These roasted carrots with jalapeño and lime are so so good. Now, historically speaking, I have not been the biggest carrot fan. The cooked carrots of my youth definitely left something to be desired – orange coins characterized by a bland and soggy sweetness. “Eat your carrots.” No thank you.
But I present to you my case for carrots. It’s beautiful to leave a bit of the green tops, don’t you think? I also love that these carrots aren’t peeled. They feel appealingly rustic.
While I am not big on rules, I do have one for carrots. You really need to play against their sweetness. Roasting them with a bit of cumin, coriander and thinly sliced jalapeño is not a bad way to start. The jalapeño really mellows in the oven and it lends a really nice flavor. But the real magic happens when you hit those fresh from the oven carrots with some freshly squeezed lime juice. That’s when the skies open and the angels sing!
Drizzle a bit of this cashew-based dill dressing on top and this dish is everything.
These roasted carrots are great for entertaining. A little surprise goes a long way at a dinner party, right? (“Surprise! I’m going to make you rethink roasted carrots.”) This works just as well as an appetizer as it does as a side. Or toss in a few greens and you have a salad. Voila!
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup chopped shallots
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 clove of garlic
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped (plus more for serving)
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
- salt to taste*
- 2 bunches of carrots*
- 1 1/2 teaspoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon coriander
- 1 jalapeño
- juice of 1/2 lime
- Soak the cashews in a bowl for two hours with enough lukewarm water to cover them by one inch.
- When time is up, remove the cashews from the soaking liquid and transfer them to a high speed blender.
- Add to the blender the water, shallots, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic clove, salt and coriander.
- Blend until totally smooth (scraping down the sides and re-blending as necessary).
- Transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Add the chopped dill and mint. Stir until distributed evenly.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve (at least 20 minutes).
- Preheat the oven to 450.
- Wash your carrots extremely thoroughly, paying particular attention to the part of the carrot where the orange meets the green tops. I do not like to peel the carrots for this preparation but good cleaning is essential. If necessary, I use a paring knife or peeler to remove stubborn parts of dirt.
- Trim the green carrot tops to approximately two inches. Discard the excess greens.
- In a very small bowl or ramekin, mix the oil, salt, cumin and coriander.
- Slice the top off of your jalapeño. Cut your jalapeño in half. Remove the seeds and the ribs. Slice each half as thinly as you can.
- Put the carrots on a parchment lined baking sheet. Top with the jalapeño slices. Pour the oil mixture over the carrots and the jalapeños. Toss the carrots and jalapeños in the mixture so that they are coated evenly with the oil and spices.
- Roast for 50 minutes to 1 hour, shaking the carrots halfway through so that they are able to cook evenly. You want your carrots to be blistered and tender. The tops will be lightly browned.
- Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lime over the carrots and jalapeños.
- Transfer carrots to a serving dish.
- Drizzle with dill dressing and garnish with additional chopped dill.
- Serve with a bowl of dill dressing, for those who might want extra.**
- * If possible, choose carrots that are really fresh with their green tops intact. It doesn't make the dish taste better but it certainly makes the dish more beautiful.
- ** In all likelihood, you will have extra dressing. This is great for a salad or for crudités.
