Roasted Carrot Salad

Next, try another favorite carrot salad like this French Carrot Salad or Moroccan Carrot Salad.

A Show-Stopping Roasted Carrot Salad!

Easter is all about delicious food, and our Roasted Carrot Salad fits the bill!

It’s visually stunning and bursting with flavor, featuring sweet roasted carrots, creamy goat cheese, crunchy pistachios, and juicy cranberries.

Topped with an incredible citrus dressing, it’s perfect for your Easter dinner!

Roasted Carrot Salad Ingredients

• Mixed Greens: Available in bags or boxes at most grocery stores. Look for freshest possible!
• Carrots: Roasted with oil, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and a touch of cinnamon for caramelized sweetness.
• Pistachios: Roasted and salted, found in the snack aisle or bulk section.
• Goat Cheese: Available in the specialty cheese section, or try feta if you prefer.
• Dried Cranberries: Add sweetness and texture, or try dried tart cherries as an alternative.

What To Look For When Purchasing Carrots

Carrots are the star of this Roasted Carrot Salad, after-all!

• Color: Look for vibrant orange carrots.
• Texture: Choose firm, smooth carrots without cracks.
• Tops: Bright green tops indicate freshness.
• Size: Smaller, thinner carrots are sweeter.

Citrus Vinaigrette

This tangy, sweet dressing elevates the flavors of the Roasted Carrot Salad. Here’s what’s in it:

• Oranges & Lemons: Freshly squeezed clementines or navel oranges, with zest for extra flavor. Use a microplane for zesting and a citrus juicer for juicing.
• Olive oil: High-quality extra virgin olive oil.
• Dijon mustard: Grey Poupon® Dijon for its flavor.
• Honey: Adds sweetness; adjust to taste.
• Salt and pepper: Season to preference.

Use Leftover Carrots In These Recipes:

• Carrot Cake with cream cheese frosting
• Carrot Smoothie
• Healthy Carrot Muffins
• Carrot Soup
• Carrot Cake Cupcakes

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5 from 1 vote

Roasted Carrot Salad

By Chelsea Lords

Roasted Carrot Salad with sweet carrots, tangy goat cheese, crunchy pistachios, and plump cranberries with the most amazing citrus dressing. 

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 6 -8 servings (as a side)

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

Carrots

• ▢ 2 pounds carrots, peeled (Note 1)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ Fine sea salt & pepper
• ▢ 3 tablespoons tightly packed light brown sugar
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional

Salad

• ▢ 5 oz. mixed greens
• ▢ 1/2 cup roasted & lightly salted pistachios, coarsely chopped (Note 2)
• ▢ 1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries
• ▢ 1/2 cup crumbled goat (or feta) cheese (~4 oz.)

Dressing (Note 3)

• ▢ 2 tablespoons clementine (or orange) juice, plus 1 tsp zest
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus 1/4 tsp zest
• ▢ 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon honey
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions 

• CARROT PREP: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Peel carrots and cut them in half lengthwise if they are more than 1 inch in diameter. Then, cut the carrots into large diagonal slices (1 inch wide × 2 inches long). In a large bowl, combine olive oil, brown sugar, and cinnamon (if using). Season with salt and pepper to taste (I add 1 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper). Whisk well and add in cut carrots. Toss until well coated then dump coated carrots on a large sheet pan, spreading them out well to allow ample space for the carrots to roast (otherwise they'll steam!)
  
• ROAST CARROTS: Roast for 15 minutes, then toss, space out again, and return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until tender and caramelized on the edges. Set aside to completely cool to room temperature.
  
• DRESSING: Combine all dressing ingredients except olive oil in a small blender jar or food processor. Season to taste (I add 1/2 tsp salt). Blend until well incorporated and the zest has broken down. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while blending, mixing until emulsified. Transfer dressing to a jar and store in the fridge until ready to use (Note 4).
  
• SALAD: In a large bowl, toss salad greens with a few tablespoons of dressing (See Note 5 first). Add room temperature carrots, chopped pistachios, dried cranberries, and goat cheese. Drizzle on more dressing to taste and gently toss. Serve immediately.
  

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Carrots: I grab 2 (1-pound each) bags of medium-sized fresh (firm and bright) carrots. Once peeled and cut, you should have about 6 cups carrots.

Note 2: Pistachios: Find pistachios in the snack aisle or bulk food section of most grocery stores. Choose roasted and salted pistachios for added flavor without any extra work on your end. And save your fingers--grab shelled nuts!

Note 3: Dressing Tips: We love zesting the lemons and oranges with a microplane and then juicing them with this citrus juicer. When zesting the citrus, zest only the very outside bright orange (or yellow) part of the navel orange (or lemon). Avoid the white pith below the peel which is very bitter and will make the dressing taste sour.

Note 4: Make Dressing In Advance: Vinaigrette can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. When stored at cold temps, the dressing may separate and form layers. If this is the case, simply let it stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes before using, give it a good shake, and it will be ready to use. 

Note 5: Only Dress What Will Get Eaten: The greens wilt quickly when in contact with the dressing. This salad does not store well (even for a day) so it is best to consume it as soon as possible after it's dressed. If you'd like to have some for later, keep greens separate from salad toppings separate from dressing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 29.8g | Protein: 3.1g | Fat: 16.1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 129.1mg | Fiber: 4.4g | Sugar: 21.4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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