This beautiful side dish is so good I could eat this as an entire meal.

Ok, I HAVE had this as my entire dinner once, so yeah, it’s good.

This is a fun side dish to pair with roasted chicken, steak, a salad, or as a fancy-ish side at Thanksgiving as it would be prefect with some turkey. The caramelized and roasted carrots sit on a bed of creamy lemon-citrus yogurt, and are topped with a parsley + olive oil garnish to give it a nice depth of flavor, and sprinkled with roasted nuts, cause why not?

A few things to point out right away- this recipe includes pink peppercorn. It doesn’t require it, but it adds such a fun punch to the dish that it’s highly recommended. If you don’t have it, grab it here!

Also, this is a dish that ideally uses both the stove (to caramelize the carrots) and the oven (to finish cooking them). If there’s not enough room for that at your Thanksgiving bash, here are a couple of tips-

1. Caramelize the carrots on your stove top at home and put everything else together, making the citrus yogurt sauce, parsley toppings, and combining the nuts. When you get to your host’s house, finish the carrots off by roasting them in the oven for 20 minutes or so, then plate the dish!
2. Skip the caramelizing step altogether and just add about 5 minutes to the oven roasting time.
3. If you have to do the whole thing at home and take to someone else’s place, make the whole recipe but keep each component separate. Once at their place, toss the carrots in the microwave for a few minutes to warm up, then plate it all together.

The good news is, no matter which way you go, they will end up delicious.

Caramelized Carrots and Creamy Citrus Yogurt Recipe

Makes about 8-10 sides, takes about 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 16 large carrots, chopped into 3/4 inch slices (not the mini carrots) *no need to peel
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil

Citrus Yogurt Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups full fat plain greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 lemons, juice + zest
• 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt

Parsley Drizzle

• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns (may need to crush) or black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping

• 1/2 cup toasted, unsalted mixed nuts, chopped- I like a combo of cashews and peanuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Warm the avocado oil in a large, oven-safe pan* over medium-high heat. Once hot, place the carrots in the pan and let sit for about 4 minutes. Shake the pan and let them sit another few minutes, so that the sides have time to caramelize/brown. When you like the level of caramelization, place the whole pan into the oven and cook until carrots are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
3. While the carrots cook combine the rest of the toppings:
4. Add all of the ingredients of the citrus yogurt sauce into a medium size bowl- yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, Aleppo pepper/cumin, and salt. Stir until well combined. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
5. Combine all of the parsley drizzle in a different medium sized bowl, making sure to smash the pink peppercorns well if they are still in their whole form. Stir.
6. When the carrots are done you can plate! Spread the yogurt sauce on the bottom of a platter or bowl. Place the carrots on top of the yogurt. Drizzle it with the parsley mixture and sprinkle with the toasted nuts. Enjoy!

*It is really important to verify that you have an oven-safe pan before putting it in the oven. If you are unsure, look it up online. If you are still unsure, transfer the carrots to a baking sheet and place that in the oven.

Naturally Vegetarian and Gluten Free. Make vegan by using a vegan yogurt.

 

Let me know what you think of the recipe! I can assure you it will be a hit at any dinner!

XO,

Kelsey