Roasted Carrot and Chickpea Salad with Chiles, Cumin and Dill

Carrots and cumin are a classic combination, I was tired of seeing an old can of chickpeas every time I opened the cupboard, and I happened to have a bunch of fresh dill left over from making potato salad a few days earlier, so:

• 4-5 medium carrots, scrubbed, sliced diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices
• 1 Tbsp. + 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 4-oz. can whole mild green chiles, preferably Hatch, drained and sliced
• 2 tsp. whole cumin seeds
• Juice of 1/2 fresh lime
• A handful of fresh dill, finely chopped (about 2 Tbsp.)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Toss the carrot slices with 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and toss again.
3. Turn the carrots out onto a cookie sheet or shallow roasting pan large enough to accommodate the carrot slices in a single layer and roast until tender but not mushy, and the edges are slightly caramelized. This shouldn't take much more than 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the carrot slices.  Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes.
4. Combine the roasted carrot slices, chickpeas, sliced chiles and cumin seeds in a bowl.  Add the remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil, lime juice and dill.  Season with salt and pepper.  Gently but thoroughly mix the salad, cover and let stand at room temperature for a couple of hours or in the refrigerator overnight.  This will soften the cumin seeds and release some of their aroma.

Serve at room temperature as a side dish, part of an appetizer buffet, or bring to a picnic.  Feel free to adjust the amounts to taste, as well as substitute whatever fresh leafy herb you have on hand for the dill.  Cilantro works particularly well, but parsley will do in a pinch.