Roasted Carrots With Whipped Tahini

Published April 17, 2025

Roasted Carrots With Whipped Tahini
Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
45 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Rating
5(323)
Comments
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For a spectacular vegetable side at home, try this tried-and-true formula: A swoosh of sauce on a plate topped with a cooked vegetable and a confetti of finely chopped garnish. For this iteration, blend the base (a cloud of yogurt, tahini, citrus and garlic) and chop your garnish (a pretty pile of pistachios, dill and chives) while the carrots roast. Set on a platter, served hot or at room temperature, it’s a special side dish that can also hold its own as a vegetarian main, supplemented with chickpeas, quinoa, couscous or toasted bread.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • pounds medium carrots
  • 2tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
  • ½teaspoon curry powder or berbere seasoning
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1orange or lemon
  • 2tablespoons shelled pistachios (preferably roasted and salted), chopped
  • 2tablespoons chopped dill 
  • 1tablespoon minced chives (optional)
  • cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 3tablespoons tahini
  • 1small garlic clove, finely grated
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

166 calories; 11 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 371 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Peel the carrots, then cut them into pieces: Positioning your knife at a sharp angle, cut off a 2-inch piece of carrot, then rotate the carrot and continue cutting into 2-inch pieces, forming imperfect shapes. (Too fussy? Just cut the carrots at a sharp angle into 2-inch spears.)

  2. Step 2

    On a large, foil-lined rimmed sheet pan, toss the carrots with 2 tablespoons olive oil and the curry powder; season generously with salt and pepper. Roast until browned in spots and softened, 20 to 25 minutes. (Feel free to make ahead, as the carrots taste just as good at room temperature as they do hot out of the oven.)

  3. Step 3

    While the carrots cook, prepare the topping: Finely grate 1 teaspoon orange zest onto a cutting board. (Set the orange aside.) Add the pistachios, dill and chives (if using), and chop together until minced and combined.

  4. Step 4

    Make the tahini cream: Cut the orange in half. Squeeze 3 tablespoons of juice into a mini food processor or blender. Add the yogurt, tahini, garlic and 2 tablespoons water, then blend. (Alternatively, you can vigorously whisk them together in a bowl, although the results won’t be quite as fluffy.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Makes ⅔ cup.) Spread the mixture onto your serving platter.

  5. Step 5

    Give the roasted carrots a squeeze of orange juice and drizzle with olive oil; toss to coat directly on the sheet pan and season with additional salt, pepper and juice as needed.

  6. Step 6

    Arrange the carrots on top of the tahini cream, drizzling any dressing from the sheet pan on top. Sprinkle with the pistachio topping, sprinkle with salt, if needed, and serve.

Ratings

5 out of 5
323 user ratings
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Comments

@Anne You could definitely make it two days in advance! The carrots could also be prepared ahead and rewarmed. The only thing you can’t prep in advance is the garnish, as the herbs would darken and the pistachios lose their crunch.

I want to make this tonight, but low on carrots and over-loaded on broccoli. Does anyone see a reason why I should not substitute broccoli for the carrots in the recipe? I have everything else on hand. Thoughts?

Definitely can do, it'll thicken a bit in the fridge but it's not a big problem. PS I just decided to make it for Easter, bought waaaay too many carrots haha.

Really really great dinner party pleaser. I used a little extra orange and guests loved the zest. I also used walnuts instead of pistachios because that what I had in the pantry and was just as good. I would recommend using heirloom rainbow carrots for a bit of extra colour to the plate. Will definitely make this again

yummmm!! use extra pistachios. I used a lemon this time, will use an orange next time for a bit of a sweeter flavor (there WILL be a next time ;) )

Really great! Grilled the carrots instead of roasting and they were wonderful. But for the sauce, I should have held off on the water; it came out very thin and I had to build it up with more tahini and some olive oil.

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