Roasted Carrot and Feta Salad
This roasted carrot and feta salad is packed with flavor and texture, with fresh herbs, salt feta, crunchy walnuts and sweet roasted carrots.
I roasted the carrots in thick sticks until tender and lightly caramalized, tossed in olive oil and ground coriander. Then there are walnuts for texture and crumbled feta for saltiness. Over top there is a simple lemon olive oil dressing and plenty of fresh coriander (or you might call it cilantro.) It’s the perfect blend of textures and sweet and salty.
Roasted carrots
Roasting the carrots for this salad brings out their natural sweetness and deepens their flavor through caramelization. It creates a delicious contrast to the salty feta and earthy walnuts. Near the end of the roasting I add the walnuts too, to give them a nice toasted crunch.
Here’s what you need
You can find the ingredient amounts for this recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Here’s how it’s done
- Chop your carrots so they’re in pretty even sized sticks. This will make sure that they cook evenly. Place them on a roasting pan and toss with olive oil and seasoning. Roast them until caramalized and add the walnuts too in the last few minutes.
- Add the carrots to a serving disk along with the walnuts and coriander. Whisk together the dressing and drizzle this over.
- Serve the salad warm or cold.
Variations
- Add a touch of ground cumin or smoked paprika to the roasted carrots for a deeper, smoky flavor. Or, for a bit of heat, sprinkle some red chili flakes or drizzle with hot honey before serving.
- Swap out or combine the fresh cilantro with fresh mint, dill, or parsley.
- Use toasted pistachios, almonds, or pecans instead of walnuts for a different flavor. Or, if you love sweet, try adding candied walnuts.
- You can turn this salad into a main dish by adding a cup of cooked quinoa, couscous, farro, or bulgur wheat.
Roasted Carrot and Feta Salad
This roasted carrot and feta salad is packed with flavor and texture, with fresh herbs, salt feta, crunchy walnuts and sweet roasted carrots.
Ingredients
- 650g (around 1 ½ pounds) carrots
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 50g (1/2 cup) walnut halves
- 60g (about 1/2 cup) crumbled feta
- 1/3 cup lightly packed, chopped fresh coriander / cilantro
- Black pepper to taste
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3/4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F).
- If the carrots are long, cut them into halves or thirds crosswise to create shorter sections, about 5-8cm long. For medium-sized carrots, cut each section lengthwise into quarters to make thick sticks. For very fat carrots, cut each half into thirds lengthwise, so you have six thick sticks per section.
- Place the carrots on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with ground coriander, and season with salt. Toss to coat.
- Roast the carrots for around 18-20 minutes, or until they are tender and a little caramelised. In the last 5 minutes of roasting the carrots, add the chopped walnuts to the baking sheet to toast them lightly.
- Make the dressing - In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and a pinch of salt until well combined. Or, pop it all in a little container with a lid and give it a shake.
- Remove the roasted carrots and walnuts from the oven and transfer them to a serving dish. Sprinkle over the feta and the chopped coriander and drizzle with the dressing. Season with black pepper. Serve warm or cold.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 217Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 10mgSodium 450mgCarbohydrates 12gFiber 4gSugar 6gProtein 4g
