Roasted Carrots with Lentils and Tahini
These roasted carrots with lentils and tahini is an impressive side dish, especially for entertaining! Roasted ras el hanout petite carrots with French lentils, parsley, mint, and a creamy lemon tahini sauce. Naturally gluten-free and vegan.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds petite carrots, baby carrots or carrot sticks. If using whole carrots, then slice them into longer, wide sticks.
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ras el hanout
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cups cooked de puy lentils1
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
- 3 tablespoons smooth tahini
- 3-4 tablespoons warm water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the carrots with 1 tablespoon olive oil, cumin, coriander, ras el hanout, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, making sure the carrots are well seasoned and coated. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 20-35 minutes, or until tender.
- While the carrots are cooking, cook the lentils if you haven't already. Make the marinade: In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil, vinegar, garlic, honey, Dijon, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the cooked, warmed lentils, parsley, and mint and toss until well combined. Taste, adjusting salt/pepper as desired.
- Make the lemon tahini sauce by whisking the tahini and lemon juice together. The tahini will seize up (see above for why), but keep whisking and drizzle in the warm water, whisking until smooth again, adding a little more warm water if needed.
- Assemble! Place the lentil salad in a serving dish, top it with the roasted carrots, and drizzle it with the lemon tahini sauce.
Notes
- For ease, I often use the cooked refrigerated lentils from Trader Joe's or Melissa's Produce. To cook from dry, substitute 1 cup of dry lentils, then rinse the lentils thoroughly and sort through to remove any small stones debris. Then place the rinsed lentils in a pot and cover them with 3 cups of water and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes until lentils are tender. Drain and then use as directed in the recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 480kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 22gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 581mgPotassium: 659mgFiber: 21gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 29072IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 140mgIron: 8mg