Honey-Roasted Parsnip and Chickpea Traybake with Feta
- Savory
- Oven
Parsnips and carrots roast until their edges caramelize and the chickpeas turn crisp. A honey and olive oil mixture brushed on near the end gives the vegetables a sticky finish, and crumbled feta with thyme completes the tray.
- Total
- 55 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 40
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Roasting · Caramelizing
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 220°C. Peel the parsnips and carrots, then cut them into 2 cm chunks. Drain the chickpeas in a colander and pat them dry with a clean cloth.
~12 min
Drying the chickpeas removes surface moisture, so they roast and crisp instead of steaming in the oven.
Dry the chickpeas well before they go on the tray: surface moisture steams them and they stay soft instead of turning crisp at the edges.
-
Spread the parsnips, carrots and chickpeas on the large baking tray in a single layer. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with 0.5 tsp salt and the black pepper, and toss to coat.
~4 min
A single layer lets hot air circulate around each piece, so the edges brown rather than steam.
Roasting Keep everything in one layer with space between pieces so hot air circulates; crowding steams the vegetables and they never brown.
-
Roast for 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the chickpeas start to crisp at the edges.
~25 min
Roasting Keep everything in one layer with space between pieces so hot air circulates; crowding steams the vegetables and they never brown.
-
While step 3 cooks
While the tray roasts, stir the honey, remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and remaining 0.25 tsp salt in a small bowl until smooth. Strip the thyme leaves from their stems.
~3 min
-
Pull the tray out and brush the honey mixture over the hot vegetables and chickpeas. Scatter the thyme leaves over the top and return to the oven for 8 minutes, until the coating is sticky and the edges are deep golden.
~8 min
Honey scorches at high heat, so brushing it on late lets it glaze and turn sticky without turning bitter.
Brush the honey mixture on only for the last stretch of roasting. Honey scorches quickly, so adding it early turns it bitter instead of sticky.
Roasting Keep everything in one layer with space between pieces so hot air circulates; crowding steams the vegetables and they never brown.
Caramelizing Add the honey glaze only for the final minutes, watching for deep golden edges; too early and the sugars burn before the vegetables finish.
-
Crumble the feta over the hot tray and serve straight away.
~3 min
