Roast Carrots with Labneh & Pistachios
Sweet roasted carrots sit on a bed of creamy labneh with a sharp and refreshing lemon herb dressing, topped with crunchy, fragrant pistachios. This is a wonderful fresh and healthy Levantine mezze plate or side dish.
Servings: 4
Calories: 270kcal
Ingredients
- Small bunch of baby carrots around 600g
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp for roasting, 2 tbsp for dressing
- 250 g labneh
- 1 small bunch fresh dill chopped (8g)
- Black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 30 g toasted pistachios
- ½ lemon zest & juice
- Pinch of ground cumin for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200ºC/400ºF
- Cut each carrot in half, lengthways. Arrange the carrots on a baking sheet and pour over the olive oil. Toss the carrots through the olive oil to ensure they’re evenly coated. Season lightly with a little salt and pepper.
- Roast in the oven for 30 minutes until just beginning to char. Remove and set aside to cool.
- Arrange the pistachios on a small baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes alongside the carrots. Remove and cool completely, then roughly chop.
- On a large serving platter, spread out the labneh into a thin layer.
- Arrange the carrots (warm or at room temperature) on top of the labneh.
- To make the dressing, whisk together the remaining olive oil with the lemon juice, lemon zest and dill.
- Scatter the pistachios over the carrots and then drizzle the dressing over everything
- Finally, season lightly with a little salt and pepper and a pinch of cumin over everything.
Notes
- Roast until caramelised. The carrots should be tender with lightly charred edges for the best balance of sweetness and texture.
- Let the carrots cool slightly. Warm or room-temperature carrots sit much better on the cool labneh than piping hot ones.
- Toast the pistachios. Just five minutes in the oven deepens their flavour and adds extra crunch.
- Use fresh dill. Its bright, herbaceous flavour is the perfect partner for sweet roasted carrots and tangy labneh.
- Make it your own. Swap the carrots for roasted beetroot, cauliflower, sweet potato or peppers, and use walnuts, pine nuts or pecans instead of pistachios if you prefer.
Nutrition
Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 417mg | Potassium: 666mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 25115IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 1mg