Moroccan Twist Rainbow Carrots with Labneh & Shortcut Dukkah

[🥗 Course: Side Dish / Appetizer | 🌍 Cuisine: Middle Eastern / Moroccan-inspired | ⭐ Difficulty: Easy (overnight prep) | ⏱️Prep: 15 mins | 🔥Cook: 40 mins | ❄️Chill: 24 hours | 🥭 Servings: 4 | ⚡ Total: 24 hrs 55 mins | 🔥 Calories: 320 kcal]

Growing up, there were carrots and peas, and let me tell you, that was not doing it for me. But then we decided to give those boring old root vegetables a big kick in the pants! In this post, I’m going to tell you a great Moroccan twist with something called Labneh, a creamy, punchy base, and some shortcut Dukkah on top.

We are going to make carrots rise to the top of the food chain. If you are a carrot disliker, this will change your mind forever. Colored carrots, orange carrots, it doesn’t matter. It’s the base, the Labneh that makes it, and that little bit of Dukkah on top that brings it all home.

Why You’ll Love This

Because we are bringing the za-za-zoom! This isn’t just a side dish; it’s a showstopper. You’re taking an everyday vegetable and roasting it until it’s sweet and caramelized, then serving it over a tangy, rich yogurt cheese base that is spiked with what I call “magic in a box” (spoiler: it’s Boursin cheese). It’s incredibly easy, the cleanup is a breeze, and it looks like you spent hours in a fancy restaurant kitchen. This is a total keeper!

If you love roasted veggie showstoppers like this, also try my Simple Asparagus & Ricotta Puff Pastry Tart for flaky spring magic!

What You’ll Need

Special Equipment

• Cheesecloth
• Fine mesh strainer
• Medium mixing bowl
• Large rimmed baking sheet
• Parchment paper

The Labneh Base

• 1 tub (500g) Plain Greek yogurt (full fat preferred)
• 1 box (150g) Classic Boursin cheese (Original Garlic & Fine Herbs)
• ¼ cup (25g) Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1 tsp (5g) Chili flakes or chili crisp (like our classic 2.0!)
• 1 tbsp Fresh lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Kosher salt, to taste

The Carrots

• 1.5 lbs (about 700g) Rainbow carrots, peeled and cut into even pieces
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tsp Coarse salt

The Shortcut Dukkah & Garnish

• ¼ cup (35g) Toasted hazelnuts (or pistachios), roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp (3g) Fresh thyme leaves
• ½ tsp Ground cumin
• 1 tbsp Black sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp White sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) Bourbon-aged maple syrup
• A small handful of tiny fresh mint leaves

Let’s Get Cooking!

1. What in the World is Labneh? (Start 24 hours ahead)

Labneh is simply taking Greek yogurt and straining it to remove the whey. Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and place it over a bowl. Spoon the entire 500g tub of Greek yogurt into the cheesecloth. Wrap the edges over the top to cover.

Let it sit in the fridge to strain for 24 hours. It takes all the liquid out, and what you’re left with is basically “yogurt cheese.” It comes out as this lovely little ball of goodness, ready to soak up whatever flavors we throw at it! Once strained, unwrap your lovely ball of yogurt cheese and transfer it to a mixing bowl. Discard the liquid (whey).

2. Magic in a Box (Flavor the Base)

On its own, Labneh has a great tangy flavor, but to make it come alive with excitement and lots of guts, enter our great little cheat: Classic Boursin cheese. It’s magic in a box!

Drop that into the yogurt cheese, along with the grated Parmesan, chili flakes for spice, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix thoroughly until smooth and combined. Give it a taste—if it needs it, add a pinch of salt. Set aside.

3. Roasting for that “Za-Za-Zoom”

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper for an easy clean-up.

I highly recommend getting rainbow carrots if you can find them—they are everywhere now. Orange carrots are fine, but they aren’t quite as za-za-zoom as the purple, yellow, and orange mix.

Place your evenly sized carrots onto the tray. Give them a good drizzle of olive oil and a nice handful of coarse salt over the top. Toss to coat, then spread them out in an even layer. We roast them hot and fast for about 40 minutes, or until deeply roasted, beautifully tender, and caramelized.

