Marinated Carrot Salad Recipe
This marinated carrot salad recipe uses shredded carrots and blends them with cumin to create a vibrant and refreshing side salad. Make it in advance and serve with your favorite main dish.
What Spices Go Well with Carrots?
There are many spices that complement the sweet earthy flavor of carrots. Some of my favorites are cumin, oregano, and paprika. There are also many essential Turkish spices that go well with carrots, such as sumac and Turkish red pepper. If using spices in salads is new to you, try adding one or two to taste and go from there.
Pick the Best Carrots
Carrots purchased from the grocery store are often bitter, old, and bland. A telltale sign of an old carrot is small root hairs starting to grow on them, as they try to make their way back to the earth. However, since non-organic carrots are often rinsed with a sanitizing solution, this may prohibit these roots from growing. When you are buying fresh carrots at the farmer’s market, smell them. They should have an earthy and sweet smell.
Carrots store well in cool dry conditions, so if you do come across fresh farmer’s market carrots, be sure to buy a few pounds and store them in your refrigerator, wrapped in a damp tea towel, with the tops removed. They can be stored in or out of the produce drawer. Find more plastic-free produce storage alternatives here.
Eat More Carrots
When I was a kid, my mom kept cut up carrots sticks in a cup of water at kid-eye level in the refrigerator, so when hungry eyes peered into the fridge, they were easy to grab for a healthy snack. Growing up, a plastic bag of carrots was a grocery staple I would plop in the basket, without a second thought, while shopping with my mom.
When I was 30 years old, I moved back to Long Beach, CA, where I grew up, and started a home delivery organic produce business. We delivered produce straight from the farmer’s market to your door, providing convenience and the good feeling that comes with supporting small farmers. Before I owned beachgreens, I hadn’t given much thought to those carrots from the supermarket.
I still remember the cool early mornings, shopping at the farmer’s market for beachgreens deliveries. One morning, a crunchy bite of the “Scarlet Nantes” variety carrot from Jerry Rutiz’s farm in San Luis Obispo, CA, took me to another place. Time stopped briefly, as my tastebuds savored the crisp, sweet, earthy and satisfying crunch of the first bite. It had a depth of flavor that burst forward from this chubby carrot. Maybe it was because I hadn’t had breakfast yet, but my tastebuds were screaming, “YES!”
What to Serve with Carrot Salad
The bright and light flavors of this this salad pair well with main dish Chicken and Pinto Bean Stew. If you’re looking for another side dish, try Garlicky Chard and Chickpeas.
Marinated Carrot Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 medium carrots (about 1 pound)
- 1 Tablespoon capers
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or to taste
- 4 grinds fresh black pepper
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Wash and grate carrots*. Mince capers.
- Combine grated carrots, capers, cumin, olive oil, and vinegar in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. If serving immediately, add feta cheese, toss and serve.
- This salad tastes better with time. If you have time to let it marinate, put the mixture in the refrigerator and add the feta cheese right before serving.
I really appreciate that you tell us how many “grinds” of pepper to use. I prefer to use fresh ground and it is often frustrating to try to follow other recipes that want you to measure it in teaspoons.
Thank you Marilee! I am so glad that is helpful to you, I will continue to do that with the recipes.