Carrots So Good They Could Be Candy
Listless? Tired? Sick of your culinary go-tos? These carrots can help.
The Green Spoon•Apr 3, 2025
More a method than a recipe, these carrots will make you see this humble, readily-available vegetable in a new light. There are a lots of ways to use these caramelized beauties, but recently we’ve been loving them on top of a “bed” of Greek yogurt (or labneh) and hummus alongside some crusty bread. This simple formula will help you decide how many to make: more carrots=main dish; fewer carrots=side dish. Rocket science.
While carrots are virtually always available, and seemingly eternally in season, when it comes to roasting—specifically this slow-cooking method—you want to use the sweetest carrots you can get your hands on. You’ll usually find them in the winter months after the temperatures have dropped significantly enough to boost the sugar content of the crop—sugar is an antifreeze, so root vegetables in particular surge with natural sugars after the soil has frozen, or nearly.
View Substack Post
We’re Fanny and Greta, dear friends with deep backgrounds in sustainable food. This is a space for the food lovers, home cooks, would-be home cooks and anyone who needs a bit of inspiration and gentle guidance in their family kitchen.
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 325°F.
If your carrots are especially fat (more than 1") cut them in half lengthwise, through the stem. Toss in olive oil to lightly coat, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Lay carrots in a single layer on a sheet pan and put them in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1½ hours, until they're tender and their skin is lightly caramelized, browned and a little shriveled.
Keep an eye on them, but also be patient! Carrots will cook at different speeds depending on their size and the season, how watery or sweet they are, or the strength of your oven.
While the carrots roast, microplane the garlic (1 clove) into a small bowl and add the lemon juice (½ lemon) and lemon zest (½ lemon). Stir and set aside for 5 minutes.
Put the yogurt (¾ cup) and hummus (¾ cup) into a bowl and stir to combine, then stir in the garlic-lemon mixture.
Add a splash of olive oil and the chickpeas (½ cup), if using. Taste and adjust seasoning, using a bit more yogurt or olive oil to balance the flavor.
Toast your pumpkin seeds or nuts (¼ cup) in a pan until lightly browned and set aside to cool. If using walnuts, chop roughly.
When the carrots are done, remove from the oven and set aside.
Spread the yogurt-hummus mixture using the back of a spoon. Lay the carrots on top and sprinkle generously with nuts, orange zest (¼ orange) and parsley or cilantro (¼ cup).
