Roasted Carrots with Lemon Labneh and Pistachios

Sweet roasted carrots over tangy lemon labneh, finished with crushed pistachios and herbs. Looks restaurant-y, easy to execute. The formula here — roasted vegetable + creamy base + herbs + crunch — works for tons of vegetables.

Servings: 2 Time: ~35 min (10 min prep, 25 min roast) Oven: 425°F

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Ingredients

Carrots

• 1 lb carrots
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp honey
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• Optional: pinch of chili flakes

Labneh sauce

• ½ cup labneh (or Greek yogurt)
• Zest of ½ lemon
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Tiny pinch salt
• Black pepper
• Optional: ½ tsp honey for a softer, rounder flavor

To finish

• 2 tbsp pistachios, chopped
• 1–2 tbsp chopped herbs (dill + chives recommended; mint or cilantro also work)
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Optional: extra lemon zest or squeeze of lemon

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Method

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Line sheet pan with parchment.
2. Scrub or peel carrots. Cut in half lengthwise (quarters lengthwise if thick), or ½-inch rounds.
3. Toss in a bowl with olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper.
4. Spread on the sheet pan in a single layer.
5. Roast 25–35 minutes for halves/quarters, 20–30 minutes for rounds (stir once halfway). Done when browned at edges and tender when pierced.
6. While carrots roast, mix all labneh sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Taste — should be tangy, creamy, lightly salty.
7. Chop pistachios and herbs.

Plating

1. Spread labneh sauce on a serving platter.
2. Lay roasted carrots on top.
3. Sprinkle with pistachios, herbs, a drizzle of olive oil, and lemon zest if using.

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Notes

• Sits well at room temperature — great if dinner timing slips.
• Rounds look less dramatic than long carrots but taste identical.
• The labneh + lemon + honey + crunch formula is the real lesson. Try with roasted squash, cauliflower, or beets next.

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Source

Distilled from raw_chats/cooking_sunday_dinner_chat_transcript.md