Honey Harissa Carrots and Chickpeas with whipped Feta

Delicious, harmoniously balanced spicy-sweet-smoky roasted carrots and chickpeas on a bed of creamy whipped feta and Greek yoghurt. This Middle-Eastern inspired, restaurant-worthy side dish is a real crowd-pleaser and a great option for last-minute entertaining. If you don’t have carrot tops for the salsa verde, simply use fresh parsley. Use rainbow carrots if you could find them. Great to serve with flatbreads to scoop up the feta sauce.

500 g Carrots with their tops (or 30 g parsley), finely chopped
3 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
Juice of 1 lemon
300 g Full fat Greek yoghurt (or soured cream or crème fraîche)
150 g Feta
1 x 400 g Can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
2 tbsp Honey (or maple syrup)
2 tbsp Harissa paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat your oven to 200C/400F. Toss the carrots into a roasting tray in a single layer, reserving the tops for the salsa verde. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, then scatter over the cinnamon and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix to combine, then roast for 30 minutes.
While carrots are roasting, add the carrot tops (or parsley) to a pestle and mortar, along with the lemon juice and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bash together until you have a chunky green sauce.
Tip Greek yoghurt into a medium-sized mixing bowl and finely crumble in your feta. Whisk until the feta has totally incorporated, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Once the carrots have been roasting for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and tip the chickpeas into the roasting tray. Add a splash of olive oil if needed, then toss to combine. Return the tray to the oven for another 15 minutes until the carrots are roasted and the chickpeas are crisp.
Mix together honey and harissa paste in a small bowl. Remove the carrots and chickpeas from the oven. Pour the honey and harissa mixture over them and give them a toss until they are all coated.
Spoon the whipped feta yoghurt on to a serving plate and top with your chickpeas and carrots. Drizzle with the preapred carrot-top sauce, then serve and enjoy, with flatbread for dipping if desired.

34 comments:

bread&salt 5/2/24 12:21: Honey always better than the maple syrup. Looks great.
speedy70 5/2/24 13:14: Ottimo contorno!!!!
Tom 5/2/24 14:33: ...Angie, once again you have staged this beautifully!
Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine 5/2/24 14:56: I love both of these and the combination is fabulous never thought of this one! Yum!
DEZMOND 5/2/24 16:08: Looks lovely, the sweetness of carroten und the savoury taste of feta complement each other perfectly. I bought some oyster mushrooms today and will do a risotto with them tomorrow.
Balvinder 5/2/24 16:11: This looks wonderful. I was thinking the other day to use up the harissa that I took out from the freezer. I must make it now.
Lola Martínez 5/2/24 16:38: Seguro que está buenisima esa combinación con tintes marroquíes, ya sabes por mi blog que estas recetas me encantan.
Anonymous 5/2/24 17:00: What a beautiful dish and so flavourful.
Éva https://kitcheninspirations.wordpress.com/
eileeninmd 5/2/24 17:01: Hello Angie,
The carrots look delicious, a yummy recipe. Take care, have a great day and happy new week!
Anne in the kitchen 5/2/24 20:00: This is a company worthy dish!
DeniseinVA 5/2/24 21:16: That's a lovely way to cook the carrots. Looks super Angie!
roentare 5/2/24 22:00: It looks very spicey and flavoursome
Christine 5/2/24 22:30: Yummy
foodtravelandwine 5/2/24 22:43: I'm in love with this dish!...you have elevated carrots to another level!....my hats of to you!!.....one day I'm going to knock your door, and I'm going to eat everything!!.....Abrazotes, Marcela
Cooking Julia 5/2/24 23:36: This looks sooo good!
Carol @Comfort Spring Station 6/2/24 00:31: I really love carrots and your food display is so beautiful.
MELODY JACOB 6/2/24 00:54: The combination of roasted carrots and chickpeas on a bed of creamy whipped feta and Greek yogurt, topped with a carrot-top salsa verde, offers a harmonious balance of flavors and textures.
MELODY JACOB 6/2/24 01:15: It's a creative and flavorful side dish that would indeed be perfect for entertaining.
savorthebest 6/2/24 05:10: I love harissa! This is such a great combination of flavors.
Margaret D 6/2/24 06:04: Looks good.
Javier 6/2/24 11:48: Your recipes always are fantastic! I love this way to cook carrots
David M. Gascoigne, 6/2/24 12:58: Looks absolutely wonderful and I bet it tastes that way too.
Judee 6/2/24 13:33: Angie- I would come right over to get a taste of this beautiful side dish. Sounds delicious and so flavorful. Yum!!
thepaintedapron.com 6/2/24 15:19: Your presentations always blow me away Angie! This looks and sounds wonderful!
David 6/2/24 17:27: Hi Angie, I love roasted carrots and chickpeas are on my diet as well. Feta cheese is one of my favorites as well. I could make a meal out of this dish...and that's quite the statement considering my propensity as a full-blown carnivore. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
Pam 6/2/24 20:09: Great combination of flavors and textures. Yum!
COCINA Y REPOSTERÍA DE ANTAÑO 6/2/24 22:32: Hola Angie!. Qué plato tan rico te ha quedado!. Una combinación de sabores perfecta. Me encantaría probarlo!
2pots2cook 7/2/24 10:12: Perfect side dish and great to pack leftovers for office lunch!
Julie 7/2/24 12:44: Loved the spice mix, super roasted chick peas and carrots !!
The-FoodTrotter 7/2/24 23:18: It reminds me of an Ottolenghi recipes and it looks so delicious! I need to try ASAP!
Brigitta Pasztor 8/2/24 03:40: Looks delicious, gonna try this :)

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Happy Retiree's Kitchen 12/2/24 08:25: You are demonstrating how versatile the humble carrot is Angie. Your dish looks delightful.
Raymund | angsarap.net 14/2/24 20:56: Roasting the carrots and chickpeas with cinnamon and then adding the honey and harissa mixture must create an amazing balance of sweet, spicy, and smoky flavors. mmmmmmmmm
Grace 15/2/24 06:07: Muy interesante! Diferente! Rica!