Gut-friendly recipe: Carrot Romesco

“We are what we repeatedly do” is a quote made famous by Aristotle that I think can be applied to many parts of our lives, including the health of our gut. We know that eating a wide variety of plants is one of the best things we can do for our gut, so how do we make it something that we repeatedly do? For me, the meal preparation needs to be easy and the finished product needs to be tasty, otherwise, I’m unlikely to make a habit out of looking after my gut. 

This is my take on a carrot romesco which is super easy to make and can be used as the star of so many different dishes, such as on pasta, as a dip, spread on toast, or even over a piece of fish. Basically, you’ll never be stuck for a plant-rich meal with a batch of this carrot romesco in your fridge. It’s packed full of 10 different plant sources and lots of prebiotics (which feed the good bacteria in your gut). The chickpeas and almonds also make this a great source of protein and healthy fats. Give it a go and enjoy! 

• Prep Time: 10mins 
• Cook Time: 40mins 
• Makes: approx 4 cups 

Ingredients

• 4 carrots 
• 1 medium onion 
• 6 cloves of garlic 
• 4 tbsp of almonds (20-30 almonds) 
• 8 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil 
• 2 tsp of (smoked) paprika 
• 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar 
• 1 large handful of fresh parsley 
• 1 lemon (juiced) 
• 1 tsp of lemon zest 
• 1 tsp of chilli flakes 
• 200g of chickpeas (half a can) 
• 50mls of water 

Method

• Preheat your oven to 220°C. 
• Roughly chop the carrots. Put them on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt before putting them into the oven for 20 minutes. 
• Peel and roughly chop the onion. Leave the garlic cloves unpeeled. Once the carrots have been roasting for 20 minutes, add the onions and whole garlic cloves to the same tray and cook everything for a further 15 minutes. 
• After 15 minutes, add the almonds to the same tray again and cook for a further 5 minutes.
• Once everything has cooked, leave it to cool for a few minutes. Then add everything on the tray to a food processor, along with the remaining olive oil, paprika, vinegar, fresh parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, chilli flakes, chickpeas (drained) and water. Blend to your desired consistency. Add a little more water if you like it totally smooth. I prefer to leave mine a little less smooth so that I can see all of the amazing colours and textures.

To learn more about gut health and shop for gut-friendly supplements, visit Meaghers online.