Roasted Carrots With Black Sesame Dressing Recipe

Black sesame paste adds a deep, earthy flavor and an edge of bitterness to this citrusy dressing—perfect for drizzling over tender, sweet roasted carrots.

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Editorial Director
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
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Updated July 12, 2023
Closeup of roasted carrots drizzled with black sesame dressing and garnished with parsley leaves.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Blanching the carrots first, then roasting them, leads to more tender, sweeter results.
  • Lightly bitter black sesame paste makes a dressing that is a striking visual and flavor contrast to the sweet carrots.

Black sesame paste has a deep, earthy flavor with an edge of bitterness. With the help of little more than lemons and olive oil, it's transformed into a dressing for tender roasted carrots, which makes for a visually striking dish with contrasting flavors.

August 2017

Recipe Details

Roasted Carrots With Black Sesame Dressing Recipe

Active 20 mins
Total 80 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound small carrots (450g)

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (15ml), plus more for drizzling on carrots

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) black sesame paste (see note)

  • 1 teaspoon fresh juice from 1 lemon (5ml), plus finely grated lemon zest for garnish

  • Minced fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, for garnish

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Place carrots in a large pot, cover with water, and season heavily with salt. Heat over high heat until boiling. Reduce to a simmer and cook until barely tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and allow to dry for 5 minutes.

  2. Transfer carrots to a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with just enough olive oil to coat, and roast until caramelized, about 40 minutes, turning once or twice during roasting.

  3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together sesame paste, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and lemon juice. Season with salt.

  4. Arrange carrots on a serving plate, drizzle with sesame sauce, and garnish with parsley and grated lemon zest. Serve.

Notes

If you can't find black sesame paste, you can substitute tahini.

Special Equipment

Rimmed baking sheet, whisk

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
107Calories
7gFat
10gCarbs
2gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories107
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g9%
Saturated Fat 1g5%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 224mg10%
Total Carbohydrate 10g4%
Dietary Fiber 4g13%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 6mg28%
Calcium 40mg3%
Iron 1mg3%
Potassium 287mg6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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