This is going to be your new favorite dip! My first taste of this was at a dinner party hosted by my friend, Wendy. She’s a fabulous home cook and she also wants her food to be delicious and healthy! What’s so amazing about this dip is that it uses 2 pounds of carrots! That’s a lot of beta-carotene! The deep rich flavor comes from roasting these carrots, long and slow. A quick whirl in the food processor with some nuts, chickpeas, olive oil and spices and you’ve just created your new favorite dip! This is a hearty dip so I often have it for lunch or dinner with lots of veggies and toasted pita chips.
Roasted Carrot Dip
Ingredients
1/2 cup almonds (or walnuts or pistachios)
2 pounds carrots, peeled
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling over top
1 teaspoon salt, divided
2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly chopped
1/2 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (and/or fresh mint)
Sumac and freshly chopped mint (optional)
Directions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Toast almonds on a baking sheet for 8-10 minutes, stirring often. Don’t let them burn. Set aside.
- Cut carrots in 1/2 lengthwise (if thick) and then cut into 2 inch pieces. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add carrots to baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Roast until very tender and shriveled, browned but not charred, about 1 hour.
- In a food processor, add the roasted carrots, garlic, chickpeas, lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper, paprika, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, almonds and the remaining olive oil. Process until almost smooth (some texture is desired). Adjust salt and lemon juice to taste. Drizzle with a little olive oil and dust the top with sumac and mint, if using.
Tips:
- You can make this dip 1 week ahead. It gets better as it sits.
- Top the dip with crumbled feta cheese.
- Use smoked paprika for an earthy, smokey flavor.
- Toss the leftover chickpeas from the can with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast them on a sheet pan and serve them as a crispy topping for the dip.
Recipe adapted from Wendy Cramer’s home cooking.
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