Roasted Carrots with Farro, Chickpeas & Herbed Crème Fraîche
This roasted carrot and farro recipe looks gourmet, but it's surprisingly easy to make! This is the perfect holiday vegetarian main dish.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 10, 2024
241Comments
Jump to recipe
Can we talk about how beautiful those rainbow carrots are?! You are looking good today, carrots. This stunning roasted carrot dish features warm whole grains, protein-rich chickpeas, spiced pepitas and a light herbed crème fraîche sauce.
Don’t be intimidated by its gourmet looks—this recipe is simple to make once you get going. It has several different components, but none are complicated, and they come together beautifully.
This recipe is an absolutely lovely vegetarian option for your holiday table. Call it a main dish for the vegetarians and a side dish for everyone else. It’s also a well-balanced weeknight or special occasion dinner.
If this recipe looks familiar, it’s because it’s one of my all-time favorites. It even made it into my cookbook with a tahini sauce variation. Today, I’m sharing it again with updated photos and a video so you can watch how it all comes together.
Crème Fraîche Notes
Crème fraîche is basically a French version of sour cream. It’s a thick, cultured cream that offers lovely, rich flavor and a light tang.
You can use crème fraîche in recipes that call for sour cream or heavy cream, whether savory or sweet. It’s a great addition to soups because, unlike sour cream, it won’t curdle at high temperatures.
Crème fraîche is available at well-stocked grocery stores near the cheese. Vermont Creamery is the most common brand available. If you can’t find it, try my tahini option in the recipe notes, or you could likely substitute labneh, sour cream or even Greek yogurt.
Watch How to Make Roasted Carrots with Farro, Chickpeas & Herbed Creme Fraiche
Serving Suggestions
This is a well-rounded main dish, checking off the boxes for vegetables, whole grains, and plant-based protein. If you’re looking for a side dish, add a fresh green salad, like my Favorite Green Salad with Apples, Cranberries and Pepitas or Seasonal Spinach Salad with apple or pear.
Meal prep tip: Farro freezes well for later. You could easily double the amount of farro to save extra for later. Simply add enough water to cover the farro by several inches, and reserve half of the cooked farro for later. Let the extra farro cool to room temperature, then transfer it to a freezer bag before freezing. It’s easy to tear off a portion later and microwave to defrost. I like to add warm farro to my salads, or use it as a base for an improvised bowl.
On a carrot kick?
Don’t miss these carrot recipes on Cookie and Kate:
- Perfect Roasted Carrots
- Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup
- French Carrot Salad
- Roasted & Raw Carrot Salad with Avocado
- Chickpea Salad with Carrots and Dill
Please let me know how your recipe turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Roasted Carrots with Farro, Chickpeas & Herbed Crème Fraîche
This roasted carrot recipe looks gourmet, but it’s surprisingly easy to make! It would be a lovely dish on your holiday table or a great weeknight dinner on its own. Recipe yields 4 main dish servings to 8 side servings, depending on portions.
Ingredients
Farro and chickpeas
- 1 cup dried farro, rinsed
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
Roasted carrots
- 1 pound slender heirloom carrots, scrubbed clean and patted dry (I didn’t peel mine)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and pepper
Spiced pepitas
- 3 tablespoons pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
- ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch of cumin
- Pinch of chili powder
- Pinch of salt
Herbed crème fraîche
- ⅓ cup crème fraîche
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons water
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Garnish
- 1 more tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- To cook the farro: In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed farro with at least three cups water (enough water to cover the farro by a couple of inches). Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the farro is tender to the bite but still pleasantly chewy (pearled farro will take around 15 minutes; unprocessed farro will take 25 to 40 minutes). Drain off the excess water and return the farro to the pot. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil, the lemon juice, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix well, then add the chickpeas and stir to combine. Set aside, covered, until you’re ready to assemble.
- To roast the carrots: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and add the carrots. Drizzle them with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with cumin, salt and pepper. Use your fingers to make sure the carrots are lightly and evenly coated in oil and spices. Roast for 20 to 35 minutes, until the carrots are easily pierced by a fork near the top of their stems. Roasting time will depend entirely on the size of your carrots. I removed some of the more slender carrots at 20 minutes and checked them at 5 minute intervals thereafter, removing the carrots as they were done.
