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Moroccan Roasted-Carrot Hummus on white plate with multigrain chips
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Moroccan Roasted Carrot Hummus

This bright-orange, savory Moroccan roasted carrot hummus combines the flavors of harissa spices with roasted carrots and garlic. Make your own simple harissa with the directions in this recipe, or use your favorite harissa sauce for a delicious Mediterranean dip.
Course Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword carrot hummus, dip, food processor dip, harissa, homemade harissa, hummus, mediterranean, Moroccan chickpeas
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 3 cups
Author Beth Allingham

Ingredients

  • 1 pound carrots chopped into 1-inch chunks
  • 3-5 whole cloves of garlic peels left on
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
  • 1 ½ cups 1 15-ounce can cooked chickpeas, cooking liquid (aquafaba) reserved
  • ¼ cup tahini
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or more
  • ¼ cup aquafaba the cooking liquid from the beans + more to thin if necessary
  • 2 tablespoons marinade from marinated artichoke hearts see note, or 1 extra tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
  • 1 tablespoon or more of simple harissa
  • Fresh cilantro minced, for garnish

Simple Harissa

  • 1 garlic clove pressed
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder such as ancho, see note
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon caraway seeds coarsely ground in a mortar
  • ½ teaspoon pink sea salt or to taste
  • 1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Hummus

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the chopped carrots and whole garlic cloves with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Scatter evenly on a baking sheet lined with a baking liner (silpat) or parchment and roast in the oven until the carrots are tender and lightly browned, 18 to 20 minutes. 
  • While the carrots and garlic are cooling, stir together the simple harissa. 
  • Once the garlic cloves are cool enough to handle, squeeze them out of their peels.
  • In the bowl of a food processor, combine roasted carrots, roasted garlic, chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, ginger, aquafaba (or water) and the 1 tablespoon of the harissa mixture. With the motor running, drizzle in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. 
  • Process the hummus until smooth, scraping the sides down with a spatula if needed. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding extra salt or harissa if desired. If the hummus is too thick, add a little more aquafaba or oil and process until it’s the consistency you like.
  • Garnish with minced cilantro and serve with your favorite vegetables, chips and/or crackers.
  • Store the hummus in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Quick Harissa 

  • Use a garlic press or mince the garlic finely.
  • In a small bowl, stir together the pressed garlic, the tomato paste and lemon juice.
  • Add the chile powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, cumin and caraway. Gradually stir in the oil and season with salt.

Notes

  • The key to the flavor of this quick harissa is the flavor of the chili powder. The fresher the better. I used medium-roast chili powder from my food co-op, which was aromatic without being too spicy. 
  • Although I didn’t add marinated artichoke hearts to this recipe, I did use some of the marinade. We usually have a jar open, one of the large ones we buy at Costco, and the marinade is a combination of vinegar, olive oil and herbs such as oregano and basil. The easiest substitute is extra lemon juice, but you could experiment with a mild vinegar such as white wine vinegar.
  • The carrot-harissa hummus is based on this recipe
  • The quick harissa is based on this recipe