Roast carrots with labne, herbs, pistachio + date salsa
Roast carrots with labne, herbs, pistachio + date salsa
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
This was delicious! Roast carrots with a herby, pistachio salsa with pops of date and a little chilli, paired with labne or thick yoghurt. It looks great and as well as just being an great salad to pair with meat or legumes, it would make a lovely addition to the table or alongside a BBQ. Serves 4 as a main salad or up to 8 if it is one of many.
Notes:
Each component can be prepared ahead. Just add the herbs into the salsa just before serving. Make sure the vegetables are at room temperature.
INGREDIENTS
Carrots
600-800 g carrots, peeled and cut into long pieces
1 red onion, sliced into wedges
1 fennel bulb or an extra onion, sliced into wedges
1 tsp honey and
1 tsp vinegar
1 T olive oil
Salt
Salsa
½ cup soft herbs – I used mint and coriander – try parsley and dill would or a combo
2 medjool dates , pit removed and sliced
¼ cup pistachio or pinenuts / slithered almonds
4 spring onions
2 T extra virgin olive
2 T lemon juice
1 green chilli finely chopped or use pickled green chilli peppers - available in Middle Eastern supermarkets
To serve
1 cup labne or seasoned thick yoghurt [simply season Greek style yoghurt with salt and pepper]
Shaved parmesan or crumbled feta
Extra herbs or a sprinkle of sumac
METHOD
Carrots
If the carrots aren’t young spring type carrots, the cut them into long shards. Slice the fennel bulb into wedges and onion thinly. Toss with the honey, vinegar, oil and salt. Roast at 200 for 25-30 minutes.
Salsa
Meanwhile make the salsa by lightly toasting the nut of choice in a dry pan or in a 160-170 degree oven. Rub a little oil on the spring onions and place in a hot pan. Brown on each side, they will go bright green when cooked. A bit of colour on them makes them super yum.
Slice the spring onions and mix with the toasted nuts, chopped dates, olive oil, lemon juice and chilli and season with salt and pepper.
At this point you can just leave everything at room temp and then assemble the salad before eating.
To serve
Spread out the labne on a large serving plate. Pile on the warm or room temperature carrots. Spoon over the salsa and finish with some shavings of parmesan or crumbled feta. Top with extra herbs if you like and a sprinkle of sumac.
Roast carrots with labne, herbs, pistachio + date salsa
Hero the humble carrot.
