Crushed Carrots With Harissa & Pistachios
Serves 4
This sharp, hot spread, served with a pile of warm pitas, is great to have out on the kitchen counter for guests to share before the main event. Adapted from “Plenty More: Vibrant Vegetable Cooking from London’s Ottolenghi,” by Yotam Ottolenghi (Ten Speed Press, 2014).
1 tablespoon olive oil + more to finish
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2¼ pounds carrots (about 10 large), peeled and sliced ¾-inch thick 1 cup (scant) low-sodium vegetable broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt Grated zest of 1 orange
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons harissa paste
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 ounce (scant) shelled unsalted
pistachios, coarsely chopped
Instructions: Place the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and cook, stirring often, 8-10 minutes until they soften and take on a bit of color. Add the stock, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook 25-30 minutes, until the carrots are completely soft and there is hardly any liquid left.
Transfer the carrots to a food proces--
sor, add ¾ teaspoon of the salt, and blitz briefly to form a coarse paste. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cool, about 15 minutes.
Stir in the orange zest, garlic, harissa, half the lemon zest, and some black pepper.
In another bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, the remaining lemon zest and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt; refrigerate if not serving right away.
To serve, spread the yogurt out on a serving platter. Spoon the carrot mixture on top. sprinkle with the pistachios, drizzle with a little olive oil, and serve with warm pita wedges for scooping.
Per serving: 230 calories, 7 g protein, 25 g carbohydrates, 13 g fat (4 g saturated), 17 mg cholesterol, 583 mg sodium, 6 g fiber.