1lbcarrots (5 medium), peeled and chopped into 2-inch pieces
½lbbeets (3 medium/4 small) peeled and chopped into 1-inch wedges
1tablespoonolive oil
1 ½teaspoonsza’atar spice
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
YOGURT SAUCE:
1cupmixed herbs, packed (I used parsley, dill & basil), plus extra for garnish
1small jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped (I left some of the seeds because I like the heat)
1garlic clove, peeled
2tablespoonsshelled and salted pistachios, plus extra for garnish
2tablespoonsolive oil
1tablespoonlemon juice
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1cupthick non-dairy yogurt (see notes for recommendations)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9x13x2 baking dish with parchment paper.
Place the chopped carrots and beets in the baking dish and toss them with the olive oil, za’atar, salt and pepper. Once the vegetables are evenly coated, spread them out into a single layer and slide the dish into the oven. Roast the vegetables for 1 hour, taking them out at the halfway point to stir them up and flip them over.
Make the herbed jalapeño yogurt sauce: In a food processor, combine the herbs, jalapeño, garlic, pistachios, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse the machine a few times until everything is finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula if necessary. Add the non-dairy yogurt to the food processor and pulse until the sauce is fully combined and uniformly light green. Check the sauce for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
To serve: Spread the herbed jalapeño yogurt sauce out on the base of your serving plate. Pile the roasted root vegetables on top of the yogurt sauce.
Garnish the grounding roasted roots and herbed jalapeño yogurt sauce with extra chopped herbs and pistachios. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
I would make this a meal by serving it in a grain bowl-style setup with some cooked farro, white beans, and a big handful of chopped/baby greens per person.
I used carrots and beets, but any mixture of root vegetables you like is good. You’ll need 1 ½ pounds.
If you don’t have za’atar spice blend, that’s fine! Just use salt and pepper. The sauce is super flavourful.
The best non-dairy yogurts for savoury applications like this (in my opinion!) are: Culina, Anita’s, Lavva or Coyo.