These lightly spiced carrots are a perfect easy-but-elegant side dish for spring! Roast whole carrots with a few spices, then top with a dill and carrot top pesto and toasted almonds. Serve over tangy, creamy yogurt for a delicious bite.
With an array of textures and bright, punchy flavors, this easy carrot recipe feels like it's straight out of a restaurant. It's also easy to customize: Use this recipe as a loose formula, and feel free to adapt for whatever ingredients you have on hand!
Ingredients Overview
Scroll to the recipe card below for a full ingredients list with exact quantities.
Before you jump in, we want to highlight a few things:
- Fresh carrots with greens. Scrub carrots well, and save the leafy greens - we'll use them in the pesto! Carrot tops have a mild, delicate flavor with a slightly earthy note.
- Fresh dill rounds out our pesto and gives this recipe a bright punch of spring flavor. Swap the dill for cilantro, parsley, or mint if you like.
- Sliced almonds are toasted in a skillet for extra depth and flavor. Use half in the pesto; save the rest for topping the carrots.
- Cumin and smoked paprika. We kept the spice blend fairly mild here: Double it if you'd like more intensity.
- Labneh is a thick, tangy yogurt cheese popular in many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. Homemade labneh or store-bought labne both work here.
Variations and Substitutions
- Swap the labneh for plain Greek yogurt, whipped ricotta, whipped feta cheese, whipped goat cheese, or hummus.
- Use walnuts or pistachios instead of almonds.
- Adjust the spices. Onion powder, garlic powder, ginger, cayenne pepper, za'atar, dukkah, coriander, or chili powder are all delicious with roasted carrots. Adjust the spice blend to suit your tastes!
- For a sweet note, add a drizzle of honey or maple syrup just before the carrots are done (à la our maple roasted brussels sprouts); for extra spice, toss the carrots with a bit of harissa before roasting.
- Extra toppings. Add a drizzle of tahini, some lemon zest, fresh herbs (or extra carrot leaves), or toasted sesame seeds.
Instructions
Toast the almonds
Place the nuts in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook them for just a few minutes, stirring frequently, until they're fragrant and have barely darkened in color.
Pro Tip: You can skip this step if you need to. But if you have time, toasting the almonds will bring out a TON of extra flavor.
Make the pesto
Add carrot tops, dill, and lemon juice to a food processor with a pinch of kosher salt and half of your toasted almonds (Image 1, above). Save the rest of the almonds for topping the carrots later on!
Pulse everything a few times to break it up (2). Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the food processor if needed.
Fun fact: We use a similar technique in our grilled barramundi recipe, which features a radish top pesto.
With the food processor running, slowly stream in olive oil until you have a thick pesto (3). You may not need all of the olive oil here!
We tend to keep this pesto fairly thick, so it still has a bit of texture (4). Add a few more Tablespoons of olive oil if you'd like a thinner, more drizzle-able consistency!
Pro Tip: This recipe makes quite a bit of pesto - you won't need it all! Add as much pesto as you like to the carrots, then save the rest in an airtight container for other recipes (like a quick pesto salad dressing!) throughout the week.
Roast the carrots
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then add carrots, spices, and a drizzle of olive oil (5). Toss the carrots until they're evenly coated with the spices, and arrange in a single layer (6).
Roast at 425° F for 20-25 minutes, flipping the carrots halfway (7) to help them brown evenly.
When carrots are done, they should show some light browning and be tender enough to easily pierce with a fork (8).
Assemble
Spread a thick layer of labneh over a large serving plate (above).
Arrange the roasted carrots on top of the yogurt, then top with a drizzle of pesto and the rest of your toasted almonds (below).
FAQs
It's totally up to you! If we're using fresh spring carrots and have scrubbed them well, we can typically get away without peeling the carrots. When using larger carrots with especially thick or marred skin, we'll often peel them simply for aesthetic purposes. We peeled the carrots in the photos above.
You can do most of this prep in advance if you like. Toast the almonds, let them cool, then store in an airtight container on the counter. Make the pesto up to 3 days in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge (you can also freeze this pesto for several months if you like).
Pair these carrots with a quick lemon arugula salad for a fresh spring lunch or dinner.
Add your favorite protein - we love a quick mustard salmon, artichoke spinach chicken, lemon steelhead recipe, or baked garlic shrimp.
For an elegant date night dinner, pair these carrots with our pesto mahi mahi or this honey glazed steelhead trout.
This recipe is also a great savory side dish for holidays like Easter or Mother's Day! Add an asparagus and salmon quiche, leek frittata, puff pastry eggs, or herb biscuits for a bright spring brunch spread.
No worries! You can skip the carrot tops and make this pesto entirely with dill. You can also substitute parsley for the carrot tops in this pesto recipe if you like.
📖 Recipe
Roasted Carrots with Dill Pesto and Labneh
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2-4 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Mediterranean Inspired
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Lightly spiced carrots are roasted until tender and served with creamy, tangy yogurt, toasted almonds, and a quick homemade pesto.
Ingredients
For the toasted almonds:
- ½ cup sliced almonds
For the carrots:
- 1 large bunch carrots, with fresh green carrot tops attached (about 12 carrots)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
For the pesto:
- 1 packed cup carrot tops
- 2 packed cups fresh dill
- Juice of ½ lemon (about 2 Tablespoons)
- Kosher salt, to taste
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (you may not need it all)
To serve:
- ½ cup labneh or plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425° Fahrenheit.
- Toast the sliced almonds in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside. You’ll use half of the almonds in the pesto; save the other half for topping the carrots.
- Prep the carrots. Wash carrots well and trim off the leafy green tops. Discard any brown or mushy greens, then save the rest for the pesto (about 1 packed cup). Cut any especially large carrots in half lengthwise to ensure even cooking. Note: You can peel the carrots if you like!
- Make the pesto. In the bowl of a food processor, combine carrot tops, dill, half of the toasted almonds, lemon juice, and a pinch of kosher salt. Pulse a few times to break everything up. With the food processor running, stream in olive oil a Tablespoon at a time until pesto has come together. You may not need all of the olive oil!
- Roast the carrots. Toss carrots, olive oil, salt, cumin, and paprika together on a large sheet pan lined with parchment, then arrange them in an even layer. Roast at 425° F for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until carrots are cooked through and lightly browned.
- Assemble and serve. Spread a layer of labneh over a serving plate. Top with roasted carrots, a drizzle of dill pesto, and remaining toasted almonds. Serve immediately.
Notes
Make ahead tips. Toast the almonds and make the pesto up to three days ahead of time; store pesto in an airtight container in the fridge. Toasted almonds will keep in an airtight container on the counter for several days.
Additions and Substitutions. Swap the labneh for plain Greek yogurt, hummus, or a whipped cheese (feta, ricotta, goat cheese). Use pistachios or walnuts in place of almonds. Substitute fresh parsley for some or all of the dill here. Adjust the spice blend to suit your tastes or double the spices for more intensity.
This recipe makes quite a bit of pesto. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and serve with roasted veggies, fish, chicken, or salads later in the week!
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 330
- Sugar: 10.8 g
- Sodium: 295.9 mg
- Fat: 25.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 22.3 g
- Protein: 7.5 g
- Cholesterol: 4.6 mg
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