Serves 4 as a side. Or 2 – 3 as a light lunch.
With the increase of interesting heritage and heirloom carrot varieties available now, carrots aren’t just orange, there’s a world of colour out there to really make this dish pop! This salad is great as a casual family lunch on its own or as a side with lemon herb roasted chicken.
Gabi Lind
Ingredients
- Between 5 and 8 baby carrots per person
- 5 shallots peeled and quartered
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 cup dried chickpeas soaked overnight and cooked till tender (instructions to follow), or tinned are totally fine too!
- 3 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 1 Tbsp harissa paste
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon (zest your lemon and save it for later in the freezer)
- 1/4 tsp chinese five spice (optional)
- Beetroot hummus. 4 Tbsp or more if you choose.
- Feta, spinach and your favourite seeds as a garnish (optional)
Method
Preheat oven to 200C.
Clean and top and tail carrots, but don’t peel.
Heat frying pan (oven proof) add shallots and lightly brown before adding carrots, toss together with cumin seeds and seasoning to taste. Roast in oven for 10 – 15 minutes or until the carrots are starting to brown.
Add chickpeas, harissa paste, lemon juice and five spice (if using), check seasoning, adjust if needed, roast for a further 10 minutes, set aside for 5 minutes, while you spread the beetroot hummus over the platter or individual plates.
Sprinkle the hummus with some baby spinach leaves, top with roast carrots and sprinkle with more baby spinach, feta (feel free to be generous) and seeds of your choice.
To make this a more substantial vegetarian meal add pre roasted pumpkin and kumara as you’re plating.
The Kitchen Garden Central Otago 