Creative Vegetable Recipe: Smoked Carrot Dip
Now, here is one of Chef Jamie’s creative vegetable recipes designed for home cooking. Everything is optional. Keep these ratios somewhat intact, and you’ll end up with a dippable texture.
Smoked Carrot Dip
This dip is exceptionally versatile, with plenty of possible substitutions—just as long as you keep the ratios of the ingredients relatively intact to maintain a dip-able texture. If you don’t have carrots, for example, consider beets. No almonds? Try peanuts—or another kind of nut. If you don’t have chickpeas, you can use white beans.
No garlic? Use onions or even garlic powder. No lemons? Consider vinegar. No paprika? No problem. Just have fun with this!
This dip can be made days ahead. In fact, it gets even better on day two. All you need to do is store it refrigerated in an airtight container.
CARROT DIP INGREDIENTS
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1/4 cup almonds, toasted
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1 lb carrots, tops removed (purple carrots removed)
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2 tbsp plus ½ cup olive oil
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1 ½ tsp kosher salt, divided, plus more
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2 garlic cloves
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½ cup canned chickpeas
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1 lemon juiced
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½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
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¾ tsp hot smoked Spanish paprika
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½ cup coarsely chopped best-of-day micro herbs
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1 package of mixed edible flowers
CARROT DIP DIRECTIONS
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Preheat an oven to 350° and then split your carrots lengthwise. Toss them on a parchment-lined baking sheet with 2 Tbsp. oil and ½ tsp. salt. Spread the carrots evenly on the baking sheet and roast, stirring once or twice, until very tender (about 30 minutes).
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Transfer carrots to a food processor; add garlic, chickpeas, lemon juice, pepper, paprika, chopped herbs, ½ cup oil, 1 tsp. salt, and almonds. Process, adding more oil as needed, until the mixture is almost completely smooth. Taste the dip and add more lemon juice and/or salt if needed.
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Transfer the dip to a small bowl, drizzle with more oil, and top with flowers. This should make about 1 ½ cups.