These harissa and za’atar roasted carrots may be one of the tastiest accidental discoveries to ever happen in my kitchen.

Here’s the deal. It was late one night. I was tired. There wasn’t much in the fridge. You know those kind of nights. So there I was trying to scrap together some sort of meal, using up produce that was about to turn and taking a few pantry staples to try to elevate the flavor however I could. Because, while there is absolutely nothing wrong with roasting a vegetable with some olive oil and sea salt, sometimes you just need a little something more. This was one of those times.

As I’m sure you’ve gathered by now, carrots were the produce I had to use up and harissa, za’atar, garlic powder, olive oil and maple syrup were the pantry staples thrown together to bring the carrots to life. And omg! did they ever! I took one bite, then another, before I quickly polished off the entire tray. I was like “Wait a second. These are good. Like really, really good!” I mean sure, roasted carrots are nothing new. Nor is harissa roasted carrots. And the ingredients for these are nothing groundbreaking. In fact, they’re quite the opposite. They’re simple and basic. And there are no fancy techniques or tools needed. But the way they come together is oh so perfect. I immediately bought more carrots so I could make them again. And again. And again. And, well, we really haven’t stopped making them since.

I have a few notes you’ll see in the recipe down below about serving, substitutes and such, but one of my favorite things about this recipe is all the crunchy, caramelized, crispy, flavor-packed bits that form as the carrots roast. Those bits alone are worth making this recipe for. Whatever you do, do NOT leave those behind!

Those crunchy bits, plus a few accruements, and I’m telling you this may just be the best roast carrot recipe out there. Not that I’m biased or anything…

HARISSA AND ZA'ATAR ROASTED CARROTS-18.jpg — Harissa and Za'atar Roasted Carrots

SERVES 2-4

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds of carrots, cleaned and sliced in half lengthwise
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2-3 teaspoons harissa paste (depending on your spice level preference)
1 tablespoon za’atar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Sea salt
Fresh mint, roughly chopped, for serving
Pistachios, roughly chopped, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Lay the carrots out in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients until combined. Pour evenly over the carrots, then sprinkle generously with sea salt.
Roast for 20-25 minutes, using tongs to flip the carrots halfway through baking. Once they’re golden brown and can easily be pierced with a knife, they’re done.
Transfer to a serving dish. Don’t forget to the oil and to scrape off all the crunchy bits…it’s the best part! Sprinkle with fresh mint and pistachios. Enjoy immediately!

NOTES

I briefly mentioned it in the recipe, but there will definitely be olive oil and crunchy bits left in the pan. Whatever you do, don’t throw that out. If you don’t drizzle it on the carrots, use it as a salad dressing base, roast other veggies or chicken in it (I’ve done zucchini and chicken thighs, both of which are amazing!), drizzle it on top of whipped feta or goat cheese, or even just soak it up with some good pita or fresh bread.
I use garlic powder as opposed to fresh garlic to help the flavor distribute more evenly as well as avoid any burnt garlic bits from forming while the carrots roast. But, by all means, if you prefer fresh garlic, or that’s what you have on hand, swap the powder for a few cloves. Just be sure they’re minced as fine as can be.
If you don’t have mint, you can always use fresh basil, cilantro or even parsley. So many options that all taste delicious!
While I love these carrots as is, if you want to build the recipe out a bit more and bulk it up, there are a few options. You can add a drizzle of tahini or plain yogurt, you can sprinkle on feta or goat cheese, and/or you can serve it on top of a bed of fresh greens and/or quinoa.