Roasted Black Honeyed Carrots with Whipped Feta
Caramelised new season carrots glazed with black honey, served on creamy whipped feta and topped with bright carrot top pesto. Roasted with warming spices like cumin and cinnamon, then finished with fresh herbs and optional dukkah crunch for a sophisticated vegetable-forward dish.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ lb new season carrots with tops, whole
- 3 tablespoons rice bran oil, or similarvegetable oil or olive oil1:1
neutral fat alternatives
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- fresh thyme, handful
- 2 tablespoons black honeyregular honey1:1
lighter colour and flavour
- ¼ cup carrot tops, finely sliced
- sea salt, pinch
- 1 clove fresh garlic, large
- ½ fresh lemon
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 5 ½ oz feta
- 1 cup thick unsweetened Greek yoghurt
- cracked black pepper, to taste
- dukkha or toasted almonds, to top(optional)sesame seeds or crushed pistachios1:1adds tree_nuts
nutty crunch
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 375°F.
- 2
Wash carrots and remove tops. Finely slice 1/4 cup of carrot tops and set aside for pesto. Halve any large carrots lengthways.
- 3
Place carrots in an oven tray with oil, chili flakes, cumin seeds, cinnamon, thyme and salt. Mix well and roast for 45 to 55 minutes, turning after 20 minutes, until cooked through and caramelised.
- 4
Remove from oven and stir black honey through carrots until evenly coated, starting with 2 tablespoons and adding more to taste.
- 5
Make pesto by placing sliced carrot tops, salt and garlic in a mortar and pestle. Bash until minced, squeeze in lemon juice and stir in olive oil. Alternatively use a stick blender for a different texture.
- 6
Whip feta by mashing in a bowl, adding Greek yoghurt and cracked black pepper. Mix with fork or whisk until smooth.
- 7
Spread whipped feta on serving dish. Top with carrots and pan juices, spoon pesto over and sprinkle dukkah or toasted almonds if using.
Tips
Start with 2 tablespoons black honey and taste before adding the third to control sweetness level.
A mortar and pestle pesto will be coarser than stick blender version; choose based on desired texture.
Scrape all caramelised pan juices onto the whipped feta base for maximum flavour.
Good to Know
Whipped feta and pesto store separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Roasted carrots best served fresh but keep up to 2 days refrigerated. Reheat carrots gently at 160C.
Prepare whipped feta up to 1 day ahead. Make pesto up to 4 hours ahead, covering surface with plastic wrap. Roast carrots up to 4 hours ahead and serve at room temperature or reheated.
Serve at room temperature or warm. Assemble just before serving for best pesto colour and whipped feta texture.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip turning carrots at 20-minute mark to avoid uneven browning.
Do not overmix whipped feta to avoid separation of yoghurt.
Do not make pesto too far ahead to avoid darkening and oxidation of carrot tops.
Substitutions
neutral fat alternatives
lighter colour and flavour
nutty crunch