• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Guides
  • Subscribe

Small Pantry Recipes

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Guides
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Guides
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » All Recipes » Recipes

    Updated: May 2023 by Julia @ Small Pantry · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Shaved Carrot Salad with Olives and Fresh Herbs

    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Carrot salads have always seemed like sturdy, familiar pot-luck work-horses, but this shaved carrot salad is just a wee bit more elegant. There's something so alluring about a tangled mess of carrot ribbons tossed with meaty olives and crunchy pistachios. Try this shaved carrot salad paired with anything from summer veggie skewers to hearty braised dishes!

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    this recipe!

    Step aside, grated carrots. Ribboned carrots are stealing your thunder!

    Sometimes a chopped salad or grated salad is absolutely ideal. The finer texture packs well, gets thoroughly coated in the dressing, and is easy to scoop up with whatever utensil you have on hand. You can stuff them in flatbreads or even fold them into a pile of beans or grains when trying to feed a crowd.

    But. Are they elegant? Not really, no. And while I'm all for comfortable, feel-good food, sometimes the small textures of chopped veggies or grated veggies just feel like eating...mulch. The flavors and textures are so well-distributed that each bite is identical to the last. That can get boring. So when the occasion calls for a little bit more thought and interest, I reach for my trusty Y-peeler and make this shaved carrot salad!

    Ribbons of carrot aren't just beautiful, they improve the flavor!

    Carrots have a lot of natural sweetness, but the way you prepare them can enhance both the sweetness and their "carroty-ness." You probably have noticed the difference between a roasted carrot and a raw carrot. The roasting breaks down the sugars and caramelizes them, deepening and sweetening their flavor.

    The way you cut your carrots can have a similar effect. When you cut a vegetable or fruit, you are breaking their cells, which releases things like sugars and aromatic compounds. Think about slicing ribbons of fresh basil: a sharp knife makes neat ribbons that stay bright green for longer. A dull knife bruises the delicate leaves, making cuts that are more jagged and quickly turning the leaves black.

    While you don't want that bruising effect for something as delicate as fresh herbs, tougher plants actually benefit. That's why you might have seen stalks of lemongrass or pieces of ginger smacked with a knife before being added to a stock pot. It releases more flavor!

    A lot of carrot salad recipes call for coarsely grating the carrots, which releases a ton of flavor. By cutting ribbons of carrot, you're still releasing a lot of those trapped flavor compounds, but not only is the finished dish prettier, it stays away from the mulchy texture that grated carrot can have. And, a quick spin in a skillet not only blooms the spices and mellows the garlic, but it lightly tenderizes the carrot and coaxes out a bit of extra carroty-sweetness!

    Say goodbye to too-sweet carrot salad. This recipe is perfectly savory and bright!

    A lot of carrot salads lean heavily on very sweet flavors. Raisins, cinnamon, maple syrup... All these ingredients do taste lovely together, but I often find myself wishing for a salad that is a little bit less cloying.

    For this recipe, I was still heavily influenced by the warming spices and subtle sweetness of classic carrot salads, but I wanted to focus more on salty and herbaceous pops of flavor. The combination of cumin, allspice, and garlic is one you'll see me use a lot. (For example, in my mussakhan-inspired savory sumac mushrooms!) To me, it's the perfect combination of savory-earthy and deeply warming. While I have chosen to omit any cinnamon, you can certainly add in a pinch if you find yourself missing it.

    My favorite mouthfuls of carrot salad are the ones with briny ingredients like olives or feta. I'm also a sucker for roasted pistachios. While the recipe doesn't call for feta (to keep it vegan), it's packed full of meaty, salty olives and crunchy-savory toasted pistachios. They add oodles of flavor and a fabulous textural oomph!

    And finally, the herbs. For me, a base of parsley is a must. To round that base out, I favor the bright, slightly sweet aroma of fresh mint. I love the way it plays with the natural sweetness of the carrot and the savory warmth of the spices. If you're not a fan of mint, try cilantro, or even tarragon, instead.

