Mom always makes them with me in mind. Thanks for the memories. Southern Plate is the best!
Thanks so much for your kind comments. Mama
Also this cafe had a wonderful strawberry pretzel salad.
I have never had copper pennies. These sound really good and the kids would probably like them too!
Please give these a try and let us know what you think about them. They are seriously delicious.
I just recently discovered this website and I LOVE IT!
I love the recipes but I also really love the stories. I have so many of your recipes that I’m planning to try.
Thank you for all you do for your readers!
Delighted to have this recipe! Could you please share the Chicken Poulet recipe too?
I’m sorry! I meant to include a link to there. Here it is: https://southernplatecom.bigscoots-staging.com/2009/09/mamas-chicken-poulet-or-chicken-chicken.html
Discovered these long ago at a local restaurant and made them ever since. They were served with the thinnest slices of garlic melba toast and I still like them that way. I sometimes use canned sliced carrots to make it faster if I want some and don’t want to go to the store for fresh ones and they taste just as good. Welcome back, Carol.
That is a wonderful idea. I’ll have to try making them using the canned carrots. It would save a lot of prep. Don’t know why that never occurred to me.
I always use frozen carrots. Just thaw & drain. I don’t even cook them at all but you could pop them in the microwave for awhile per bag instructions if you like a softer texture.
Old post I know, with the recipe even okder but both still good. I think most of Chattanooga, Tn had their first taste at Gulas Restaurant, Brainerd Rd. across from Eastgate owned by Mike Gulas, one of the 4 Greek brothers and sister who gave much to the area and the Country.
I am making my mothers old recipe tomorrow and decided to google to compare and found this pleasing site. My mothers recipe(Gulas recipe) calls for 2 cans sliced carrots so I assume I’ve never had fresh. All other ingredients same but amts vary, such as mine calls for 1 tbsp Worcestershire.
Welcome to Southern Plate! Glad you found us 🙂