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
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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.
Delicious vegetarian Thanksgiving main course! It was a hit with meat-eaters too. I subbed wild rice for the faro to make it gluten-free.
I have wanted to try this for a while and now I’m mad I waited so long! It’s so good! To not cause issue with picky eater daughter, I served each component separately. I wasn’t a huge fan of the creme fraiche but my husband really liked it. My picky daughter loved the farro with the pepitas but wasn’t too into the carrot. None went to waste and this will be added to our regular rotation! Thanks Kate. I’m dying to get my hands on your book….. Oh, and for the busy people out there: I made the farro and pepitas ahead. I brought the farro up to about room temp over a low flame while the carrots roasted.
Thanks so much, Heather! I’m glad the whole family enjoyed it – and, thanks for the helpful tip for the extra-busy followers out there :)
I’ve made this dish twice since I discovered it! I absolutely love it and can not wait to try other recipes! I’m putting this dish on my blog but I am linking everything to you/giving you the credit you properly deserve. If you want me to take down the recipe and just do a link to your blog for the recipe, let me know and I will do that! Thanks so much!
Hi, Rachael. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I checked out your post––thank you for linking back to me and for using your own photography. However, I don’t allow my recipes to be re-published on another site––they are copyrighted material. Here’s my full policy here: https://cookieandkate.com/cookie-and-kates-photo-and-recipe-policy/. So, if you take that portion down, you should be fine. Thank you!
It’s totally understandable which is why I asked! I’m sorry I didn’t see your policy before! It’s taken down! :0) Keep on coming up with those amazing recipes!!! I look forward to making many more! Thanks again!!!
I made this tonight and it was fabulous! The carrots blew my mind, but my hubs (though supportive of the recipe overall) admitted he didn’t care for roast carrots that much. It got me thinking that this is a great recipe for versatile mix-and-match of grain + bean + roasted veggie + creme fraiche + pepitas. Those pepitas though – can’t do without them!! So delicious!
You’re right, I think this one lends itself to customization, too. I hope you find a combination that works best for the both of you!
Really, really good! I also included other veggies like potatoes, asparagus and red onion, but kept the rest the same. Family loved it!
Hooray! Love hearing when my recipes are crowd-pleasers. Thanks, Kathy.
Every time I look for a new dish to cook I end up on this website. Every recipe I try is a big hit, and this one is no exception! The flavors are amazing and well balanced, and the ingredients easy to find (if I don’t have them already).
Just ordered your book, can’t wait!
Love from The Netherlands
Thank you so much, Sabine! Hello from KC! I can’t wait for you to see the book.
So I had Google searched roasted carrot recipes on my phone last year because my wife loves roasted carrots. I came upon a website that had collected a bunch of recipes (linked) and this was one of them. I saved a screen shot of this particular recipe because the picture was so beautiful. Well I looked it up yesterday and decided to make it as a side to a salmon dinner (we’re not vegetarians). The only change I made was I used more lemon in the farro/chickpeas and I was heavy handed with the cayenne and cumin for the pepitas. All I can say to you is thank you for such an amazing recipe. My wife has been texting me this afternoon to tell me how much she loves this (this is our lunch today as well). This is truly a keeper recipe for us. Thanks again!!
Thank you so much, Don! I’m so glad you found this one. Thanks for the comment!
My family and I love your recipes. I want to make the tahini sauce version of this recipe, which is in your wonderful cookbook. I will serve it at a dinner party, to carnivore guests (my husband and I are vegans). I am wondering how much of the recipe I can make ahead –perhaps, hopefully, all of it. But, if I do make it ahead, how should I reheat it? I do hope you have the time to anxer.
Hi Victoria! You could make all of it in advance. I’ve actually really enjoyed it at room temperature before, but I think you could warm the farro in the microwave and the carrots briefly in the oven beforehand if you’d like.
Great and delicious and surprising! I loved this recipe and it will definitely be a staple in my home. I added chives to the creme fraiche and the farro. Otherwise I stayed true to the recipe and it came out wonderful!
This dish is beautiful and incredibly delicious! It’s a genius blend of flavors. thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi, I just made this recipe for lunch and it was DELICIOUS!!! I can’t wait to make it at Thanksgiving. Every year I tell myself that I’m going to bring a dish to Thanksgiving that’s going to be delicious and pretty so my meat-eating family tries it. This is it for me this year! Thank you so much!
You are very welcome, Jenni! Thank you for your review :)
Very tasty. I made this with tahini instead of cream. Also used pine nuts since I did not have pepitas.
Thanks for your review, Sherry! I appreciate it.
Oh my goodness! This recipe is just SPECTACULAR! I substituted regular carrots and added an extra tablespoon of pumpkin seeds just because I love them so much! This may be my favorite dish by her yet! Thank you Kate!
So happy to hear it, Madison! You are welcome :) Thanks for your review!
