Roasted Carrot and Chickpea Salad with Mint Pesto
Aromatic cumin seeds, fruity and warm Aleppo pepper plus refreshing mint and optional feta transform earthy root veg and pulses into a great summer salad.
Ingredients
- 500 g carrots
- 2 tsp cumin seed
- 2 tsp Aleppo pepper or 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 120 g cooked chickpeas drained
- 2-3 rounded tbsp Mint Pesto see Recipe Note #1
- 100 g washed spinach leaves see Recipe Note #2
To serve
- 80 g feta cubes optional
- Aleppo pepper
- chopped mint
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 180C Fan / 200 C / Gas 6
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Top and tail the carrots then scrub or peel them.
Cut the carrots in half from top to tail or, if very large, cut again into quarters.
Put in a roasting tray then sprinkle with the cumin, Aleppo pepper or chilli flakes, salt and pepper.
Drizzle over the olive oil then mix everything together well (using your hands is best) before spacing out the carrots in a single layer with their cut sides facing down.
Put the tray in the oven and roast for 10 minutes.
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Remove the tray from the oven and toss the chickpeas with the carrots and oil.
Arrange the carrots so their cut sides are now facing upwards, return the tray to the oven and roast for another 10 minutes.
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Take the tray from the oven and check that the carrots are done to your liking (return to the oven for a few minutes if necessary).
Stir 2 tablespoons of Minto Pesto through the carrots and chickpeas.
Toss the spinach into the rest of the ingredients: if you want to wilt the spinach return the tray to the oven for 1 minute, otherwise move to the next step.
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Put the carrots, chickpeas and spinach on a serving platter or divide between two plates or bowls.
Sprinkle over the cubes of feta if using, a pinch of Aleppo pepper or dried chilli flakes, the chopped mint, plus extra blobs of Mint Pesto if liked.
Can also be served cold or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
Note #1 My Mint Pesto recipe is quick and easy to make. If you don't have enough mint to make the whole amount, make a half batch: this will be plenty for the Roasted Carrot and Chickpea Salad. Alternatively, use any jarred pesto you like.
Note #2 Use other greens such as rocket, kale or cavolo nero if preferred. Instead of wilting them, you could also serve them raw with the roasted carrots and chickpeas piled on top.