Roasted Garlic Tahini Carrot Dip

 

For the roasted carrots:

1 pound carrots, washed

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground salt and pepper

For the dip:

⅓ C. tahini

2 T. lemon juice

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ground turmeric

¼ tsp. cumin

¼ tsp. salt

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ C. roasted pistachios

⅓ C. water, plus more to thin if necessary

For garnish:

Drizzle of olive oil

Drizzle of honey or pomegranate molasses (or hot honey if you like it spicy!)

2 T. crumbled feta cheese

2 T. chopped roasted pistachios

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

For serving:

Pita chips, crackers, or toasted slices of a baguette

 

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Chop carrots into 1-inch pieces (no need to be too precise since we’re blending them later!) Add the carrots and whole garlic cloves to a large sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 T. olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss everything together with your hands, then roast for 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender and golden brown on the edges. Add roasted carrots and garlic to a food processor with tahini, lemon juice, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, salt, pepper, pistachios and water. Process until mostly smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula halfway through. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Spoon carrot dip into a shallow bowl and use the spoon to create shallow divots on the surface for the toppings. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with crumbled feta, chopped pistachios, parsley and a drizzle of honey.