A few temporary deficiencies in the home-base kitchen means some more fresh, raw and vibrant salad goods are in store for us here (and lots of smoothies and bowls of granola seem to keep reappearing for myself especially). The stove is kind of a nonentity at the moment, so in the spirit of rolling with it I threw this together super quick like it was no thang (and photographed it before the electrical/plumbing dudes got here and thought I was a weirdo). Also, it secretly/not so secretly was a thang. The threat of frequent stove meals/snacks being taken away threw me into a bit of a cooking rager of sorts (very mature, right?). Let’s call it an adventure.
So now there’s a tupperware of quite lovely salad on the top shelf of the fridge. I’m feeling well and good about that being within reach. We’re getting pummelled with unseasonable cold and winds in my little ‘hood at the moment, but I still crave crunchy veg as much as ever so this is all fine by me as long as a full tea cup is nearby. Also, the sun is still bright and making itself known through the bitter winds. It’s a nice reminder of the good graces in store for us.
Whatever the season, whatever the weather, carrots are always lurking in our crisper–waiting for a simple steam, a little slice + hummus dip or a plunge into some stock. This humble and dependable root is cut into elegant and thin matchsticks here. I thawed some shelled edamames and tossed them into the mix for some protein tasty times. The dressing is completely bright with fresh orange and lime juice, a healthy dose of ginger and a couple drops of sesame oil. The salad tangles all up in that and a heavy hand of black sesame seeds. I love how they coat and fleck every little matchstick piece of carrot, veering away from garnish towards key textural component territory. The cilantro comes in all perfumed and light while creamy avocado bits offer a touch more heft and body.
I think you can buy carrots pre-cut all fancy like this in stores? No matter though because it’s super easy to do all by your fine self. After I peel the carrots, I take one and cut it into 3 even lengths. From here, I cut off one of the sides. Roll the carrot piece so that that flat side is facing down. Then I cut off another rounded side. I repeat this until I have a rectangular prism of carrot so to speak (it’s all geometry, guys). From here, I cut the carrot into slices so that I can cut those slices into matchsticks altogether in one move. After that, I slice up those previous round parts of the carrot too. Cutting the carrots into thin coins is an option if you’re more into that. You could even ribbon the carrots with your peeler–just make sure that the salad doesn’t sit too long in the dressing if you’re going that route.
GINGER, CITRUS & BLACK SESAME CARROTS WITH EDAMAME
Print the recipe here!
SERVES: 6-8
NOTES: If you want to make this more of a main event sort of thing, you could serve it with some grilled tempeh/tofu and toss a couple handfuls of greens and cooked grains into the mix. Also, you bet this mix would be tasty rolled up into a rice paper wrap or a sheet of nori.
salad ingredients:
5-6 carrots (this was a bunch for me), peeled + cut into matchsticks
1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1/4 cup black sesame seeds
big handful of cilantro leaves, roughly chopped (mint or thai basil would also be delicious)
salt + pepper
1/2 ripe avocado, peeled + chopped
ginger citrus dressing:
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
juice of 1 lime
salt + pepper
1.5 tbsp agave nectar/raw honey
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated finely on a rasp/microplane
couple drops of toasted sesame oil
1/4-1/3 cup grapeseed or other neutral-tasting oil (I tend to like vinaigrettes on the more acidic side so I go with less)
Combine the carrot matchsticks, thawed edamame, sesame seeds and chopped cilantro in a large bowl. Season the whole mixture with salt + pepper and toss lightly with your hands. Set aside.
In a small-medium bowl, combine the orange juice, lime juice, salt + pepper, agave nectar, ginger and sesame oil. Whisk it all together until incorporated. While whisking with one hand, slowly drizzle in the grapeseed oil until you have a homogenous and unified dressing.
Pour the dressing over the carrot + edamame mixture. Toss to combine. Top with the chopped avocado pieces. Garnish the dish with more sesame seeds and cilantro if you like.
Yum!! I love sesame seeds, both in savory and sweet :)
Carrot and black sesame is one of my favourite salad combinations – love the sweetness, crunch and nuttiness combined. I love that you rushed to take photos before the plumbing guys arrived – I’ve taken food photos on my front porch before and got some very odd looks from neighbours!
This is beautiful and delicious! New your blog….loving it!
This sounds wonderful! Just need to buy some cilantro to make this evening.
So bright and fresh, and I have all of the ingredients needed for the salad! It will be delicious for lunch today, thank you Laura.
