My Little Hong Kong Kitchen’s Roasted Carrots With Herbed Farro & Beet Salad

I think I’ve found my new favorite veggie meal- simple, colorful and delicious. I had an abundance of orange and purple carrots so it seemed a shame not to make the most of them. I roasted them with just a drizzle of olive oil and plenty of seasoning until crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. I served them on top of a simple beetroot, herb and farro salad with feta cheese, citrus dressing and fresh pesto to finish. The perfect vegetarian dinner. Thank heavens we have leftovers for lunch tomorrow, or maybe seconds later? Tip: skip the cheese to make it vegan.

Ingredients

Salad:

• 1kg assorted carrots (we used Purple and Orange)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil/coconut oil
• 250g farro
• 250g cooked beets, chopped into one cm chunks
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 bunch fresh mint, chopped

Dressing:

• 2 lemons
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• sea salt and black pepper

Pesto:

• 1 generous handful fresh basil
• 1 garlic clove
• 30g Parmiggiano-Reggiano (omit to make it vegan)
• 30g pine nuts
• extra virgin olive oil (to loosen)
• feta to serve (omit to make it vegan)

Directions

1. Begin by washing the carrots, making sure to remove any dirt. Slice them in half lengthways (or quarters if they are particularly big) and place onto a large baking sheet. Season with the olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Place into a preheated oven at 200 C and cook for an hour, ensuring that you turn them regularly so they cook evenly.
2. Bring two litres of filtered water to a boil in a deep saucepan and add the farro to the boiling water. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes until al dente. Drain the farro and place into a mixing bowl.
3. Make the salad dressing by whisking the oil, lemon and vinegar together with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add this to the farro and stir to coat.
4. Add in the chopped beets and herbs to the farro mix. Taste the salad to ensure you have the right balance (if not, add more lemon, oil, vinegar as required). Stir to combine.
5. Make the pesto by placing all the ingredients into a food processor, except the olive oil, and blitz to combine. Slowly add in the oil until you achieve a thick green pesto paste.
6. To serve, place a few spoonfuls of the farro salad onto a serving plate and top with a few roasted carrots. Drizzle on the fresh pesto and crumble some crushed feta on top.

Laura Williams is a Hong Kong expat working in food writing, styling and photography. She created My Little Hong Kong Kitchen three years ago to share her passion for good food and great produce. Her mission is to create delicious recipes that are easy to follow, healthy and practical to make at home whether cooking for yourself or your whole family. Follow her and her incredible food photography on Instagram and make sure to like her Facebook page. 

Image courtesy of Laura Williams.