After I graduated from college, I left to live and work in Tunisia – a small, but beautiful and welcoming country in North Africa. I was only supposed to stay for a year, but I fell in love (with the country and my now husband) and ended up staying for four years.
I absolutely love and miss the country, the people (especially) and the food. I make a few Tunisian dishes, but it’s just not the same as being there and having the ‘real thing’.
However, when I first made this recipe, the flavors brought us both back to Tunis. The dip tastes a lot like omekhouriya, a traditional Tunisian dish that you’ll find at a Ramadan feast or to dip bread in while waiting for lunch to be served.
This healthy dip is packed with flavor and is easy to make. Roasting the carrots takes some time, but the rest is quick. It stays good in the fridge for up to a week – just drizzle a bit of olive oil over it when re-serving.
Vegan Carrot Dip à la Tunisia
Servings: Makes about 3 cups - good for a crowd!
Active time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Need: Food processor
½ cup (75 g) almonds with the skin on
2 pounds (900 g) carrots, ends removed
½ cup + 2 tablespoons (120 ml) olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
½ cup (85 g) canned chickpeas
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
½ cup (15 g) parsley leaves
Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C). Place the almonds (in one layer) on a rimmed baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 10 minutes; they should be fragrant and slightly darkened. Set aside.
Peel the carrots and cut into 3-inch pieces (8 cm). If some are thicker, cut lengthwise so they are all roughly the same length and thickness. Put in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt.
Line a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread out the carrots on
the paper in one layer. Roast for about 1 hour 10 minutes until very tender. They should start to shrivel and be slightly browned, but not charred. Pull out and let cool.
In a food processor, place the toasted almonds, garlic, chickpeas, lemon juice, pepper, paprika, parsley, ½ cup olive oil, 1 ½ teaspoons salt and the carrots. Pulse until pretty smooth (add more oil if needed) – there will still be bits of parsley and little chunks of carrot. Taste and add more lemon juice or salt if needed.
Serve in a small bowl, drizzled with a little bit of olive oil and serve with pita or pretzel chips, fresh baguette or even crudité. Carrots with carrot dip! This can be made ahead – the dip can be refrigerated for up to a week.
And bon appétit!
Adapted from Bon Appétit magazine: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/smoky-carrot-dip
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