Roasted Carrot Tahini Dip – Stand Aside Hummus, There’s a New Dip in Town
What began as an interesting sounding new recipe, ended up as a rival for hummus. There’s something about Roasted Carrot Tahini Dip and its lighter texture that makes it equally vibrant on a leaf of baby romaine, as a dip with 
crudités, or as a quick snack on the back of a spoon.
Roasting vegetables on a naked pan
When I saw this article last year, I pooh-poohed it. For years I’d been lining my pans with parchment paper for roasting vegetables to minimize the cleanup. It worked, so I had no intention of changing my ways.
And, then I did and I haven’t looked back. What a difference in color, caramelization and taste it makes roasting vegetables directly on my dark, rimmed baking sheets. Plus, there’s only a little more clean up. Do give roasting vegetables on a naked pan a try. And, let me know what you think.
What I learned about tahini making hummus
A popular hummus recipe from Israeli born chef and restaurateur Michael Solomonov inspired me to change both my favorite brand of tahini and my order of mixing in the tahini.
I discovered that the order does make a difference. For even without removing the peels from the garbanzos, using this order, the hummus comes out smooth and creamy.
This same order makes for a smooth and fluffy Roasted Carrot Tahini Dip, too.
- To mellow the garlic, have the garlic, fresh lemon juice and spices sit together in the food processor for about 5 minutes.
- Then, add the tahini, mixing until creamy.
- Add the ice-cold liquid and mix again, creating a luxurious emulsion.
Adding a touch of miso
Years ago, lots and lots of years ago, I was 
introduced to the macrobiotic diet. One of my favorite spreads for crackers was a salty, savory, umami-rich combination called Miso-Tahini Spread.
While refining the recipe for Roasted Carrot Tahini Dip, I remembered that miso-tahini combination. I added some mellow white miso to the dip giving it an umami boost along with improved nutrition from the fermented chickpea miso. If you prefer a deeper flavor, you might try either brown or red miso paste.
Roasted Carrot Tahini Dip
For a thicker, smoother Roasted Carrot Tahini Dip, prepare it in a high-speed blender. For a moister, creamier Roasted Carrot Tahini Dip (my preference), prepare it in a food processor. Instructions below. Vegan. Gluten and Dairy-free.
When you find a whole pomegranate, here’s how to easily remove the arils (seeds).
Inspired by a recipe in Saveur Magazine on the cooking of modern Egypt.
Makes 2 ½ cups Printer-Friendly Recipe
Total time 35 minutes (including roasting time)
Ingredients
1 pound medium carrots, scrubbed, peeled if not organic
1 tablespoon water
½ tablespoon olive oil
Large pinch of salt
2 medium cloves garlic
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or other red pepper flakes
8 twists freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup tahini
5 tablespoons ice water
2 tablespoons white miso
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Suggested Garnishes
Extra-virgin olive oil
Chopped toasted pepitas or pistachios
Pomegranate arils, when available
Coarsely chopped cilantro
Sumac
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a rimmed
baking pan in the oven to heat up. Cut 2 sections of aluminum foil for covering the baking pan. - Trim the ends of each carrot. Then, depending on their size, slice the carrots ½ – ¾ -inch thick. Toss the sliced carrots in a medium bowl with 1 tablespoon water, ½ tablespoon olive oil and a large pinch of salt.
- When the oven is hot, remove the baking pan from the oven. Transfer the sliced carrots to the pan and spread them out in a single layer. Tightly cover the baking pan with the aluminum foil. Return the pan to the oven. Roast the sliced carrots for 15 minutes.
Remove the foil. Roast the carrots for another 10 minutes or until fragrant, caramelized and tender to their core. - Meanwhile, with the food processor running, drop the garlic through the feed tube. Add the fresh lemon juice and salt.
- After 5 minutes, add the cumin, coriander, ground pepper, Aleppo pepper, tahini and miso to the processor. Process for 1 minute, scraping down the sides.
- Add the ice water and olive oil to the
processor. Process for 1 minute until creamy. - Transfer the carrots to the processor. Process for about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides once or twice.
- Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve Roasted Carrot Tahini Dip drizzled with a little extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of toasted pepitas, pomegranate arils (when available), coarsely chopped cilantro and sumac. Surround it with a variety of crudités, crackers and flatbread.