This spicy roasted carrot “hummus” isn’t actually hummus at all because it doesn’t contain chickpeas, but that doesn’t stop this from being one of the tastiest vegan & gluten free appetizers in your arsenal. It’s big on flavor, a nutritional heavy hitter, but light on calories. Since it’s vegan, gluten-free, paleo, and allergy-friendly, so make this veggie dip recipe and you’ll have something for everyone at the party! Jump Straight to the Recipe
I just dropped Joshua off at the airport. As I watched him walk away in his plaid button-down, pulling his grey suitcase, I got all kinds of mushy. Truth be told, it’s usually him watching me as I head off to conferences, retreats, or sponsored travel. There is something about airports that fills me with gentle melancholy- even when I’m looking forward to wherever I’m going. Airports are full of emotion, from excitement to trepidation and from joyous hellos to longing goodbyes.
This morning, about an hour after he left for work, Joshua texted me “I miss you already”. It’s no wonder I hardly let the guy out of my sight for the past 17 years. It feels so strange to say 17 years. Perhaps by the time I get used to hearing 17, it will be another year.
While I’m missing him already, there are some things I love about being alone. The big one is sleeping alone in a king sized bed. Well, not really alone since I let all the animals sleep with me when he’s gone. I’m also planning to listen to all the music he hates on full blast. Mostly early girl-fronted R&B like Wynona Carr and corny rockabilly like Janis Martin.
Oh the other thing I always do when I’m flying solo is eat like a bachelorette. There will be salad, and eggs, tea and toast, maybe a mug cake and of course chocolate. Also, this roasted carrot dip = a meal.
I love everything about this roasted carrot dip. It’s thick and creamy, a little spicy, a bit nutty, and super pretty. Think hummus without the beans or tahini. I brought this to my friend Papabear’s house last weekend and he was shocked to learn that there was no tahini and it was garbanzo-less too. “What the what?”
My other favorite story about this carrot dip is that I was teaching some produce-focused cooking classes last fall. One of the programs was all about carrots. I made carrot mac and cheese, carrot top ranch dressing, and this carrot “hummus”. One day, I had two classes scheduled. I made huge batches of the mac and cheese, but made a smaller batch of the spicy carrot dip. Well, boy was I mistaken when I thought the kids wouldn’t be too into my veggie dip recipe. I had to use the entire batch I’d made for the kids + the stuff I was saving for the adult program. You can’t imagine how awesome it is to see kids dipping raw carrots into roasted carrot dip and asking for more. I completely ran out!
This roasted carrot dip is vegan, gluten free, nut free, paleo, and even Whole30 compliant. It uses ingredients I always have on hand. You probably have most of them too- except maybe the pepitas. If you don’t know pepitas, they’re just hulled pumpkin seeds. You can find them at many grocery stores. I usually buy mine at Trader Joes or at the Mexican market down the road. They taste nutty and delicious. If you haven’t tried them, holy cow, get out and get some! They’re great on salads, as a crunchy topping for soup, or just eating out of hand.
I’ve been making this for a few years now, and this Mexican-inspired version is the one I knew I had to share with you. I mean, I’ll share the recipe, but don’t ask me to share the dip! Luckily, since I’m solo this weekend, I don’t actually have to share my roasted carrot dip with anyone at all.
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Serves: 2 cups
- 3 lbs carrots, peeled
- ½ large red onion thickly sliced
- 1 jalapeno, thickly sliced (optional)
- 1 cup raw green pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- ½ cup olive oil (divided)
- 1 handful of fresh parsley or cilantro (optional)
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Preheat oven to 375º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On the baking sheet, toss carrots, onion slices, and jalapeño with one tablespoon of olive oil and spread out so that nothing is touching. Check the onions and jalapeños after 20 minutes and remove if they are cooked through and soft. Turn the carrots and cook for another 25-30 minutes. They are done when they’re caramelized and quite soft.
- In a food processor, pulse pumpkin seeds, olive oil, and fresh herbs (if using) until the mixture is creamy with a bit of texture- not unlike chunky peanut butter. Add the carrots, olive oil, onions, jalapeños (if using), cumin, lime juice, and salt and process until smooth and creamy. I stop just short of completely smooth as I love a bit of texture, but you can keep processing until completely smooth. Serve with crudités, chips, crackers, or spread on toast for a fabulous treat. If you like, you can add a little drizzle of herbed olive oil and some toasted pepitas on top!
Need More Delicious Carrot Recipes?
Carrot Cake Dip from Food, Faith, Fitness
Carrot Ginger Dressing from The Tomato Tart
Carrot Top Pesto from Healthy Nibbles & Bits
Lightened Up Carrot Cake from Ambitious Kitchen
Vegan Carrot Soup with Caramelized Onion The #1 Recipe on The Tomato Tart
Love hummus! The spices in here sound so delicious!