If you love creamy, spiced beans as a sidekick, also try my Super Delicious Fried or Stewed White Beans next to these!

4. Mix the Shortcut Dukkah

While the carrots are roasting, Make your shortcut Dukkah—an Egyptian-inspired spice blend. Combine the chopped toasted hazelnuts, fresh thyme leaves, ground cumin, black sesame seeds, and white sesame seeds in a small bowl.

5. Assemble the Masterpiece

Take your flavored labneh base and do a great, lovely smear right down the middle of a serving platter. Take your beautifully roasted carrots and scatter them all over the labneh. Sprinkle your shortcut dukkah generously over the top.

If you love bold, herby toasts with this vibe, also try my Only the Most Delicious Honey Mustard Mackerel Avocado Toast for brunch!

6. The Final Touch

Drizzle the whole dish with a splash of bourbon maple syrup and scatter your tiny fresh mint leaves over the top. Serve immediately. It is pure perfection!

If you like this recipe Explore more recipes

FAQs

Save

Moroccan Twist Rainbow Carrots with Labneh & Shortcut Dukkah

Recipe by Sana ReiCourse: Side Dish / AppetizerCuisine: Middle Eastern / Moroccan-inspiredDifficulty: Easy (requires overnight prep)

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories per serving

320

kcal

Chill time

24

hours 

Total time

24

hours 

55

minutes

Give your carrots a big kick in the pants! Deeply roasted rainbow carrots served over a creamy, punchy Boursin-spiked labneh base, finished with a crunchy hazelnut Dukkah and bourbon maple syrup.

Ingredients

• Equipment Needed

• Cheesecloth

• strainer

• baking sheet

• parchment paper

• Ingredients

• 500 g Plain Greek yogurt (full fat)

• 150 g Classic Boursin cheese (Original)

• 25 g (¼ cup) Parmesan cheese, grated

• 5 g (1 tsp) Chili flakes or chili crisp

• 15 ml (1 tbsp) Lemon juice, fresh

• Zest of 1 lemon

• Kosher salt, to taste

• 700 g Rainbow carrots, cut evenly

• 30 ml (2 tbsp) Olive oil

• 6 g (1 tsp) Coarse salt

• 35 g (¼ cup) Toasted hazelnuts (or pistachios), roughly chopped

• 3 g (1 tbsp) Fresh thyme leaves

• 1 g (½ tsp) Ground cumin

• 9 g (1 tbsp) Black sesame seeds

• 9 g (1 tbsp) White sesame seeds

• 30 ml (2 tbsp) Bourbon-aged maple syrup

• Small handful tiny fresh mint leaves

Directions

• Place a cheesecloth-lined strainer over a bowl. Pour in the 500g of Greek yogurt, wrap, and let strain in the fridge for 24 hours to create your Labneh (yogurt cheese).
• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Toss the cut rainbow carrots with olive oil and coarse salt on the baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes until tender and caramelized.
• Meanwhile, unwrap the labneh and place it in a bowl. Add the Boursin cheese, Parmesan, chili flakes, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix well and season with a pinch of salt if needed.
• In a small bowl, mix the toasted hazelnuts, fresh thyme, cumin, black sesame seeds, and white sesame seeds to create the shortcut Dukkah.
• Spread the flavored labneh base down the middle of a serving tray.
• Scatter the warm roasted carrots over the base.
• Top with the shortcut Dukkah mixture.
• Finish with a drizzle of bourbon maple syrup and a sprinkle of fresh mint leaves.

Notes

• The Yogurt Cheat: Don’t skip the overnight strain! Getting the whey out is what gives the base that thick, luxurious “yogurt cheese” texture.
• Magic in a Box: Make sure you grab the Original Garlic & Fine Herbs Boursin. It brings the whole base to life with zero effort.
• Nut Swaps: If you don’t have hazelnuts for the Dukkah, pistachios (or a mix of both) work perfectly.
• Make Ahead: The labneh base and the Dukkah spice mix can both be made days in advance. Just roast the carrots right before serving!