Harissa Maple Roasted Carrots
Sweet, spicy, and perfectly caramelized — these Harissa Maple Carrots come together quickly but deliver big flavor. Add a pop of color and sweet heat to any meal.
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Equipment
- rimmed baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots peeled and cut on a bias
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2-3 tablespoons mild harissa paste depending on spice tolerance
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice from about 1/2 a medium lemon
To Plate (use as many as you like)
- 1/3 cup roasted pistachios or almonds crushed or chopped
- 1/2 cup unsweetened plain yogurt or whipped vegan feta, or tahini sauce
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs I like mint or cilantro
- 1/4 cup pomegranate arils or dried cranberries
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 425°F. You will need a rimmed baking sheet. You can line with a sheet of parchment for easy cleanup, but I actually find the carrots caramelize best when cooked directly against the metal.
- Season the carrots: In a mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, harissa paste, maple syrup, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Add in the cut carrots and toss to coat.
- Roast: Transfer the carrots to a rimmed baking sheet, arranging them in one layer. Roast for 40-45 minutes. Give them a toss roughly every 10 minutes so they cook evenly. Add extra time as needed until the carrots are tender and caramelized.
- Brighten: Once the carrots come out, toss with fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavor.
- Serve: I like to serve these carrots on top of a bed of vegan yogurt, vegan whipped feta, tahini sauce, or hummus. (This provides a nice cool counter-balance to the spice of the harissa but it's optional.) Top with crushed nuts for texture, fresh chopped herbs for freshness, and pomegranate arils or dried cranberries for a hint of sweetness/tartness.
Notes
Carrots: I like to look for medium or large carrots and do a roll cut (a.k.a oblique cut). This exposes a nice amount of surface area that is perfect for caramelization. You can also simply slice the carrots in half top-to-bottom, or even use baby carrots to avoid cutting altogether.
Harissa paste: I love the Mina brand harissa paste. It comes in mild and spicy varieties. I use 2 tablespoons of the spicy kind, but adjust based on your level of spice tolerance!
Vegan whipped feta for plating: Get my recipe here!
Easy tahini sauce for plating: Whisk together 1/4 cup tahini, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 3-4 tablespoons of cold water. Add the water gradually, whisking continuously, until the tahini becomes fluffy and pale in color. You can create a bed of this tahini sauce on the plate, or thin it out to a drizzle-able consistency to top the carrots.
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