Elevate your salad game with this vibrant and flavourful Smashed Carrot Salad. Tender carrots, peppery rocket, toasted walnuts, tangy goat's cheese, and a zesty dressing come together to create a deliciously satisfying dish that's perfect for any meal.
This salad is so simple but the roasted carrot just makes it tastes so damn good. Serve as is, or grill your favourite protein to have on the side.
Looking for other yummy salads? Try my Roast Salmon and Greens Salad or my Chopped Cauliflower Salad.
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Why you need to make this Smashed Carrot Salad
Deliciously Different: This salad offers a refreshing change from traditional leafy greens, with roasted carrots as the star ingredient.
Nutrient-Packed: Packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, this salad is as good for you as it is delicious. Carrots provide a healthy dose of beta-carotene, while walnuts offer heart-healthy fats and protein.
Quick and Easy: With just a few simple steps, you can whip up this salad in no time. It's perfect for busy weeknights or as a light lunch option.
Ingredients
- Carrots: Provide a sweet and earthy base for the salad, roasted to perfection for added depth of flavour.
- Rocket: Adds a peppery bite and vibrant green colour to the salad, complementing the sweetness of the carrots.
- Walnuts: Toasted walnuts add a satisfying crunch and nutty flavour, balancing out the other ingredients.
- Red onion: Adds a subtle sharpness and a pop of colour to the salad.
- Goat's cheese (or goat's feta): Creamy and tangy, goat's cheese pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the carrots and the peppery rocket.
- Olive oil: Used for roasting the carrots and making the dressing, adding richness and flavour.
- Balsamic vinegar: Provides a sweet and tangy note to the dressing, enhancing the overall taste of the salad.
- Sea salt and pepper: Seasonings that bring out the natural flavours of the ingredients and add depth to the dish.
See recipe card for quantities.
Hint:
Roast the Carrots Well: Ensure the carrots are well roasted to intensify their sweetness and add depth to the salad.
Substitutions
- Baby spinach: If you can't find rocket, baby spinach makes a great substitute, offering a mild flavour and tender texture.
- Pecans: Swap out walnuts for pecans or almonds for a different nutty flavour and texture.
- Feta cheese: If goat's cheese isn't available, you can use regular feta cheese or even crumbled blue cheese for a bolder taste.
Storage
Store any leftover Smashed Carrot Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. For best results, keep the dressing separate and add it just before serving to maintain the freshness and crunch of the salad.
Top tip
Allow the toasted walnuts to cool completely before adding them to the salad to prevent wilting the greens.
FAQ
- Can I make this salad ahead of time? Yes, you can prepare the components of the salad in advance and assemble just before serving. Keep the dressing separate until you're ready to eat to prevent the salad from becoming soggy.
- Can I use other types of cheese? Absolutely! Feel free to experiment with different cheeses such as blue cheese, feta, or shaved Parmesan for a unique twist.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Smashed Carrot Salad
Ingredients
- 3 carrots cut into 1 inch pieces
- 100 g rocket
- ¼ cup walnuts toasted
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- 70 g goats cheese aka goats feta, or any feta
- 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- sea salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C and bring a pot of water to boil.
- Add the carrots to the pot and boil for 10 minutes or until a fork slides in easily.
- Once the carrots are cooked, drain and transfer to a lined baking tray. Use the bottom of a cup to press down and rough up the carrots. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and add salt and pepper, then roast in the oven. The goal is to get them as close as possible to burning them without actually burning them. This will take about 20 - 25 minutes but keep an eye on them.
- Add the other tablespoon of olive oil to a small jar with the balsamic vinegar and shake.
- Assemble the salad by adding the rocket, walnuts, goats cheese, onion and carrots to a salad bowl, pour over the dressing and enjoy!
Carolyn Satter
Just served it for dinner! Added roasted garbanzo beans. It was a big hit! Simply delicious and satisfying! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Abby J.
Made this last week and my hubby and I both loved it! Definitely going on my "repeat" list.
Kathy Bowman
Please email me the recipe. Having trouble with Pinterest. Thank you !