Turmeric-Roasted Carrots with Seeds and Labne

This could easily serve as a side to roast chicken or as a salad with something heavier, like a stew, but often I serve this as a sort of salad-side hybrid for when I don’t want to make both. The unique earthiness of fresh turmeric really makes this dish, especially when the bits get a little too dark and crispy as the carrots roast, but ground turmeric is a totally acceptable substitute. Roasting carrots hot and fast will give you something that is caramelized and deeply flavorful on the outside without sacrificing their snappy texture, and roasting them with seeds means you don’t have to toast the seeds separately to coax out their flavor. It’s really quite a good deal for all involved, and sometimes I make them sans leafy greens when I just want to take advantage of this very good deal.

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Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Step 2

If using carrots on the larger side, halve them lengthwise. Toss the carrots with the olive oil, turmeric, cumin, and fennel on a rimmed baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast, shaking the pan occasionally, until the carrots are evenly browned and tender (but not totally soft), 20 to 25 minutes; if your carrots are on the larger side, this might take a bit longer. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Step 3

Combine the labne, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice in a small bowl, and season with salt and pepper.

Step 4

Put the greens in a large bowl along with the remaining lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Spoon some of the garlicky labne onto the bottom of a large serving platter or bowl and scatter the carrots and greens on top, making sure to scrape any of the oily, seedy business from the baking sheet in there, too.

Step 5

DO AHEAD: These carrots are actually great at room temperature and can be roasted about 4 hours ahead.