Roasted Carrot Salad with Pistachio-Parmesan Crunch

Ingredients

• Carrots:*
• 2 lbs carrots, cut into 1-inch angled chunks or thick coins
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp Aleppo pepper (double it if you want heat)
• 3 cups arugula, roughly chopped
• Small squeeze of lemon or splash of vinegar (at the end of roasting)
• Yogurt Dressing:*
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Lemon zest
• 1 clove garlic, grated (optional — skipped first cook, didn't need it)
• ¼ tsp salt
• Black pepper to taste
• Pistachio-Parmesan Crunch:*
• ¼ cup pistachios, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup shredded Parmesan
• 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Zest of ½ lemon
• Pinch of salt + pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat properly. Oven to 450°F. Put two sheet pans inside while it heats. Hot pan = instant sear, not steam.
2. Toss carrots. Combine carrots with olive oil, salt, cumin, and Aleppo pepper. Just enough to coat.
3. Roast. Carefully pull the hot pans out and spread carrots across both in a single layer with space between pieces. No parchment if you can avoid it. Roast 20 minutes undisturbed, then flip/toss and roast another 10–15 minutes. You want browned edges and slight blistering — not soft and pale.
4. Flavor bump. Right out of the oven, hit the carrots with a small squeeze of lemon or a splash of sherry/red wine vinegar.
5. Rest. Let carrots sit 10–15 minutes. They'll finish softening on the tray — this is your jammy stage. Don't skip it.
6. Make dressing. Combine all dressing ingredients and shake or whisk until smooth.
7. Make crunch. Mix pistachio, Parmesan, parsley, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
8. Assemble. Toss carrots with arugula — lightly, just to combine. Drizzle dressing over the top (don't drown it). Plate, then finish with a generous pile of pistachio-parmesan crunch.

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

• Calories: ~340
• Protein: 7g
• Fat: 23g
• Carbs: 26g

Estimated from the ingredients — amounts and serving size vary, so treat it as a ballpark.

Variations & Adaptations

• Add sweetness: Pomegranate seeds or chopped Medjool dates tucked in before plating.
• Make it a meal: Add a tin of chickpeas to the roasting pans in the last 10 minutes. Crisps up nicely, adds protein.
• Dairy-free crunch: Skip Parmesan, use nutritional yeast instead. Swap yogurt in the dressing for full olive oil + lemon base.
• Deeper dressing: Swap honey for maple syrup + a small spoon of Dijon. More savory, more complex.