Made it !!!! Added portobello mushrooms
Used the tahini lemon sauce….AWESOME!!!!rachele
Thank you, Rachel!
I made this for Thanksgiving. I found the carrots and Crewe Fraishe at Trader Joe’s. I loved the recipe and dish, but wasn’t wild about the Creme Fraishe. I am making it again tomorrow for a dinner party. I’m going to substitute yogurt and add more lemon. Thanks!!
Sorry to hear that, Jeanne! Did you think the Creme Fraishe was lacking in flavor? Let me know what you think of the adjustments. :)
Thanks for your response! I made it again for a Christmas dinner party. I substituted nonfat plain yogurt and lemon juice. I personally think its fine without the topping, but I liked it better. I also added some chili powder to the farro mixture and I’m so happy with the results. It’s a beautiful dish, easy to make, and I made it a day ahead. Thanks so much for a great recipe.
Had to make 2 different trips to find the ingredients, but apart from that it was quite easy to make! I thought I had chili powder for the pumpkin seeds, but didn’t and substituted oregano, garlic and paprika.
It was so good! Picky husband approved :) 80% of my carrots were done in 20 minutes, so definitely start your timer there. Next time I’m going to make more carrots (that was my favorite part!)
Thank you, Megan for your feedback!
I am so glad I found this recipe because it was absolutely delicious. We didn’t have the ingredients for the crème fraîche or the pumpkin seeds and it was still amazing. Thank you for sharing this recipe, I look forward to trying more of your vegetable creations.
I’m glad you found it too, Toniann! I love to hear from you, so as you try new recipes, let me know what you think.
I absolutely LOVED this recipe and felt like I could devour the whole plate! Of course, I had some leftover and realized I would need more carrots so the following night when I roasted the carrots, I also roasted quite a bit of garlic and onions as well. It was delicious! Mushrooms would most likely be great as well. Thank you!
Wonderful, Nora! Thanks for the review.
If this is a main dish, do you have a favorite side dish, salad, etc to serve along side?
Thanks,
Dee
I think this is a great dish on its own. Or, you could serve with a fruit salad – or soup depending on the time of year!
Oh man, oh man, oh man! This is incredible. I love it. I don’t know if my family likes it because they haven’t tried it yet but I love it. I’ve made it ahead and put it in the fridge for dinner. Holding off on the sauce and nuts on the serving dish until just before serving. But I had to sample a little bowl for myself… mmm mmm!
I love your excitement, Kim! Thanks for your review.
I did a Thanksgiving trial run of this recipe last weekend and loved it so much. Made exactly as written except we didn’t have creme fraiche, so I used yogurt and I didn’t love that aspect. We found creme fraiche in a different grocery store, for the big T day, we’ll make it as Kate writes. We have to make it gluten free, so rather than sub out the faro (which I thought was a wonderful part of the dish) for brown rice, we decided to just leave that part out. It’s an absolutely lovely dish, mine looked pretty much the same as the picture.
Thank you for sharing what you did, Marge! I appreciate the review.
I never post comments on recipes but something has to be said. Every recipe we make is a triumph! I am in love with your website and cookbook! I started with your huevos rancheros 2 weeks ago and haven’t stopped. We even ordered the cookbook! Everything is flavorful, fresh, and unique(not to mention affordable). As meat eaters, my husband and I haven’t even missed it. This recipe was so unique and filling! We are literally cooking our way through your recipes and loving every meal more than the last. Thank you for your hard work! I have such a girl crush!
I’m glad you commented, Jenna! Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I really do appreciate it!
I made this as a side for Christmas dinner and everyone loved it! I used a mix of farro and two-color quinoa with the chickpeas and it was delicious and probably a bit lighter. I’d probably use only quinoa or couscous next time. Delish!
A wonderful side dish for the holidays! Thanks for sharing, Kristin.
Love this recipe. We’re just beginning our journey into vegetarianism/healthier eating and this one is a keeper. So delicious! I will be making it again and sharing with friends. Thanks.
You’re welcome, Carolyn!
This recipe is SO delicious. I’ve made it according to the directions several times (subbing in a vegan creme fraiche imitation), but also sometimes like to swap in wild rice for the farro, or add roasted beets with the carrots, etc. It’s really tasty, and open to many adaptations.
Thank you for sharing, Susan! I appreciate the review.
Creme fraiche is so easy to make and much less expensive. Can’t wait to try it with this recipe.
Let me know what you think, Liz!
We have decided to go vegetarian and this recipe was the first one I cooked on day one of our new lifestyle. Oh my gosh! What a great start! The carrots were amazing, and the Farro/chickpea combo was the perfect compliment. I didn’t have pumpkin seeds so I used sunflower seeds instead and I didn’t have fraiche so I thinned a little plain yogurt with cream and added salt/pepper and some fresh dill- it was good. My skeptical husband loved it and I will definitely make it again, only Ill try it with no substitutions next time! Tonight I’m making the sweet potato/black bean burgers-can’t wait to try them!