- To toast the pepitas: In a small skillet over medium heat, warm ½ teaspoon olive oil until shimmering. Add the pepitas and generous pinches of cumin, chili powder and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pepitas are turning golden on the edges and starting to make little popping noises. Remove from heat to cool.
- To make the herbed crème fraîche, combine the crème fraîche, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, water, and a few dashes of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
- To assemble the dish, pour the farro and chickpea mixture onto a large serving platter. Arrange the carrots in a single layer over the mixture. Drizzle herbed crème fraîche generously over the carrots, then sprinkle them with pepitas and one tablespoon chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately or let the dish cool to room temperature (it’s good either way!).
Notes
Make it gluten free: Substitute brown rice and/or wild rice for the farro, adjusting the cooking method/time accordingly.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Lemony tahini sauce with parsley is great here, too. Mix together ⅓ cup tahini, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, then thin it out with 3 to 4 tablespoons water. Season to taste with salt, pepper and additional lemon juice.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I’ve been eyeing this one for months – it seemed a little too special to make just for myself, but I think it will be wonderful as my main contribution to Christmas dinner! Any advice for making ahead? I’m thinking make/store the component parts separately and assemble day of for sure, but how to re-warm everything?
Hi Nicole! You could make the components separately. You could rewarm in the microwave or oven.
One of the most delicious recipes I’ve found on line. I’ve made it several times and everyone loves it. Even my meat eating friends don’t miss the “meat” and it’s become a favorite for everyone I’ve made it for. Thanks!!
It looks delicious,tanks for the recipes
This turned out great! I made it for a Christmas Eve celebration and we enjoyed it even though it was cold outside. I thought the toasted pepitas really made it amazing. Thanks for a delicious recipe!
You’re welcome, Angela!
This recipe is awesome! I just tried it to try to be more adventurous… I’m usually not a big fan of carrots. Despite my aversion, I feel like I’ll be making this recipe a lot because it has wonderful flavor.
So delicious, thank you! I had to sub white beans for the chickpeas and subbed a mustard aioli for the creme fraiche and it was still a hit. I also added red pepper, paprika, curry to the carrots and cilantro to finish. Well done!
Any recommendations on what to serve with this dish to complete a full meal?
Hi! You can add another side salad to it. I find it’s pretty filling.
This was so easy and the taste was awesome. My new fav.
I’m working my way through your cookbook and this meal was incredible! My family has already asked me to make it for dinner again next week! Highly recommend!!
I’m glad you are loving my cookbook! Thank you for your review, Anna.
This was delicious! For some reason, the produce box service gave me four very thick carrots as a pound, so I cut them to a more uniform size to make the roasting easier. I also ran out of lemons but had an abundance of oranges, so I used orange juice. I am a huge fan and would definitely make again!
Outstanding. I made the recipe from the cookbook with herbed tahini instead of creme fraiche but either is fantastic. It turned out EXACTLY the way it should, with Kate’s instructions. You are gonna love it!
I made this as a side dish on Easter Sunday. It’s the perfect recipe for spring, and it was a big hit with the family. I substituted pine nuts for the pepitas, and it worked. Very tasty, and it makes a great presentation, too.
Made this recipe for my dad who usually eats meat and he’s requested it over and over again. This recipe is excellent!
I was definitely wary of trying this recipe as I’m new to cooking more veggie focused food (grew up eating meat daily multiple times) but it was great! Very flavorful. I cooked the garlic on the stove in some oil and also threw chickpeas on the pan to get them a little toasty. I used canned chickpeas and they worked nicely. Would definitely recommend for a weeknight dinner or holiday party!
I adore this recipe! I’ve made it several times and will be making it again for our family Thanksgiving meal. My son’s girlfriend is vegan so I serve the creme fraiche on the side and use micro arugula on top for garnish. This dish is as beautiful as it is tasty and healthy!
That’s great to hear, Jane!
This dish was so easy to make, yet it was elegant and delicious! The blend of flavors is absolutely genius– from the spiced pepitas to the herbed creme fraiche topping! So creative! I generally don’t like cooked carrots, but in combination with the other components of the dish, they were quite tasty! It will become a staple at our Thanksgiving dinner table!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing.
Tried this recipe for Thanksgiving for the family. Substituted quinoa for our gluten-free family members. It was a big hit!! Super easy to make, and a hardy, filling side. We will be making this again soon. Thanks!!
You’re welcome, Jeff! I appreciate your review.
