Harissa Roasted Veggies with Whipped Feta
“Sometimes all I want for dinner is a heap of really well-seasoned roasted vegetables,” says author Caroline Chambers. “I chop up whatever veggies need to be used up, throw it all on a sheet pan, make a sauce while it’s cooking, and 30 minutes later: dinner. This whipped feta elicits positively indecent responses out of my guests every time I serve it—it’s ridiculous.”
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas
- 1 pound medium carrots
- 1 large red onion
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons harissa, plus more for serving
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Kosher salt
- 1 (8-ounce) block feta cheese
- ½ cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
- ½ lemon
- Handful of fresh soft herbs, such as parsley, dill, cilantro, basil, or a mix
- Handful of toasted nuts, or ¼ cup toasted seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F.
- Dump the chickpeas into a colander. Drain them, but do not rinse.
- Arrange a few layers of paper towels on a rimmed baking sheet, then pour the drained chickpeas on top. Use another paper towel to pat them very dry. Discard all the paper towels, then shake the chickpeas into an even layer. There will be some chickpea skins on the baking sheet now— no need to pick them out. They’ll roast up into crispy little bits and be delicious!
- Cut the carrots on the diagonal into ½-inch-thick slabs and thinly slice the onion. Add the carrots, onion, olive oil, harissa, honey and 1 teaspoon salt to the chickpeas and toss to coat well.
- Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the carrots are golden on the outside but fork-tender.
- Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, combine the feta and yogurt. Zest and juice the lemon into the blender and add a pinch of salt. Blend on high speed until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed, 30 to 45 seconds. If it’s too thick and your blender is having a hard time mixing, add a bit of water, a splash at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Chop the herbs and nuts.
- Taste the roasted veggies and add more salt as needed. Stir in the herbs.
- Spread a nice spoonful of whipped feta over the bottom of your bowl or plate and top it with a pile of roasted veggies and a sprinkle of nuts. Add another dollop of harissa on top if you love spice. Serves 4.
- RIFF: Omit the harissa and honey, and instead toss a big spoonful of pesto into the veggies after they’ve roasted. Serve with burrata instead of whipped feta.
- SHORTCUT: Skip the whipped feta and just crumble some feta on top. Find prechopped butternut squash or sweet potatoes at the grocery store and use instead of carrots.
Notes
Reprinted with permission from What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking by Caroline Chambers © 2024. Published by Union Square & Co. Photos © Eva Kolenko.
About the author
Carmel resident Caroline Chambers grew up in North Carolina, where she was raised on the robust flavors of the South. She has owned and operated a farm-to-table catering company in San Diego and has worked as a recipe developer and stylist for publications and brands including The New York Times, Robert Mondavi Wine, Food Network and MagicChef. Her first cookbook, Just Married (Chronicle Books), was published in October 2018.
