The other day, I was telling my coworker about where I use vegan yogurt and he winced as soon as I used the words savory and yogurt in the same sentence. To him, yogurt is something you put on granola or freeze for froyo. He is not alone, most of my friends who grew up in the Western world share the same sentiment. Likewise, when I first went into an American grocery store I was shocked to discover how 90% of the yogurt fridge was filled with sugary and flavored yogurts instead of a few varieties of plain ones like I'm used to. I can't wait until we shift this perspective and open the doors to a myriad of delicious Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes! Let's start with a classic vegan Turkish carrot dip: havuç tarator.
Mostly, I find myself preparing this carrot dip as part of a mezze spread, but it can certainly be used with a variety of vessels including crostini, chips, and vegetables— yes, even carrot sticks!
However you choose to enjoy this vegan Turkish carrot dip, you will not regret the additional minutes spent grating those carrots. Because if they aren't thin enough, they will not soften. The end result will not be the same creamy dip we have here. Alternatively, you can make a big batch of grated carrots with a food processor.
Nutrition Optimization for Vegan Turkish Carrot Dip
This should be pretty simple. To make this recipe whole-food-plant-based-friendly:
- remove the oil
- forgo salt, replace with dulse flakes for added iodine
If you decide to remove the oil, just sautée the carrots in water instead of olive oil. See? I told you it would be simple.
Other Turkish Recipes Made with Yogurt that are Similar to Carrot Tarator
Want to broaden your yogurt horizons further? Try these other Turkish recipes:
Or these other non-yogurt dips:
Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you make this recipe!
You can also save it for later on Pinterest, and keep in touch with me on YouTube, Instagram, or by sending an email.
Print📖 Recipe
Vegan Turkish Carrot Dip: Havuç Tarator
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This quick, 5-ingredient vegan Turkish carrot dip is perfect for crostini, chips, and vegetables- yes, including carrots! Dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (I use California Olive Ranch)
- 4 large carrots, grated (use 5 if medium or 6 if small, weighs ~250g after cooking)
- 1 cup dairy-free yogurt*
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp crushed walnut
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat olive oil in a pan. Add the grated carrots and sautée until softened. Add the crushed walnut sautée for one more minute. Leave to cool.
- In a bowl, thoroughly mix the yogurt with minced garlic and salt.
- When carrot and walnut mixture is no longer hot, add it into the bowl with yogurt and mix.
- Serve as is or with a drizzle of olive oil and dill.
Notes
For yogurt, I like using the "sharp" homemade variety in my guide; otherwise, Kite Hill or Forager work great. Just make sure the yogurt is unflavored and unsweetened, and preferably not made of coconut as it usually lands too much of its own flavor.
*Best when consumed within three days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ cup
- Calories: 150
Lee
Love this! Can you tell me how much is a serving & how many calories per serving?
Gönül
Thanks so much! The recipe as written yields approximately 2 cups. As an appetizer, one serving would be 1/2 cup.
So there are 4 servings of 1/2 cup each per the original recipe. According to Cronometer (my favorite nutritional calculator), each 1/2 cup serving has ~150 calories (75% fat, 15% carbs, 10% protein). Hope this helps!