This roasted carrot dip is a great recipe to make when you have some old or softening carrots to use up. The end result is a creamy, savory dip that looks pretty, tastes great, and is a welcome addition to any appetizer platter.

I’m well intentioned when it comes to reducing food waste – but I want to get better at this practice.

Approximately 80 million pounds of food is thrown away every year in the United States. Restated, about 40 percent of the food supply is wasted every year.

These sad, soft carrots turned into a super creamy, slightly sweet dip. I drizzled it with chimichurri and pumpkin seeds and ate it with crackers and sliced veggies.

I consider this a delicious #FoodWaste win! Something I will definitely make again, whether my carrots are fresh or decaying.

About The Recipe: Roasted Carrot Dip

If you like dips – and if you like carrots – then I think you’ll appreciate this dip. It’s similar to hummus in terms of texture – but it really is in its own category of dips.

The carrots are roasted until tender and almost caramelized.

Then, they are pureed with a few simple ingredients including lemon juice, tahini, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.

The dip turns out smooth and creamy, and tastes good served any of the following ways:

• Served with crackers and crudité for dipping
• Served on a charcuterie board 
• As a sandwich spread

The topping is totally optional – and tastes great with or without. It’s an herby, oily chimichurri sauce that adds some brightness to the dip – and some pepitas to add some crunch.

What To Do With Soft Carrots

This roasted carrot dip is one idea for using up wilting carrots – but keep in mind you can use fresh carrots, as well! Here are some other ideas:

• Cooked with other veggies and pureed into a creamy soup that’s paleo-friendly
• Roasted and pureed with chickpeas + other ingredients to make carrot hummus
• Cooked, pureed, and added to smoothies
• Carrot & zucchini fritters
• Moroccan carrot salad

Soft carrots can still be used! Make them into something delicious. The key is to cook the carrots so they’ll naturally soften. Avoid recipes using fresh carrots eaten raw (like this carrot-tuna salad). The texture just won’t be right.

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Roasted Carrot Dip

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

If you don't have tahini, you can substitute plain Greek yogurt. This may seem like an odd substitute, but both taste great and help make this dip extra creamy.

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Ingredients

• 1 lb carrots
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons tahini (or plain Greek yogurt, in a pinch)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Water, if needed, to thin

For topping

• Chimichurri sauce
• Pepitas
• Cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Peel carrots and chop into small uniform pieces. Place on a large baking sheet with the garlic cloves, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, toss, and roast for 30 minutes, until carrots are fork tender and lightly caramelized.
2. Once carrots are cool, place in a food processor with remaining olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, and spices. Puree until smooth. If dip is too thick, add water, one teaspoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
3. Transfer to a serving bowl and chill until ready to serve. Top with chimichurri, pepitas, and black pepper.

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