Roasted Carrot Hummus

It’s almost April and King’s Day is approaching fast. Many schools in the Netherlands have held the King’s Plays last Friday and everything turned orange. We are not such King’s Day fanatics, partly because we are living in Belgium since a couple of years and the kids attend school here. The 27^th of April is just a normal day for us.

That doesn’t mean we’re not participating in all that orange madness, though. I am again participating in the Foodblog Event organised by Foodbloggers BENELUX and the theme this time (obviously) is: King’s Day. The colour orange is quite essential then. And I came with a recipe I had never made before: Roasted Carrot Hummus.

Bright orange

Thinking about orange food, pumpkin soup and carrot mash came to mind. Most people will associate these dishes with autumn or winter. What about something with oranges, a beautiful dessert or a refreshing summer drink. At the organic supermarket, I had bought a bunch of beautiful orange carrots and wanted to use these for the challenge. And the wonderful temperatures of the last couple of days made me think of summer and… BBQ. A salad or a dip. So, dip it is: a creamy hummus with roasted carrots.

Falvours of the Middel East

Instead of cooking the carrots, I roasted them in the oven. Roasting gives the vegetables a much richer taste and makes them slightly sweet. Hummus is an essential part of the Middle Eastern cuisine and I figured that regional spices would fit this dip perfectly.

Za’atar

I wanted to use Za’atar in my hummus. There are spice mixes available at most supermarkets, but most of them aren’t quite authentic. Or so I learned the hard way. Without even checking the label, I bought the first jar I came across. At home, I started searching for the origins of Za’atar and was actually amazed by what I found. Za’atar actually is a herb, but is mostly sold in a mix. That mix is called Za’atar as well.

Thing is though, the mixes found at the supermarkets don’t contain what gives the mix its name: Za’atar. How strange is that? Slight consolation: the real za’atar very much resembles a cross between thyme and oregano. So, lacking the real thing, you can always go for a combination of those two.

Anything goes

As far as this hummus is concerned: anything goes. Use whatever spices or herbs you like. I very much liked this Za’atar mix. Omitting it, will be just as good. The roasted carrots are what makes this hummus taste great. Just adding salt and pepper will be fine. But adding spices and herbs gives it a totally different dimension.

Ingredients

2 (organic) carrots

Freshly ground salt and pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

1 can of chick peas (400g, net weight: 240 g)

1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp Za’atar

75 ml water

1 tbsp ginger syrup

1 tbsp olive oil

1 clove of garlic, minced

Salt/pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Peel the carrots and cut into small slices.

Put the carrots in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of freshly ground sea salt and pepper. Shake to cover all pieces.

Spread on the baking sheet and roast for about 20-30 minutes, until the carrot pieces are soft.

Let cool.

Drain the chick peas. You can keep the liquid for other purposes, such as vegan mayo.

Put the chick peas, carrots, lemon juice, ginger syrup, garlic, olive oil and Za’atar in a blender or food processor and blend until it reaches a smooth consistency. If it’s too dry, just add a little bit of water (1 tablespoon at a time).

Then add salt and pepper to taste.

This hummus is delicious as a dip with your BBQ, on pita bread, in a wrap (like on this chili tortilla with fresh green leaves and vegan ‘chicken’ shawarma) or as a dip for fresh bread or vegetables.

Enjoy!

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