    Notes for Success:

    When cooking the ribbons of carrot, keep in mind that you want them to retain a toothsome texture. Warming and wilting them coaxes out a bit of extra carrot-oomph, but the goal is not to make them fully soft. When in doubt, take a little taste. They should be firm to bite, but without the raw carrot woody crunch.

    As mentioned above, the flavors of this salad favor the salty-nutty family. If you prefer a bit more sweetness, try plumping a few tablespoons of dried currants or raisins in some warm water or extra lemon juice.

    If your carrots are extra long, I suggest cutting the ribbons in half crosswise. Or, start peeling each ribbon from the middle of the carrot, holding on to the top half as you peel and rotate the bottom half. Once you've reach the woody core, flip the carrot and hold onto the core as you peel the remaining half of the carrot. This is my preferred method, since confronting a tangled mess of extra-long carrot ribbons can be annoying.

    Recipe: Shaved Carrot Salad with Olives and Fresh Herbs

    This beautiful shaved carrot salad is a less-sweet, more elegant version of a classic grated carrot salad. A warming savoriness comes from the combination of allspice and cumin. Briny pops of meaty olives and plenty of fresh herbs keep the flavors perky, while toasted pistachios add a welcome nutty crunch. Serve as a side to anything from summer veggie skewers to poached eggs to your favorite cold-weather stew.
    --Julia
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    YIELD4 Modest Servings
    TOTAL TIME 30 minutes mins
    Print

    Ingredients

    • 2 to 3 (~12 ounces) large carrots, peeled
    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 medium garlic clove, minced
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
    • Kosher salt and black pepper
    • ½ cup mixed pitted olives, chopped
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus wedges to serve
    • 1-2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
    • 2 tablespoons lightly packed chopped parsley
    • 2 tablespoons lightly packed chopped fresh mint
    • ¼ cup chopped toasted nuts, Such as pistachios, cashews, peanuts, or almonds
    • Sesame seeds, to garnish, Optional

    Preparation

    • Step 1
      Using a Y style peeler or a mandoline, shave the carrots down their lengths, creating thin ribbons. Rotate as you go for the most even shape, stopping when you reach the woody core. Discard the leftover cores, or save them for a snack or homemade stock.
    • Step 2
      In a large skillet, combine the oil, garlic, cumin, and allspice. Heat over medium until the garlic is beginning to sizzle, then add the carrots. Cook briefly, stirring and folding constantly, until the carrots have begun to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Fold in the olives, lemon juice, and honey. Let sit until about room temperature, about 10 to 15 minutes. Fold in the herbs and chopped nuts. Taste and adjust sweetness with an extra drizzle of honey, if needed. Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds (optional).

    More Recipes from a Small Pantry

    • Crab Spinach Artichoke Dip
    • Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake (aka Spinach Artichoke Mac and Cheese)
    • Green Pea Pasta Sauce (Easy and Vegan!)
    • Springy Green Pea Pesto with Fresh Basil
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Julia!
    I'm a professionally trained personal chef, recipe developer, and culinary instructor. I'm also a certified food nerd and love nothing more than geeking out over the transformative powers of salt, sugar, and strong shot of acidity. Let's cook together!

    About Julia →

    Subscribe to my newsletter!

    Sign me up!

    Popular Right Now

    • Cheesy Cauliflower and Broccoli Tart with Tomatoes
    • Cauliflower Steaks with Smoky Chipotle-Cashew Salsa
    • Pickled Jalapeño Vinaigrette
    • braised green beans and potatoes
      Tomato-Braised Green Beans and Potatoes (Patate e Fagiolini in Umido)

    Summer Recipes

    • Easy Creamy Baked Polenta
    • Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Olives, and Garlic
    • Pasta with Smoked Trout, Shaved Fennel, and Tarragon
    • Blistered Tomato Pesto with Toasted Almonds and Anchovies

    Did you try a recipe?
    Tag @smallpantry on Instagram & Facebook, or tag @smallpantryrecipes on TikTok!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • TikTok
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    Privacy Policy

    Contact

    Newsletter

    Sign Up! for emails and updates

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    © COPYRIGHT - SMALL PANTRY