The sweetness of the carrots compliments the savory spice from the harissa and the bright pop of lemon and orange in this dip. It's quite the crowd-pleaser - we’re always getting asked for the recipe!
It’s also a shining example of how having a selection of Stoneouse citrus and herb oils in your pantry can make whipping up delicious food on the fly super simple - way less need for last-minute grocery store runs for ingredients! You’ll see olive oil substitutions for fresh ingredients below. Use what you have on hand, this recipe is very forgiving.
Serves 4-6 as a starter, or 2 as a vegetarian main with lots of fresh bread, hummus and a side salad.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 Tbsp House Blend or Olio Santo olive oil, plus extra to finish
- 2lbs (8-10 large) carrots, washed and cut into ¾ inch slices
- Scant 1 cup vegetable stock or water
- Grated zest of 1 orange (or sub 1 Tbsp Blood Orange EVOO)
- Grated zest of 1 lemon (or sub 2 tsp Lisbon Lemon EVOO), plus 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, crushed (or use Garlic EVOO for finishing at end)
- 2 tsp Harissa
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 3 Tbsp shelled unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped, or pine nuts
- Maldon Smoked Sea Salt (or regular/any sea salt) and black pepper
Place the House or Olio Santo olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and saute about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally; you want them to take on a bit of color. Add the stock/water and turn down the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook for another 20-25 minutes, until the carrots are completely soft and there is hardly any liquid left. Transfer the carrots to a food processor, add ¾ teaspoon salt (crush it a bit in your fingers if using flaky Maldon salt), and blitz briefly to form a coarse paste. Transfer to a bowl, stirring or letting set to cool. When still warm but not hot, add in the orange zest/Blood Orange oil, garlic (if using), harissa, half the lemon zest/1 tsp Lemon oil, and some freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine.
Mix together the yogurt, lemon juice, the remaining lemon zest/1 tsp Lemon oil and ¼ tsp salt.
Spread the yogurt out on a serving platter (we’ve found one with edges is best, or else be sure to serve with a spoon), and spoon the carrot mixture on top. Sprinkle with the pistachios, drizzle wit a little more olive oil, and serve. Lovely with warm, fresh pita wedges, baguette sliced into rounds, or even pita or tortilla chips!
VARIATIONS:
- Sub Persian Lime EVOO or lime zest and juice for the lemon, and serve with finely chopped cilantro sprinkled over top instead of the nuts.
- Like the spice? Increase the amount of Harissa and finish with Habanero oil!
Photo and recipe adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty More.
