Vegan Loaded Veggie Fries
The spicy and flavorful pan-fried black beans are wonderful on top of the oven-baked vegetable fries! Top it all off with the coconut yogurt sauce and the avocado sauce and you have a winner!
One of the obstacles when eating low carb meals or trying to keep your carb intake low, can be to make tasty delicious meals that are equally comforting! I mean, maybe it's just me but potato fries are definitely comfort food! Crispy and salty and delicious! Even better when they're loaded with sauces or other goodies!
These loaded veggie fries are exactly that! But instead of using potatoes and deep frying or baking them, I used a mix of celeriac, parsnip, carrots, yellow carrots and beetroot. All of those are such wonderful root vegetables - and look at those colors! Yellow carrots are very similar to regular carrots but have a bit of a milder and sweeter taste. In case you're not familiar with celeriac, it's the root of the celery. It's a very common vegetable to buy here in Germany but I haven't seen it much in other countries.
These vegetable fries are super yummy on their own already! I seasoned them with thyme, salt and garlic and baked them until tender and a bit crispy. You could totally eat a plate of these on their own and it would be a wonderful side dish or even a meal (big veggie lover here!). And then come the toppings ... you probably know me and my love for toppings by now!
I decided on three wonderful toppings. We have a coconut yogurt herb sauce, an avocado sauce and pan-fried black beans. If you're sceptical about coconut yogurt, hear me out. I was also sceptical of any plant-based yogurts because honestly, all the ones I had tried up to that point didn't taste anything like yogurt! But then I tried Happy Coco and their coconut yogurt absolutely rocks! I have bought it several times now and I absolutely love it. The avocado sauce is basically a guacamole - avocado mixed together with salt, chili, lemon juice and fresh coriander. Always a winner!
And the pan-fried black beans are the yummy protein on top of the other yumminess! I fried them with garlic, Baharat spice mixture and smoked chipotle powder. If you're not familiar with Baharat, it's a spice mixture which stems from the Middle East and is one of my favorite spice mixtures. It typically consists of chili, cumin, nutmeg, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and cardamom. It adds a nice depth to dishes. If you can't find it and want to make it yourself, here's what looks like a nice recipe!
Will you make these for dinner soon? Or how about my Mixed Veggie Mash & Black Bean Balls?
- 300 grams carrots (0.6 pounds)
- 150 grams yellow carrot (0.3 pounds)
- 200 grams parsnip (0.45 pounds)
- 400 grams celeriac (0.9 pounds)
- 150 grams pre-cooked beetroot (0.3 pounds)
- 1.5 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 cup black beans (1/2 can)
- 1/8 teaspoon smoked chipotle powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Baharat spice mixture (see notes)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 cup water
- 3/4 cups coconut yogurt
- 3 teaspoons lime or lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon mixed frozen herbs
- 1 avocado
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch ground chili
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
Pre-heat oven to 180°C (356°F). Cover baking tray with parchment paper.
Peel carrots, parsnip and celeriac. Cut all into the shape of a potato fry. Cut the pre-cooked beetroot into that shape too.
Mix vegetable "fries" well with olive oil and spices.
Placce the vegetable "fries" on to the baking tray. Roast at 180°C (356°F) for 45 minutes, stir after 20 minutes. After 45 minutes, raise temperature to 220°C (428°F) for another 10 to 15 minutes.
Peel and chip one clove of garlic.
Heat up olive oil in a pan. Add garlic and fry to one minute. Add one cup of black beans, smoked chipotle powder, Baharat spice mixture and salt. Fry for three minutes. Add 1/8 cup of water. Fry for another 5 minutes or until liquid has mostly evaporated.
In a bowl, mix together coconut yogurt, lime or lemon juice, salt and mixed frozen herbs. Mix well.
In another bowl, add avocado, salt, ground chili, pepper, lemon juice and chopped fresh coriander. Mix and mash with a fork until chunky-smooth.
Now it's time to assemble!
First, add the vegetable "fries" to a big plate, top with the black bean mixture and the avocado dip. Drizzle with the coconut yogurt sauce. Enjoy!
Baharat spice mixture: Baharat (which means "spices" in Arabic) is a spice blend used in Middle Eastern (especially the Arabian Gulf region) and Greek cuisine. Typical baharat seasoning ingredients include allspice, chili peppers, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, and peppercorns.
If you cannot get Baharat, you can either make it yourself (see the link above which also contains a recipe) or you can use Ras el Hanout or Garam Masala instead.
