April 5, 2021

Spicy Roasted Baby Carrots with Labne

Spring is here and that means it’s time for Farmer’s Markets! This recipe for Spicy Roasted Baby Carrots with Labne is the first of my Zodiac recipe series. If it’s not clear, I am a nerd and I love astrology and I thought it would be fun to create a dish inspired by each sign.

Aries kicks off the astrological calendar and it seems very fitting. Spring represents a new beginning, and spicy, firey Aries are there to kick you into high gear. As the babies of the Zodiac, they are energetic and very excited. My friend loves to call Aries the Hot Cheetos of the Zodiac. This brings me to the inspiration for these spicy roasted baby carrots. An Aries friend of mine was talking about one of her favorite snacks: hot cheetos dipped in labne. I instantly thought of her when I decided to create this series. Here I’ve replaced the chips with spicy roasted baby carrots, and they do not disappoint.

Why should I roast baby carrots?

I absolutely adore baby carrots from the Farmer’s Market. As soon as Spring rolls around, I like to make sure to grab a bunch or two each time I go. This recipe can work with regular carrots, but I urge you to seek out baby ones that still have their green attached. These carrots bake much faster and have a more delicate and nuanced flavor. I do not recommend those baby carrots in the bag that you snack on.

Paprika and cayenne spice up the sweet carrots and the creamy labne is the perfect foil to the heavy spices. If you’re not familiar with labne, it is a fermented kefir cheese. To me it’s somewhere between yogurt and cream cheese. If you cannot find it in your local grocery store, strained Greek yogurt should work for you. If you want this to be vegan and/or Paleo, strain your favorite plain plant based yogurt for a few hours to thicken it up.

Cooking seasonally is very important to me, and this is one of those recipes that reflects that. There’s not a lot going on, but the simplicity allows the ingredients to shine. Make sure to save the greens. They make a great pesto (recipe coming soon) or can be added to Spring salads.

What ingredients are needed for spicy roasted baby carrots?

Baby Carrots: if you have the opportunity, seek out small carrots with their greens still attached. Some grocery stores also have baby carrots all prepped for you which is a great time saver. You can use regular carrots here, but the texture won’t be quite right and could get a little woody. I do not recommend the baby carrots you snack on out of the bag for this recipe. If you do use full size carrots, make sure to cut them into smaller pieces to ensure they cook all the way.

Labne: labne is a fermented kefir cheese that has a consistency close to Greek yogurt. This dip can be found in well stocked grocery stores in the yogurt section. If you cannot find it, you can strain Greek yogurt in cheesecloth or a coffee filter for an hour or two.

Paprika: this recipe calls for both regular paprika and smoked paprika. They have very different flavor profiles and I don’t recommend omitting either. If you’re not a fan of smoked paprika, you can omit it, but there won’t be any smokiness in the carrots.

Substitutions: this recipe can easily be made vegan and/or Paleo by using a plant based plain yogurt that has been strained. You could even use hummus (for vegan) if you like.

The best way to celebrate Spring and Aries Season is with these Spicy Roasted Baby Carrots. They highlight the firey quality of the baby Zodiac. Enjoy!

Looking for more Spring treats? Check out my Five Minute Beetroot Hummus or Raspberry Beet Smoothie