Warm, Caramelized, & So Good: The Carrot Salad You’ll Make All Fall
If your idea of a carrot side dish is soft, sweet, and a little one-note, this warm roasted carrot salad is here to change your mind. 😉 It’s the kind of easy-to-make, elevated side dish that looks like it came out of a restaurant kitchen, but it’s built on nothing more than a sheet pan, a jar of herby vinaigrette, and a handful of pantry-friendly toppings.
The magic is all in the contrast. Roasting concentrates the carrots’ natural sugar until they’re jammy and deeply caramelized, and the salty, crunchy, herby toppings keep every bite interesting. It’s an ideal fall side dish: simple to prep on busy weeknights (been there, done that!), but completely at home for a Thanksgiving feast!
You don’t necessarily have to peel the carrots. Young, thin-skinned carrots just need a good scrub. Larger, older carrots benefit from peeling.
How To Roast Carrots For Salad
The method is simple, but a few details make the difference between limp, steamed carrots and gorgeously caramelized ones. Peel the carrots, then halve them lengthwise.
You’ll know the carrots are ready when a knife slides through the thickest piece with no resistance. Total time is really dependent on the size of the carrots, so trust the knife test over the timer.
Make A Fresh Herb Vinaigrette
The dressing is built on the classic French fines herbes combination: parsley, chervil, tarragon, and chives. Together they taste fresh, grassy, and faintly sweet.
Dress The Carrots While Warm
This is my favorite trick for any roasted vegetable salad: drizzle the vinaigrette the carrots the moment they come out of the oven. Warm vegetables absorb dressing like a sponge, so the carrots end up seasoned all the way through. Dress to taste — you’ll likely have a little extra vinaigrette left over for salads later in the week. 🙌🏻
The ingredient list here is extremely forgiving. I like mild, buttery Castelvetrano olives, but I’ve used Carignola olives and it was delicious. If you don’t have Champagne vinegar, you can swap it for any light vinegar. White wine vinegar is the safest option.
Make It A Complete Meal
This salad is a natural partner for cozy fall dinners. It’s especially good alongside by crispy-skinned roast tarragon chicken or a slow-roasted leg of lamb (the mint makes it a classic match for lamb!). For a lighter meal, pair it with simple oven-roasted salmon.
To make it a meal on its own, toss the roasted carrots with handfuls of peppery arugula, cooked farro, or lentils.
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Sweet & Salty Roasted Carrot Salad with Castelvetrano Olives and Mint
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 lbs (900g) carrots, any variety
- 3 Tbsp (45ml) olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup (80g) Castelvetrano olives, pitted and halved
- ⅓ cup (40g) pumpkin seeds
- ⅓ cup (25g) Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved
- 1-2 Tbsp fresh mint, thinly sliced or left whole
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing
For the Vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp (30ml) champagne vinegar or other light vinegar, such as white wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp minced shallot, about ½ a small shallot
- 2 tsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tsp chervil, finely chopped
- 2 tsp tarragon, finely chopped
- 2 tsp chives, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Season. Peel carrots, then cut in half lengthwise. Transfer to the prepared sheet pan. Drizzle with 3 Tbsp (45ml) olive oil, then season with 1 tsp kosher salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Toss well.
- Roast carrots. Spread the carrots cut-side down into a flat even layer, then roast for 15 minutes. Use a metal spatula to flip them over, then roast for an additional 10-15 minutes or until tender, depending on how thick they are.
- Make the dressing. While the carrots are roasting, make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl (or mason jar with lid), combine all salad dressing ingredients. Whisk until thoroughly combined or seal tightly with a lid and shake vigorously. Drizzle as much as you want over the warm carrots, toss, then transfer to a serving platter.
- Finish. Garnish with halved Castelvetrano olives, pumpkin seeds, thin shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano (or Pecorino), and fresh mint. Finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, then enjoy!
Notes
- To make this a heartier salad or a vegetarian main, serve over farro, quinoa, barley, or wheat berries. For 2 lbs of carrots, I’d recommend ½ cup (about 100g) of the dried grain of your choice, which yields about 1¼-1½ cups cooked. You can toss this separately with the extra dressing or combine and toss directly with the roasted carrots, then finish as instructed with garnishes.
- Make-ahead: Roast the carrots and make the vinaigrette up to 2 days ahead; refrigerate separately. Leftover vinaigrette keeps up to 5 days (herbs will darken).
- Storage: Leftovers keep 3-4days in the fridge. Enjoy cold, at room temp, or rewarded. Not recommended for freezing.
Photography by Jo Harding.
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