This is a great one to start with! Good luck on the journey and let me know what you think as you try recipes, Michelle.
I have made this dish now at least 6 times. Family and friends rave about how delish this “ meatless” meal is. Thank you for making it available to all us wannabe cooks, so so good!!
I love that, Shelly! Thanks for sharing.
This was my first time cooking farro and it won’t be my last. I love it’s nutty flavour and that its texture is chewier then rice. I didn’t think I was going to like this dish as much as I did! Definitely excited about tomorrow’s leftovers.
Wonderful to hear, Hayley! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Kate, you have outdone yourself. This dish is absolutely amazing. And I haven’t even added the creme fraiche! I’m making that in my Instant Pot right now! But even without it, the flavors in this dish are spectacular. I think I just found a new side dish for the holidays! Many thanks.
Well, thank you! :) I appreciate the comment!
This is the 5th recipe I’ve made of yours in the past 10 days and I LOVE THEM ALL! This one was the one I was most skeptical of, but I fed it to 3 of my meat-loving friends and we all loved it! Your soups are all sooooo yummy (I’ve made your butternut squash, roasted red pepper, and cauliflower) and I love following your blog! Thank you Kate!!!!
I’m so happy you are loving them, Rachel! I appreciate your review.
This was awesome, even with ‘regular’ carrots!
Hello!
If you are using whole grain farro, do you need to soak it overnight before?
Best,
Ashley
Hi Ashely, If it isn’t pearled then you might need to soften it up. If you are in the US then most farro you buy will be fine to rinse and add in. I hope this helps!
Hi Kate,
Thanks for the tip! I really love your cookbook – it’s been such an inspiration for me to cook more often and eat more vegetarian!
Best,
Ashley
This is one of our new favorite dishes from your cookbook! Absolutely delicious and filling!
I didn’t want to run out to the store just for creme fraiche so I mixed ricotta cheese and sour cream and a little Olive oil and it worked really well!
You always have the best recipes! We’ve been using your recipes for a while now and trust them entirely! THANK YOU FOR MAKING OUR PLATES PRETTIER
This makes for a really filling breakfast if you are trying to incorporate more vegetables into your life and/or use up some of the items in your pantry to delay going to the grocery store.
Thank you for sharing, Erin! I’m happy to hear it.
I made this with the tahini dressing instead of crème fraîche and it was fantastic! Thank you so much Kate!
Perfection!! A new favorite dish and I can’t wait to make it again!!
A long overdue thank you! …I made this 4-5 times last summer (2019), replacing the farro with Israeli (big) couscous, b/c that’s what I had in my kitch. EVERYONE loved it! I am pulling it out again today for my mom’s birthday dinner. I will try it with farro for the first time. Thank you, Kate! use your recipes often, have your cook book, and have given it to friends! I think you’d love the recipes on OLIVE, too!
I am making this for dinner tonight for the first time. Just noticed the scale up option-THANK YOU. I always mess up when I try to double a recipe in my head, this is genius.
You’re welcome! I’m happy the scale option is helpful to you. Thanks for your comment, Jen!
I made this today and it turned out absolutely delicious. This is the first time I post a comment but I’ve been doing your recipes for a while. They are all delicious. Thank you for sharing them.
I love making your recipes. I haven’t come across one I don’t love, and this one is no exception. This was delicious and the carrots roasted beautifully. I added some diced dried apricots to the dish to add a sweet tanginess. I thought it blended beautifully! Thank you for coming up with so many great recipes!
It’s not helpful to read a comment that states that a recipe “looks” delicious. I read comments to learn how the recipe tasted or if any chages are recommended. (Had to get that off my chest.)
This was so good! I served it with swordfish and the whole family liked it. I only used orange carrots because as pretty as rainbow carrots are the other colors never seem as tasty. All the parts really come together well. I will definitely be making this again.
I made this for dinner tonight as a side to salmon. I left out the chickpeas but it was still delicious!!
Any suggestions other than chickpeas?
Hi! You could omit if you like. Or, another white bean.
I appreciate how you almost always tell us how to make your dishes Gf and vegan, so very helpful. Thank you.
Do you promote the ads that pop up on your page ? i see some clothing sites that look nice,
but am always hesitant unless you or your subscribers have favorable experiences.
Hi Tris! I’m glad you enjoy my recipes. I don’t select the advertisers, they buy space to promote on my blog. If that makes sense?
This was really good! I used regular carrots and brown rice (since I’m gluten free). Filling and tasty!
Yes! That is a great way to make this one gluten free. Thank you for your review, Sneha.
This was an excellent side dish to my Thanksgiving that was different, healthy, and interesting. I didn’t have farrow on hand, but used freekeh (first time time cooking with it, but saw another user said they had tried it with that). Thank you Kate!