Honey recipes
Honey roasted carrots with feta and thyme
Roasted carrots are already sweet, so this recipe uses honey as a light finishing glaze. Salty feta, lemon and pumpkin seeds give the plate contrast: tender vegetables, a sharp edge and a little crunch.
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From the honey kitchen
Honey roasted carrots with feta and thyme
4 side portions Easy
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook / bake
- 35 min
- Total time
- 50 min
Equipment: Large roasting tray, baking paper, bowl and small dry frying pan.
Ingredients
Amounts are for the yield above. 1 tbsp = 15 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml; use level measures for dry ingredients.
Carrots
- 700 g slender carrots, scrubbed or peeled
- 25 ml olive oil
- ½ tsp fine salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Glaze & topping
- 30 g runny honey
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (15 ml)
- 75 g feta, crumbled
- 20 g pumpkin seeds
Step by step
Cut for even cooking
Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / 400°F. Trim the carrots and halve lengthways. Quarter any unusually thick carrots so the pieces have a similar thickness. Line a large roasting tray with baking paper.
Roast before adding honey
Toss the carrots with oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Spread in one layer, cut-side down where possible. Roast for 25 minutes, turning once halfway through. They should be almost tender when pierced; give very thick pieces a few extra minutes before glazing.
Toast the seeds
Meanwhile, put the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes. Shake the pan frequently and remove the seeds to a plate as soon as they smell toasted. They keep cooking if left in the hot pan.
Glaze briefly
Mix honey with lemon juice. Drizzle over the carrots, turn gently and roast for a further 8–10 minutes until tender and lightly caramelised. Watch the edges and remove earlier if the glaze darkens; do not wait for it to turn black.
Finish on a platter
Transfer the warm carrots to a platter, spoon over the tray juices and scatter with feta and pumpkin seeds. Serve as a side to a separately cooked main, or add bread and a bean salad to make a larger meal.
Give the carrots room
A crowded tray traps steam and produces soft, pale carrots. If yours is small, divide the vegetables between two trays. Thick supermarket carrots work well too: cut them into long quarters rather than leaving chunky halves.
The honey is deliberately added near the end. That timing lets the carrot edges roast before the glaze starts browning. Lemon juice loosens the honey and stops the finished dish from tasting one-dimensional.
Variations and leftovers
For a dairy-free plate, leave out the feta and add extra toasted seeds plus a little more lemon to taste. This is not a vegan dish while honey remains in it. Fresh rosemary can replace the thyme, but use a smaller amount and chop it finely.
Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within two hours at 4°C or colder. Use within three days. If planning ahead, keep feta and seeds separate until serving so the seeds stay crisp and the cheese keeps its texture.
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