Description
These Mediterranean charred carrots pair sweet, deeply browned edges with cool lemon-mint labneh, crunchy pistachios, juicy pomegranate, and crumbled feta. Serve this colorful platter as a side dish or shared appetizer.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
For the carrots
- 2 pounds carrots
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the lemon-mint labneh
- ¾ cup plain labneh or thick plain Greek yogurt
- Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
- Juice of ½ lemon, plus more to taste, up to 1 lemon total
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- 1 handful fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- A pinch of salt, as needed
For the toppings
- 2–3 tablespoons chopped pistachios
- 2–3 tablespoons pomegranate arils
- 1–2 tablespoons crumbled feta
- Optional: a light drizzle of honey or balsamic glaze
- Optional: Aleppo pepper or sumac
- Optional: extra fresh mint or dill
Instructions
Instructions
- Prepare the oven and carrots. Heat the oven to 435°F (about 225°C). Wash, trim, peel, and thoroughly dry the carrots. Halve or quarter thicker carrots lengthwise into pieces roughly ½ inch thick; slender carrots can stay whole. Set out a heavy rimmed metal sheet pan, approximately 13 × 18 inches.
- Season and arrange. Stir together the olive oil, paprika, onion powder, honey, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss with the carrots until evenly coated. Arrange in one layer, with cut sides against the pan where possible. Use a second pan if the carrots overlap.
- Roast until browned and tender. Roast for 20–30 minutes. At 15 minutes, check the undersides and turn the carrots once browned. Begin checking the thickest pieces with a fork at 20 minutes; the fork should slide in with little resistance. Remove any pieces that finish early. If the carrots darken before becoming tender, reduce the oven to 375°F (190°C), loosely cover with foil, and check every 5 minutes.
- Mix the labneh. While the carrots roast, stir the lemon zest, garlic, and chopped mint into the labneh. Add lemon juice gradually, starting with 1 tablespoon. Taste before adding more juice or salt. Keep the mixture thick enough to hold a spoon mark, and refrigerate until needed.
- Rest and assemble. Let the cooked carrots rest outside the oven for 5 minutes. Spread the labneh across a wide serving platter. Arrange the warm carrots over it, leaving some labneh visible. Leave any blackened glaze on the roasting pan.
- Add the toppings. Scatter over the pistachios, pomegranate, and feta. Add any optional herbs, Aleppo pepper, or sumac. Taste the layers together before adding a drizzle of honey or balsamic glaze. Serve.
Notes
Notes
- Timing: Allow 40–50 minutes overall, including the 5-minute rest. The listed total uses the longer roasting time and assumes prepared labneh.
- Labneh substitute: Use the same amount of thick plain Greek yogurt. Making labneh from scratch requires additional straining time.
- Better browning: Dry the carrots thoroughly, leave space between them, and mix the honey evenly into the dressing.
- Make ahead: Prepare the carrots and mix the labneh a day ahead. Refrigerate separately and add the toppings just before serving.
- Substitutions: Replace pistachios with chopped toasted almonds or walnuts, or omit the nuts. Dill or parsley can replace mint.
- Dairy-free or vegan: Use thick unsweetened dairy-free yogurt and omit the feta. For a vegan version, also replace the honey with maple syrup.
- Leftovers: Refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F (32°C), and use within 3 days. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below. Reheat carrots separately at 350°F (175°C) until they reach 165°F (74°C), then add chilled labneh and fresh toppings.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 5 minutes:
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Mediterranean