I have to share my excitement in making this dish! In 2018 my dream of traveling to Italy came true! My primary reason to go was to eat REAL Italian food. We visited a winery/ farm in Tuscany ,Fattoria Poggio Alloro. For Christmas this year my husband ordered pastas and grains that come from the farm. In my gift was Farro, Chickpeas, and Olive Oil all from their farm. I have cooked many of your recipes, but this one is unbelievably delicious! It warmed my heart so much to be cooking this dish using ingredients that came straight from the farm in Tuscany! I will definitely be making this dish again and again! Thank-you! ( It was so good that I forgot to take a photo! I will next time!) – Ronda Byers Nashville Indiana
I made this dish and my family and I loved it! Instead of the creme fraise I used the tahini sauce, it was deliciaus! To balance the meal we also had steamed asparagus. The sause worked well on both. I definitely make this again.
Do you think I can substitute barley for farro?
Sure, you can try it! Let me know what you think.
A friend of mine had an intensive surgery a couple months ago, and I made this and brought it to her while she was recovering. Several weeks later, we were out to dinner with several other friends and her husband told them all it would be worth it to get just sick enough that I needed to bring them dinner because I had brought them one of the most delicious meals they’d ever tasted. So thanks for this recipe.
Just tried tonight as a main course – delicious. How many calorie/cup?
Hi Steve, nutritional information is below the recipe notes.
Just made this for dinner out of Cookie and Kate’s cookbook Love Real Food . DELICIOUS! The only thing different from THIS recipe is the sauce; in the cookbook it’s an Herbed Tahini Sauce, which made it vegan. I followed the recipe exactly as written. It was easy ( I assembled all the ingredients before I started) but looked fancy. Definitely company worthy.
I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you for your support, Mary.
Just made this for dinner out of Cookie and Kate’s cookbook Love Real Food . DELICIOUS! The only thing different from THIS recipe is the sauce; in the cookbook it’s an Herbed Tahini Sauce, which made it vegan. I followed the recipe exactly as written. It was easy ( I assembled all the ingredients before I started) but looked fancy. Definitely company worthy.
PS Just noticed that the tahini sauce recipe option is at the bottom of the recipe!!!
This is amazing! I made if for my family for Easter…I can’t believe how much they loved it, my healthy options are rarely such a big hit :) I made cashew cream so it was vegan & a little healthier. It’s easy to make & so good. Thank you, always love your recipes!
I made this from your cookbook yesterday and WE LOVED IT! The herbed-tahini sauce in you book’s version is incredible.
I’m glad you loved it, Sonja!
Hi, I bought your cookbook quite awhile ago and have enjoyed using it now and then. When I wondered how to cook farro, your website popped up along with a link to the Roasted Carrot with Farro…recipe. I made it for a food and friends potluck.
It was very well received and I have a bit of feedback. First, I had never roasted carrots and they were wonderful. Next, for me, it wasn’t a quick and easy recipe. It took quite a bit of monitoring, stirring, etc., with several cooking elements (yes, I did do the chickpeas from dry — thank goodness for IPs). One suggestion, if there is a roasted sesame version of tahini, it might be worthwhile in the next edition of Love Real Food to suggest that. I tossed the first batch of Herbed Tahini Sauce because it was so bitter. For the second batch, I ended up diluting it with orange juice rather than water and making sure I used the full amount of salt which I don’t usually do. Then it was good. All the best, Tara
Thank you for buying my cookbook! I’m glad you are enjoying it. I appreciate you sharing your feedback and glad you found a way to make it even better for you.
Would it work to roast the carrots in a cast iron skillet instead of in the oven?
Hi Janet, I’m not sure they would cook all the way through in a skillet without quite a bit of help (maybe adding some water, covering with a lid to steam, then sautéeing for a while).
I have made this recipe several times. I couldn’t get over how good it was the very first time I made it. I absolutely love it!!! Thank you for providing such awesome recipes!!
You’re welcome, Mary! I appreciate your review.
Thank you for what you do, Cookie looks a lot like my brother’s dog, D-O-G. He could not figure out what to name her so he name her D O G. I miss that critter. She would eat anything we cooked and was a frisbee-catching superstar back in the 1980s. Thanks for the ideas to get more veggies into my daily life, grew up in a meat and potato family, unlearning a few habits now.
