Looking for a beautiful fresh salad that everyone will love? This sesame carrot salad is a beautiful feast for the senses! Rainbow carrots are julienned and dressed with an Asian-inspired miso sesame dressing. And the best thing about this salad is how fresh it tastes and it can be prepped ahead.
Have Fun with Rainbow Carrots
We expect carrots to be bright orange, but historically, carrots were more often white, yellow or purple. It wasn’t until the end of the middle ages that orange carrots were propagated. The flavor of the various colors of carrots range from an even milder and sweeter taste of the white and yellow carrots, to a slightly sharp sweet taste of the darker red and purple carrots. The one thing all the variety’s have in common is the satisfying carrot crunch.
You can often find 1-2 pound bagged rainbow carrots in the produce section, as well as available in the organic section with the tops still on. By the way, if you haven’t tried fresh carrots with the tops, do yourself a favor and seek them out. The carrots are so much fresher and sweeter since you can see any wilting on the feather green tops. But the added bonus is the tops are wonderful to use in pestos, as a substitute for fresh parsley. I’d also recommend my recipe of roasted carrots with carrot top gremolata if you want to try out cooking with carrot tops.
About Miso Used in Sesame Carrot Salad
Miso paste is a vital Japanese ingredient made from fermented soybeans, rice, or other grains. Its distinctive taste is salty as well as providing the wonderful umami taste that brings so much to ta dish. You only need a small amount of this flavor bomb to make sauces, glazes, soups, or dressings.
Types of Miso
Most commonly miso is found as white miso or red miso. (Although you can find other varieties.) White miso is the mildest tasting miso. It has a rich salty, sweet smooth flavor and texture. White miso is becoming more commonly available in grocery stores, Look for it near the tofu in the produce section. Red miso is darker in color and has been fermented longer so the taste is deeper and more pronounced. Both types of miso can be ordered online or found in Asian markets. You should store opened containers of miso in the refrigerator.
Tips for making Sesame Carrot Salad
- Look for even-sized straight carrots without cracks. I especially like to use rainbow carrots in this salad, but you can also use orange carrots. Since you will be eating them only slightly blanched, go for the fresh bunch, rather than the limp stragglers in the back of your refrigerator. Lightly scrub and peel the raw carrots.
- Cut the carrots into long matchstick-sized pieces. The culinary term is to julienne the carrots. Use a mandolin or V-slicer with a julienne blade. You can also find julienne slicers that look like heavy-duty vegetable peelers with sharp teeth to prep your carrots. Or you can go old school and slice the carrots into 1/4” slices then cut the slices into 1/4” strips. No matter which slicing method you use. Cut the match sticks into about 4-5” lengths to make them easier to eat.
- Blanch the carrots to brighten the color. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring 2 cups of water to a simmer. Add a teaspoon of kosher salt. Also, prep a bowl with ice and cold water. Working in batches, add half of the carrots to the lightly boiling water for 30-45 seconds. The carrots will change color. Use a slotted spoon or strainer spoon to immediately transfer the carrots to the ice water and let cool for several minutes. Repeat with the remaining carrots.
- Take the time to toast the sesame seeds. This step adds a nuttiness to the sesame seeds
Sesame Carrot Salad
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: salad
- Method: fresh
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
Sesame carrot salad is a beautiful feast for the senses! Rainbow carrots are julienned and dressed with an Asian-inspired miso sesame dressing.
Ingredients
- 1 pound rainbow carrots, washed, peeled, and ends trimmed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt for blanching the carrots
- 2 green onions, (both white and green parts) thinly sliced on a bias (about 1/4 cup)
- 1–1/2 tablespoons cilantro, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon mint, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
Miso Sesame Dressing
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 1–2 tablespoons sesame oil (to taste)
Instructions
- In a small frying pan over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently until they become fragrant and begin to turn golden brown. Remove the seeds from the pan and set them aside.
- You can use the same small frying pan to bring 2 cups of water to a simmer. Add a teaspoon of kosher salt.
- Prepare a medium bowl with ice and about 1 cup cold water to shock the carrots once they are lightly blanched
- Working in batches, add half of the carrots to the lightly boiling water for 30-45 seconds. (The carrots will begin change color but will still be crunchy) Use a slotted spoon or strainer spoon to immediately transfer the carrots to the ice water and let cool for several minutes. Then repeat with the remaining carrots.
- Drain the water and pat the carrots very dry. Arrange the carrots and green onions slices in a serving bowl.
- In a small blender or food processor, combine the dressing ingredients, except the sesame oil and blend for 30 -45 seconds until smooth.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil to the dressing and stir well. Tasted add the remaining sesame oil to your personal preference.
- Pour the dressing over the carrots and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the minced cilantro and mint and top with the toasted sesame seeds.
- Chill the sesame carrot salad in the refrigerator to at least an hour to allow the flavors to mellow together.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and serve.
Notes
This make ahead salad is fantastic since it improves with some time in the refrigerator.
Store any leftover salad in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
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