Grilled Mediterranean Carrots

Grilling season is in full swing, and this summer, I’m determined to eat less meat and embrace more grilled vegetables. And these Grilled Mediterranean Carrots are the perfect dish to meet my goal.

Grilling the carrots caramelizes the starches in the carrots, making them tender and just sweet enough to forget you’re eating vegetables. This, combined with the incredible yogurt sauce results in an incredible dish, that’ll I’ll be making over and over again this summer. Give it a try, you may even find that you don’t miss your hamburger – I know I don’t!

Ingredients

Carrots – The star of the show! I used regular carrots and grilled them directly on the grills. However, you can use baby carrots and cook them in a grilling basket as well.

Plain Greek Yogurt – This makes up the base of the sauce. I prefer non fat versus full fat because I prefer a thinner consistency, however, if you only have full fat, you can thin the sauce out with water.

Tahini – This provides a delicious nutty flavor that compliments the carrots wonderfully

Lemon Juice – The acidity in the lemon juice cuts through the fats of the greek yogurt and tahini and rounds out the flavor wonderfully. It also helps thin the sauce.

Za’atar – This spice blend is a mixture of dried herbs and sesame seeds. It has a slight nutty flavor that is delicious with the tahini

Golden Raisins – The raisins offer a touch of sweetness that tastes delicious with the za’atar. You can substitute in regular raisins.

Mint – This herb offers a pop of freshness to an otherwise creamy dish. You can use any herb you have on hand. Fresh oregano or dill would be wonderful as well.

Olive Oil – Use 2 tablespoons of oil to brush your carrots before grilling and use the remaining tablespoon in the yogurt sauce.

Salt – Salt is a flavor enhancer and has a rightful place in every dish. These carrots are no exception. I used 1 tsp, ½ tsp was used to season the carrots before grilling, and the other half was used in the yogurt sauce. This however, is just a guideline. You can season to taste.

Water – Add water, tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency for the sauce.

Method

Step 1: Preheat your grill to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, clean the carrots. you can do this by scrubbing all the dirt off or by using a Y-peeler to peel off the outer layer. You can also remove the carrot tops at this time, if necessary.

Don’t forget to save your carrot tops and make a delicious – and perhaps more importantly – non wasteful carrot top pesto! I enjoy this Carrot Top Pesto Recipe from The Endless Meal. Eat good food and stop food waste in its tracks, what can be better than that!

Step 2: Once the carrots are clean, Brush with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt.

Step 3: Grill the carrots. I used carrots I purchased from my local farmers market, which are much smaller than many carrots found in grocery stores. Using my smaller, skinnier carrots, I had no problem getting the outside nice and charred while the insides became tender. If using a thicker carrot, however, you may not have such luck. If using a thicker carrot, I recommend grilling over direct heat for 8 minutes, then transfer to indirect heat for another 10-12 minutes until nice and tender.

If using baby carrots, toss them in a grilling basket and give the basket a good shake every 4 minutes, until nicely charred and tender. Roughly 12 minutes total.

Step 4: Make the sauce while the carrots grill. Combine the greek yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, za’atar, the rest of the olive oil, and water if needed. Give everything a good stir, then set aside. Chop up some extra mint to garnish.

Step 5: Assemble! Line your carrots up and scoop the yogurt sauce right over. Top with golden raisins and fresh mint. Serve and enjoy!