Description
This foolproof recipe for carrots roasted with honey, lemon, olive oil, and spices is the show-stopping side I can't stop making! Perfectly tender and deeply flavorful, you'll never want carrots another way. Puddles of creamy feta yogurt sauce (um, yes please) and plenty of fresh parsley take them over the top. Impressive enough for guests, approachable enough for weeknights, and on the table in 45 minutes.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the carrots:
- 2 lbs carrots, ends trimmed, peeled then sliced lengthwise into 1/2 inch long pieces
- 2 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp coarse ground black pepper
- 1/2 large lemon, thinly sliced into 1/8 inch pieces then halved
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- good handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
For the feta yogurt sauce:
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt (I use 2%)
- 3 oz quality block of feta in brine, drained (heaping 1/2 cup when crumbled)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper so it's totally covered (it's no fun to clean up honey!).
- Add olive oil, honey, garlic, coriander, salt and pepper to a small bowl. Whisk to combine. It'll be thick! Set aside.
- Slice carrots in half lengthwise. For really large carrots, halve again so they're not too thick. Place on lined baking sheet.
- Spoon honey mixture over carrots. I like to use gloved hands to toss everything together, making sure all carrots are evenly coated. Arrange carrots in an even layer, aiming to have them cut-side down. Scatter lemon piece evenly over top.
- Roast for 20 minutes. Toss carrots and sprinkle with sesame seeds, then roast for another 15 minutes. You can roast longer for more browning if you fancy, just keep an eye on sesame seeds.
- While carrots cook, make feta yogurt sauce. Place yogurt, feta, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor. Blend until well-combined, scraping down sides as needed. Add olive oil and blend again until smooth. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Transfer carrots to a serving dish. Sprinkle liberally with parsley, then dollop with feta sauce (this makes 1 cup sauce, so you'll have leftovers). I like to sprinkle everything with Aleppo pepper flakes. Dig in!