Turkish Roasted Carrot Salad with Tahini and Yogurt Recipe
In this salad, sweet roasted carrots are combined with a creamy sauce made from yogurt and sesame paste (tahini). In Turkey, similar dishes often appear on the table as a chilled starter served with grilled meat or as a side dish to dinner. The flavor is somewhat reminiscent of hummus, but it is lighter and has a distinctly vegetable-forward character.
This salad brings together the sweetness of roasted carrots with the nutty richness of tahini and the freshness of yogurt, creating a dish that is both comforting and light. It works equally well as a dip, a side dish, or part of a mezze spread, and can be served warm or cold, making it very versatile.
Chef's tips
Roast the carrots long enough for them to caramelize slightly on the edges—that light browning adds a lot of flavor. Taste the sauce and adjust the balance of lemon and honey to your liking; it should be tangy with a gentle sweetness. If your yogurt is very thin, strain it through a cloth or coffee filter for an hour to get a thicker, creamier consistency.
How to serve
Serve on a large platter as part of a mezze table with pita, flatbreads, olives, and other dips like hummus or baba ganoush. It also makes a great side for grilled or roasted chicken, lamb, or fish. For a light lunch, pile it onto warm flatbread and top with extra herbs and a squeeze of lemon.
Ingredients
- carrot peeled - 500 g
- olive oil - 3 tablespoons
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- plain yogurt thick - 200 g
- tahini sesame paste - 1.5 tablespoons
- garlic finely chopped or pressed - 1 clove
- lemon juice - 1.5 tablespoons
- honey or maple syrup - 1 teaspoon
- parsley chopped - 2 tablespoons
- sesame seeds toasted in a dry pan - 1 tablespoon
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, top and bottom heat.
- Cut the carrots into thick sticks or diagonal slices about 1 cm thick so they roast evenly.
- Transfer the carrots to a baking tray lined with baking paper, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly with your hands so every piece is coated in oil.
- Roast the carrots for 25–30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until they are soft and lightly browned on the edges; check with a fork to see if it goes in easily.
- In a bowl, mix the yogurt, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, honey, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper until the sauce is smooth and slightly thick.
- Let the roasted carrots cool slightly for 5–10 minutes, then transfer them to a bowl, add half of the parsley, and gently toss.
- Spread a layer of the yogurt–tahini sauce on a serving platter, arrange the carrots on top, and sprinkle with the remaining parsley and toasted sesame seeds.
- Serve the salad slightly warm or completely cooled.
Storage
Sałatka dobrze znosi przechowywanie w lodówce; sos może lekko zgęstnieć, więc przed podaniem możesz dodać łyżkę jogurtu lub odrobinę wody i delikatnie wymieszać.