Your photos are just so crisp and vibrant. Stunning! I love the simplicity of this and am always looking for new ways to eat carrots and salads! I bet the textures are perfection. This will be lunch.
This salad looks so good! Super fresh and springy and tasty. I especially love how the edamame and avocado makes it a full meal.
Your pictures are so sharp and colorful! Love it. I have never tried black sesame before, looks good!
Gah! Simply stunning. Gorgeous, healthy and tasty. Need to find me some edamame, avocados and cilantro. :-)
Those colors are so bright and pretty. Like tulips and springtime. My kids love carrots, edamame, and avocado – I’m wondering if I can turn them on to sesame with this one. So far tahini has not won any fans, but maybe the milder flavor combined with the pop and crunch would get them on board. Thanks for more gorgeous ideas sweet Laura. happy almost-spring (and here’s hoping you have a stove top again soon?)
oh yes yes. I like this carrot situation. I find them dry when you buy them at the store cut like this. Better off to do it your way. Hope your kitchen is back in working order! But high five to year long salads on hand. Need those babies.
This salad looks and sounds so awesome, and I would be totally OK with my oven not working if I had a tupperware full of it in my fridge. We’ve been dealing with the same worst.spring.ever chilly weather (and even had snow on Monday — harumph), but it’s not stopping me from craving fresh, veggie-laden things. And I’m marveling at how dang perfect and delicious that avocado looks, since they’re so hit-or-miss ’round these parts!
Also, those carrots make me want to work on my julienning technique. Whenever I’m trying to meticulously cut anything, it feels like there’s a mental battle going on between my internal perfectionist and the part of me that has no patience for anything. (:
Oh, if I had a dollar for every time a plumber or a flatmate’s friend or just SOMEONE quietly and unnerved watched me very seriously taking photos of my food. Thanks for this gorgeous recipe, I am always buying carrots because they’re so cheap but occasionally let them die in the fridge, unloved…so, glad to spy another excellent way to eat them!
I love how bright and fresh this raw salad looks. We are in Ireland now at a B&B till we find a home, and sick of eating out. Maybe a salad like this is something I can whip up without any mod cons!
This salad looks PERFECT to me! Love the avocado and edamame – and the citrus/ginger dressing. . . SWOOOOON. So delicious!
This looks SO good! I don’t usually like carrots, but I love them in slaws and chopped up thin in salads – this looks great for spring!
Things with our oven are rather precarious right now, so I can totally relate. Judging from this amazing salad, you seem to be coming through it pretty well though! I love the sound of these flavors and textures – crunchy, warming, and fresh all at once. Exactly what I want to be eating on this cold/warm/cold again spring day.
This is goddamn gorgeous. All of my salads lately have had edamame and chia seeds in, but I really want to start adding fresh herbs to the mix. Def using this dressing!
Such a beautiful & vibrant bowl of veggies!
I’m feeling your fresh & vibrant food… kitchen deficiency motivated or no… I’ve been testing cake, bread, and cookie recipes as of late. So…um…vicariously healthy? I seriously feel like I need this right now before my body mutinies.
Laura, I am new to your site, but have already pinned loads of recipes! Many, many recipes pinned later, I realized I should just pin your site page (and subscribe), which is exactly what I did!
I just finished making this salad ^ (seriously, just 10 minutes ago), I can’t believe how beautifully simple and bright it is! I added some grapefruit mint that I had on my patio. Simply divine.
Thank you for being so amazing!
Amazing picture! This looks beautiful. Have you been to http://eatseed.com ? I get all my black sesame seeds there. They roast them fresh and grind them into a powder. They are amazing! Great recipe, I need to try this!
Absolutely stunning recipe and photos, Laura! I have been searching town high and low to find edamame, but I haven’t had any luck. Its moments like this I really miss home for Trader Joes.
Ha, I’ve felt so rushed to take photos before the maintenance guy shows up. Once my landlord knocked on my door when I was experimenting with coconut oil as a hair moisturizer… I looked like a total greaseball. This salad is precisely the kind of food I’ve been craving lately. Lastly, super impressed by your carrot cutting skills.
Can’t wait to make this at home with our beautiful local avocado varieties! So simple, and yet so lovely.
I cannot wait to try this…. looks incredible!
I made this last night, and it was amazingggg. My family loved it, and it was great to prepare a healthy dish. I will be making this again.