This roasted carrot and crispy chickpea dish is my simple variation on a recipe from the gorgeous Donna Hay magazine. It’s one of those dishes I just love: it looks impressive, but is very quick and easy to make and most importantly: it tastes amazing.
By roasting a bunch of carrots in the oven, they get even sweeter, almost caramelized and intensely flavored, while the roasted chickpeas add a pleasant crunch.
Then all you need to do is remove the vegetables from the oven and sprinkle them with the toppings: strained yogurt (labne) for some fresh creaminess, juicy ruby red pomegranate seeds and green herbs or leaves for color.
The end result is an amazing side dish, that’s perfect with some fish or meat, but one you can also transform into a main meal when you serve it with couscous or other grains. Or make it part of a big mezze table, with lots of dips and flatbread to share.
An easy recipe for labne can be found here, but if you don’t have the time for it, you could also use creamy goat cheese or add a few dollops of thick and creamy Greek yogurt.
INGREDIENTS
serves 4
2 bunches carrots (1.5 lbs/750 g), scrubbed and cleaned
2 tsp sumac*
2 tbsp olive oil
1 can (14 oz/400g) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½ cup (125 g) labne
1 pomegranate, only the seeds
handful of green herbs or leaves, for serving
extra: 2 large oven trays or baking dishes
* sumac is a spice with a tangy lemon flavor and can be found in Middle-Eastern stores or online. I like to use the Dutch brand Souq. If you can’t find it, just use some lemon zest instead.
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
Place the carrots, sumac, 1 tbsp olive oil and some salt and pepper on an oven tray and toss to coat/ Cook for 30-35 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.
Place the chickpeas, remaining oil and some salt and pepper on a separate oven tray and roast for 25-30 minutes, or until crisp.
Top the carrots with the crispy chickpeas, labne, pomegranate seeds and herbs. Serve straightaway or lukewarm.