Oh, I love that. Cookie would eat anything but citrus and jalapeños, and she rocked a few agility classes at age 12!
Made the carrot and farro recipe and loved it. Will make again. Put it on top of fresh spinach and that added something, I think. Thank you for posting. Great new dish.
You’re welcome, Linda!
Thank you for sharing this fantastic recipe. It turned out so delicious, and was filling but not too heavy! I made it with your tahini recipe instead of the creme fraiche. It has such a nice combination of textures. Everyone in the family enjoyed it, and the kids were excited by how “fancy” it was.
Oh wow this is soooo good! All of the textures and flavors together are perfect. I had tzatziki on hand so used that instead of crème fraîche. I’ll make this again and again. thanks
I just harvested my very first homegrown carrots to use in this wonderful recipe. I made it with sorghum, pine nuts, and cashew cream because those were at hand, and it was delicious. Absolutely a keeper. Thanks for all your amazing and approachable recipes.
You’re welcome, Paula!
I made this to bring for last year’s Thanksgiving and just received a request to bring it again this year! The farro/chickpea portion reheats well so I made that earlier in the day to bring so all I had to do was roast the carrots and put it all together. Very much a hit!
Awesome! Thank you, Kayla, and happy holidays.
Hi Kate,
Looks delicious, but…I miss the creme fraiche in the ingredient list. How much do I need? Just a few tablespoons?
Thanks.
Hi Yvonne, it’s below the Spiced Pepitas. You will need 1/3 cup.
This is delicious! The flavors, the roasted pepitas with the earthy, chewy farro and the roasted carrots! I don’t dance but this made me want to take my wife for a spin around the kitchen. Doubled it and made it for a church pot-luck. Thanksgiving dinner. It didn’t stand a chance, and was almost 100% consumed by the group. Thank you for this terrific dish.
You’re welcome, Rodney!
This looked great, and I loved the crunch of the pepitas and the protein from the chickpeas. I just found the farro a little dry as made.
Kate’s recipes never disappoint and whenever I want to make a vegetarian dish this is where I go to find inspiration. This was absolutely delicious. It was easy to make but the combination of ingredients work really well. I would have never thought of combining Farro and chickpeas but that was fantastic! Don’y skip the toasted pepitas, they added a nice crunch. The herbed creme fraiche was also a nice addition. The only change I made was for the carrots: I cut them in pieces and roasted them as directed. Next time, I will make more carrots, they go so well with the Farro and chickpeas. This was my main dish but it could also be a side.
I’m delighted you trust my recipes and enjoy this one! Thank you for your review, Marie.
This starts my year of Cookie and Kate – 1 recipe per week. And it didn’t disappoint! Delicious!
What a fun idea! I can’t wait to hear all the recipes you try. Thank you for sharing, Maria.
If someone has asked this I apologize, but can you suggest a excellent farro brand?
Hi Kristin, I don’t have a go-to brand. I try to buy organic when I can.
I love this recipe so much! I’ve made it multiple times- it is excellent. I’m hoping for a suggestion- I would like to make this dish for a family gathering, but I have multiple family members with peanut and tree nut allergies. Although they are not allergic to pepitas, I have not been able to find a brand of pepitas that is made in a nut-free facility. The pepitas are one of my favorite parts of this dish! Do you have any suggestions for a crunchy nut-free substitute for pepitas? Thank you so much!!
I would suggest omitting them or possibly adding sunflower seeds. I hope you can find something that works!
Wanted to leave a 5 star rating too!
Absolutely delicious — my husband raved as well! I hoped my carrots would have more spice flavor but I think I didn’t get the cumin stuck well. Will focus on that next time as I will definitely be making this again!
This was delicious! I wasn’t sure if I’d like the farro & chickpea combo but it was actually pretty good. Definitely don’t skip the herbed crème fraîche. We had this with cod but it really is pretty filling on its own. Thanks for this amazing recipe!
You’re welcome, Jenn!
This was delicious. I followed the recipe exactly, except I used sour cream instead of the creme fraiche. I will be making this again and again and again! Served it with salmon and salad.
Amazing taste! We absolutely loved it! Will definitely make it again!
I have to make a dish that includes both ginger and rainbow carrots. This salad looks delicious. Do you think adding ginger to one of the components would work?
I’m not sure without trying it, sorry!
Delicious! Every part of the recipe builds to a wonderful dish so don’t skip a step!