Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Whipped Vegan Ricotta
Prep time: 15 minutes + 30 minutes cashew soaking
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
This dish started as a side and became the thing everyone talks about. There's something about the combination — warm, spiced carrots over a cool, creamy swoosh of cashew ricotta — that feels genuinely restaurant-worthy without asking much of you in the kitchen.
It's also one of the most visually striking things you can put on a table. Rainbow carrots roasted until their edges caramelize, laid over a white cloud of ricotta, finished with fresh herbs and a handful of pistachios. It looks like you tried very hard. You didn't.
About the whipped vegan ricotta
This is a cashew-based ricotta and it earns its place at the table. Soaked raw cashews blended with lemon, apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, and a little garlic — the result is creamy, tangy, and rich in a way that doesn't feel heavy. Cashews are high in healthy monounsaturated fats and minerals including magnesium and zinc, and the nutritional yeast adds B vitamins and a subtle savory depth.
It also happens to be completely dairy-free, which means it works for everyone at the table without a second thought.
Ingredients
For the carrots:
2 to 3 bunches rainbow carrots, tops trimmed, peeled if needed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice or orange juice
Small handful fresh dill or mint
Optional: pomegranate seeds, pistachios
For the whipped vegan ricotta:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes and drained
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 small garlic clove
¾ teaspoon salt
How to make it
Step 1: Roast the carrots
Preheat your oven to 425°F. Toss the carrots with olive oil, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper and spread them on a sheet pan with a little room between them — crowding kills caramelization. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, turning once, until tender and golden at the edges. Finish with a squeeze of lemon or orange juice and fresh herbs straight out of the oven.
Step 2: Make the whipped ricotta
Add soaked cashews, lemon juice, vinegar, water, olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic, and salt to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth and fluffy — this takes a couple of minutes. Add a little more water if needed to get a thick, swooshable consistency. Taste and adjust salt and acid until it's bright and creamy.
Step 3: Plate it
Spread the ricotta onto a platter in a wide swooping motion — use the back of a spoon and be generous. Lay the carrots over the top, then finish with fresh herbs, a handful of chopped pistachios, and pomegranate seeds if you have them. A drizzle of good olive oil and a couple of sprigs of dill really take the dish to the finish line.
A few things worth knowing
Soaking the cashews matters. Hot water for 30 minutes is the quick method — it softens them enough to blend completely smooth. If you have time, a few hours in cold water works even better.
Make the ricotta ahead. It keeps in the fridge for up to four days and actually gets better as it sits. Make it the night before and the day-of assembly takes five minutes.
The spice combination on the carrots is warm but not spicy — cumin and coriander add depth and earthiness without heat, which makes this approachable for a wide range of palates including kids.
