Harissa roasted carrots with chickpeas and labneh

Sweet, caramelized carrots with a subtle note of heat, crispy chickpeas, tangy labneh, crunchy pistachios and pomegranate arils, and refreshing mint make for a delicious, nourishing, and healthy meal. This harissa roasted carrot dish is perfect as a main or can be scaled up to feed a crowd. Thank you to Filippo Berio for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Beyond Sweet and Savory possible.

How is the start of 2020 going for you? For me I’m slowly easing into it and focusing on bringing joy back to home cooking. I’m so excited to partner with Filippo Berio to show you how delicious, nourishing, and healthy food can be. Good food doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming. I want to introduce you to simple dishes with big flavors using quality ingredients like a good organic olive oil and farmers market produce. For the first recipe of this new series, I’m sharing one of my go to carrot dishes, harissa roasted carrots with chickpeas and labneh. 

I can eat carrots every week and never get tired of them. With their crisp crunch, bright flavor, and natural sweetness, they’re a wonderful fridge staple. Roasting is one of my favorite ways to eat root vegetables. Carrots are sweet enough that they don’t need much. For this dish, just toss them in a quality organic olive oil, harissa, and a touch of honey. I love using Filippo Berio organic extra virgin olive oil since their fresh, fruity notes complement the flavors of carrots and harissa. I love their range of quality olive oils that’s perfect for cooking, roasting, salad dressing, or as a drizzle over soup and veggies. 

How to prepare carrots for roasting

To prepare the carrots, simply chop off the green parts, wash them under cold water, and gently scrub them using a brush to remove as much dirt as possible. Organic grown carrots can be eaten unpeeled. If you’re short on time, peeling the skin is more efficient than scrubbing them.

Once the carrots are prepped, I tossed them in a mixture of organic extra virgin olive oil, harissa, honey, salt, and pepper. If you haven’t used harissa before, it’s a popular North African and Middle Eastern staple made of chilies and spices. For those who can’t handle the heat fear not! Harissa has a mild heat that lends richness and depth to your veggies unlike the fiery habanero.

I prefer harissa paste over powder since it does a much better job of imparting flavor. A little goes a long way and you can find it at many Middle Eastern supermarkets. Once the carrots are well coated, lay them in a single layer on a roasting pan and roast them for 25-30 minutes until tender. To check if they are ready, pierce the carrots using the tip of a knife. If it goes in and out easily, they’re done cooking. If not, let them roast for a few more minutes and check again. 

While the carrots are in oven, you can prep the chickpeas for roasting. Simply toss them in organic extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast them for 20-25 minutes in a separate roasting pan along with the carrots until crispy. I love the chickpeas in this dish because they lend an additional protein source and bump up the texture.

What to pair roasted carrots with

Roasting carrots will caramelize them and impart a flavorful texture on the outside without sacrificing their snappy texture. I love adding labneh to this dish because it absorbs flavors very well, especially spices like harissa. If you haven’t heard of labneh before, it’s a soft cheese made from strained yogurt that’s quite popular in Middle Eastern cuisine. It picks up and mellows out the heat in the harissa and complements the natural sweetness of carrots. If you can’t find labneh, a Greek yogurt, crumbled feta, or goats’ cheese works really well too.

This delicious harissa roasted carrot dish works as a main course and not just a supporting side dish. Sweet, caramelized carrots with a subtle note of heat, crispy chickpeas, tangy labneh, crunchy pistachios and pomegranate arils, and refreshing mint make for a delicious, nourishing, and healthy meal. I love how everything comes together in less than 60 minutes including prep and roasting. 

If you want additional greens, spinach, kale, or arugula would go well with this dish. For a side, this makes a generous quantity and any leftovers keep well in the fridge for the next day. You can also chop up any leftover carrots and mix with cooked lentils or your favorite grain and have another delicious meal for the next day!

This harissa roasted carrots with chickpeas and labneh dish transforms the humble carrots into a delicious, flavorful, and nourishing meal that will become your family staple.

For more vegetarian inspiration, check out these recipes: roasted hasselback butternut squash, zaatar roasted romanesco steaks, roasted carrots and beets.