Hi Christmas overindulgence and eating all of the yummy stuff season! There’s always a point during this season of excess when it occurs to me that I could do with eating some salad. But who fancies lettuce at this time of year? This Carrot Salad is the perfect antidote to all of the cheesecakes I have been making and testing recently. I mean surely my Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cheesecake classes as one of your five a day, but if in doubt serve after this and all bases are covered?!
How do you make a carrot salad?
This salad uses carrot ribbons and a simple green salsa verde, made with mint, basil, flat leaf parsley, garlic, capers, anchovies, garlic and lemon juice. I added toasted hazelnuts for bite and sprinkled some on top to serve.
How do you toast hazelnuts?
It takes around five minutes to toast them over a low heat, keep stirring them or shaking the pan to stop them from sticking. A heavy frying pan is a must have for items that are easy to burn like these nuts, the wider surface area spreads the heat more evenly around the pan stopping hot spots.
How do you chop carrots for a salad?
I chose to use carrot ribbons for this salad, no fancy machinery was used to make them I simply peeled them using this a regular peeler. You peel along the entire length of the carrot, rotating the carrot as necessary until it is too thin to peel, and voila carrot ribbons. I combined the carrots with the other ingredients and served with the remaining hazelnuts sprinkled on top.
Can I make this in advance?
This Carrot Salad is the perfect make ahead recipe. I would make the salsa verde upto 24 hours before serving, that little bit of extra time allows the flavours to develop. You should store it in an airtight container in the fridge. I would grate the carrots and toast the hazelnuts just before serving for maximum bite.
What can I serve a this salad with?
This Carrot Salad makes a healthy accompaniment to lots of dishes, it would go really well with some of my leftover Slow Cooker Ham on Boxing Day. Or you could serve it alongside my Easy Flatbread and Smoked Mackerel Pate for a healthy lunch. You could also add some rice to make it a more substantial main meal. To make it quick and easy I keep some microwavable rice pouches in the cupboard which would be perfect with this!
Tips for making a Carrot Salad:
You could add grilled chicken or halloumi to this Carrot Salad make this a more substantial main meal. You could put raisins to this recipe for a classic addition.
Fancy some more easy side dish recipes?
Braised Red Cabbage – Super tasty and colourful. Easy Greek Salad – The delicious classic. Easy Flatbreads with Garlic Butter – Just 3 ingredients.
Hope you enjoy this recipe. I’d love to know how you got on and what you thought of it if you make this recipe. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below! Also, if you fancy showing me a photo by tagging me on Instagram (@tamingtwins) I LOVE to see your creations and try and share as many of them as I can.
