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One of the principles of healthy eating I teach to my nutrition coaching clients it that vegetables should fill up half your plate. That means, in most cases, you need to prepare multiple vegetable dishes at dinner time.

I’m often asked for good vegetable side dish recipes.  I’ve been working hard at adding more vegetable dishes to my recipe gallery.

Vegetables are naturally gluten-free, delicious and oh so good for you. I want to make them look and taste as good as possible so we’ll all be encouraged to enjoy them more.

For the Love of Harissa

Lately, I’ve been obsessed with my little jar of harissa paste, which I bought at Trader Joe’s. I’ve been using harissa to make delicious shakshuka and chicken shakshuka Whole30 compliant recipes. The spicy flavors so near and dear to harissa are definitely a favorite in my kitchen.

Harissa can be used in so many ways to add heat to any dish.

Rub it on chicken, mix it on roasted vegetables, add it to whole grains, or even use a little top a burger.

Harissa is a spicy and fiery versatile seasoning or condiment that can really elevate a dish. It usually comes in the form of a paste and can be found in most grocery stores in the U.S. (I like this one from Trader Joe’s, which you can also purchase on Amazon.)

Furthermore, harissa is typically made from a variety of hot peppers including red peppers and serrano peppers. The peppers are mixed with a variety of additional spices that can vary from recipe to recipe. Spices might include garlic, coriander, saffron, caraway and more. A little olive oil is added to the hot peppers and spices are pounded together to form a paste. The word “harissa” is taken from the Arabic word “harasa,” which means, “to pound.”

What to Make with Harissa?

I don’t quite know the significance of the different colored carrots outside of their beauty. They tasted similar to me – all very earthy and slightly sweet.

I did, however, read that:

• Orange carrots contain vitamin A and beta carotene, which is essential for healthy vision.
• Purple carrots contain vitamin A (although the core is orange), so they are also good for healthy eyes.
• Red carrots contain lycopene, which is the same nutrient found in tomatoes and is linked to lowering the risk of certain cancers.
• White carrots don’t contain specific nutrients but they are full of fiber, which promotes good digestion.

I bought a bag of orange, purple and white carrots at the grocery store. I washed and peeled them, and then I halved them again and set them in an oven safe roasting dish.

I then coated the carrots with fresh garlic, olive oil, maple syrup, cumin, S&P, and, of course, harissa paste. On top of the carrots I added some lemon slices, just to add a little citrusy flavor and beauty to the dish.

I roasted the carrots until they were tender. (They are not burned! The purple color just looks that way.)

This harissa roasted carrots dish taste incredible. It’s a little sweet and a lot spicy – the carrots have a real kick to them. Wow! On top of that, the side dish looks so beautiful. I am very proud to serve this to my friends and family, and to share it with you today, too.

Harissa Roasted Carrots Recipe

Harissa Roasted Carrots

Spice up your carrots with harissa, a fiery spice rooted in Northern Africa and Middle Eastern cuisine. These carrots look as beautiful as they taste. Enjoy!

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Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Moroccan

Keyword: carrots, harissa, side dish, vegetables

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 178kcal

Author: Jenny Finke

Ingredients

• 2 lbs rainbow carrots
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 tsp. tsp. harissa paste
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 1 lemon remove seeds

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Lightly grease a glass rectangular roasting dish.
• Wash and peel carrots, then slice them in half lengthwise. Put them in a large roasting pan.
• In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, oil, harissa, cumin, salt and pepper.
• Pour mixture on the carrots, gently mixing the carrots so they are coated in the mixture. 
• Top carrots with lemon slices.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes until tender. Serve immediately.

Notes

Depending on the size of the carrots you use, you should adjust the cooking time.

Nutrition

Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 686mg | Potassium: 807mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 37930IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 1.7mg

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