Roasted Carrot Salmorejo
Gemma Costa's Scottish-Spanish fusion transforms the classic Córdoban salmorejo by replacing tomatoes with deeply caramelized Scottish carrots, creating a thick, velvety plant-based purée emulsified with bread, olive oil, and sherry vinegar. Golden seared-and-braised parsnip fondants, a vibrant coriander and pumpkin seed pesto, delicate crispy carrot skin shards, and aromatic cumin seed oil complete a dish that wowed critics Jay Rayner, Jimi Famurewa, and William Sitwell. Jay Rayner praised the philosophy that every element should taste as much of itself as possible; William Sitwell called it a beautiful new kind of soup; and Monica Galetti loved the balance of sweetness, sourness, cumin, herbs, and parsnips. An entirely plant-based, zero-waste celebration of autumnal Scottish produce through a Mediterranean lens.
- Time: 90 min
Source: Relaxed Recipes
Ingredients
- ROAST THE CARROTS
- Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F
- Peel the carrots using a vegetable peeler, making long, wide strips. Reserve all
- Toss the carrot chunks and the whole unpeeled garlic clove with 1 tablespoon of
- Roast for 35–40 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the carrots are dee
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Squeeze the roasted garli
- MAKE THE CRISPY CARROT SKINS
- While the carrots roast, prepare the carrot skins. Pat the reserved peelings dry
- Toss the peelings with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread in a s
- Bake alongside or after the carrots at 180°C / 350°F for 12–18 minutes, checking
- Remove and let cool completely on the tray. They will crisp further as they cool
- PREPARE THE CUMIN SEED OIL
- Combine the cumin seeds and neutral oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat
- Warm gently until the seeds begin to sizzle and become fragrant, about 3–4 minut
- Remove from heat immediately and add a pinch of salt. Allow to cool completely i
- COOK THE PARSNIP FONDANT
- Peel the parsnips and cut into neat 2.5cm cubes. Aim for uniform size so they co
- Heat the olive oil in an oven-safe skillet or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-hig
- Flip the cubes and sear the opposite side for another 2 minutes
- Add the vegetable stock, thyme sprigs, and crushed garlic. Reduce the heat to me
- Remove the lid for the final 2–3 minutes to allow any remaining liquid to reduce
- MAKE THE CORIANDER AND PUMPKIN SEED PESTO
- Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until they begin to po
- Combine the toasted pumpkin seeds, coriander , garlic, lemon juice, salt, and ch
- Pulse several times, then drizzle in the olive oil with the motor running until
- Taste and adjust seasoning. The pesto should be bright, herbaceous, and slightly
- BLEND THE ROASTED CARROT SALMOREJO
- Tear the bread into small pieces and soak briefly in 2 tablespoons of warm water
- Add the roasted carrot chunks, squeezed roasted garlic, soaked bread, sherry vin
- Blend on high, drizzling in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil as the motor r
- Check the consistency. The salmorejo should be thick — substantially thicker tha
- Taste and adjust: add more sherry vinegar for acidity, salt for depth, or a pinc
- PLATE AND SERVE
- Spoon a generous pool of carrot salmorejo into the center of each shallow bowl o
- Arrange 4–5 parsnip fondant cubes on top of the salmorejo, clustering them sligh
- Dot teaspoons of the coriander and pumpkin seed pesto around and between the par
- Drizzle the cumin seed oil in a thin stream around the edge of the salmorejo. If
- Arrange 3–4 crispy carrot skin shards standing upright or leaning against the pa
- Finish with a few fresh coriander leaves and a scattering of toasted pumpkin see