Description
This fresh and vibrant Carrot Sesame Salad combines shredded carrots with a flavorful sesame dressing, enhanced by ginger, honey, and cilantro. Perfect as a light side dish, this no-cook salad offers a delightful mix of sweet, tangy, and nutty flavors with a crisp texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 2 large carrots
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Dressing
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
Instructions
- Peel Carrots: Peel the two large carrots using a vegetable peeler to remove the outer skin, ensuring a clean base for shredding.
- Grate Carrots: Grate the carrots with a fine or box grater until you achieve thin, shredded strips perfect for the salad’s texture.
- Combine Carrots: Place the grated carrots into a medium-sized mixing bowl to prepare for dressing.
- Prepare Dressing Base: In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce, forming the flavorful dressing base.
- Add Sweetness: Stir in 1 teaspoon honey until fully dissolved in the dressing mixture to balance the tangy and savory flavors.
- Incorporate Ginger: Add 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated ginger to the dressing for a subtle spicy and aromatic note.
- Dress Carrots: Pour the prepared dressing over the grated carrots in the large bowl.
- Toss Salad: Toss the carrots gently to coat them evenly with the dressing, ensuring great flavor distribution.
- Add Sesame Seeds: Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sesame seeds evenly over the salad for a nutty crunch.
- Season: Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to add a mild peppery kick.
- Add Cilantro: Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped cilantro over the salad for a fresh herbal note.
- Toss Again: Gently toss all ingredients together once more to mix flavors and ingredients thoroughly.
- Rest Salad: Allow the salad to sit for a few minutes so the flavors can meld beautifully.
- Serve: Serve the salad immediately or refrigerate for up to an hour to enjoy a chilled version.
Notes
- For extra crunch, you can add sliced almonds or chopped peanuts as a topping.
- The salad tastes best when allowed to rest for at least 10 minutes to let the flavors blend.
- Use low-sodium soy sauce to reduce the salt content if desired.
- Substitute honey with maple syrup to make it suitable for vegans.
- This salad is best consumed fresh but can be refrigerated for up to one day.
