These harissa roasted carrots are the perfect accompaniment to all sorts of main courses, such as grilled fish or chicken. They make a great addition to a grain or rice bowl, with other vegetables, arugula, avocado, fresh tomato and an egg. The harissa gives the carrots a flavorful bite and the acidity of lime juice perfectly balances the spices.
Fresh rainbow colored carrots are available at farmers markets and local farm stands. Luckily, carrots are available year round, so you can make this dish any time of year.
Harissa is a smoky-spicy North African pepper spice blend that is available in dried and paste versions. While packing some heat, it is wonderfully flavorful.
These carrots are spicy, but not overly so.
This recipe makes 4 servings (unless you like carrots as much as we do and eat double your share).
Tips
- I used a dried harissa spice blend (probably similar to this version). Different harissa blends could have different levels of heat. I suggest starting with half the amount I list in the ingredients and tasting the spice and olive oil mixture, before adding the carrots. Increase the amount to taste.
- You could substitute a harissa paste, such as this. I have had this one and it isn’t overly hot. I would use the same amount as the dried, but start with half and do the taste test.
- I used Trader Joe’s Les Petites Carrots of Many Colors for this version in the photos, but you can chop larger carrots into large chunks or sticks. The carrot sticks roast well and caramelize deliciously. My larger carrots didn’t caramelize and get crispy, but they were great in a different way.
- Use a very large baking sheet to roast the carrots. A secret to successful vegetable roasting is to not overcrowd the pan. The vegetables roast better when they have some room.
Ingredients
You need the following ingredients to make these harissa roasted carrots.
- 4 1/2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried harissa
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 pounds small carrots, washed and peeled (keep skins on if you prefer) or large carrots cut into about 1 inch thick strips of any length
- 1/2 fresh lime
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Have a large baking sheet on hand.
In a large bowl, blend the olive oil, harissa and salt together. Taste and add more harissa if you want more heat.
Add half of the carrots and toss in the oil and spices to coat them. Scoop the carrots out of the bowl (reserving the remaining oil) and spread the carrots out on the baking sheet.
Toss the second batch of carrots in the remaining oil mixture and put them on the baking sheet. Drizzle any remaining oil over the carrots.
Roast the carrots in the oven for about 30 minutes. They are ready when a fork pierces them easily.
Transfer the carrots to a serving plate and squeeze the lime juice over them before serving.
Here’s a cut carrot version fresh from the oven.
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