This sweet and sour Roasted Carrot Salad is a great example of taking the humble carrot and transforming it into a special dish. The sliced carrots are roasted in the oven until tender and their edges begin to caramelise, then tossed in a simple sweet and sour dressing. Topped with toasted slivered almonds for crunch and sliced mint for freshness, this Sweet and Sour Carrot Salad is so easy and delicious.
500g(1.1 lb) carrots - approx. 5 medium - washed and peeled, tops trimmed
2tablespoonextra virgin olive oil See Note 1
For the Dressing and Garnish:
1tablespoonextra virgin olive oil
2tablespoonslivered almonds - or pine nuts
1smallred onion - thinly sliced
5teaspoonwhite wine vinegar - or to tasteSee Note 2
1 ½tablespoonpure maple syrupSee Note 2
2tablespoondried currants
¼cupfresh mint - finely sliced - lightly packedSee Note 3
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to tasteSee Note 4
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 200 Degrees C (390 F).
Using a sharp knife, on a strong diagonal, slice the carrots about 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick.
Place in a medium-sized bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the extra virgin olive oil. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Place onto a baking tray in a single layer which is lined with non-stick baking paper and bake for 15-20 minutes, turning the carrots once or twice, until they are tender and the edges slightly charred.
Place the carrot in a large, shallow serving dish.
Meanwhile, add the slivered almonds to a non-stick frying pan, and over medium heat, toss or stir them until they are light golden brown. Immediately turn them into a small bowl to stop them toasting further in the residual heat of the frying pan.Wipe the frying pan with a piece of paper towel.
Using the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the thinly sliced red onion.Cook the onion over low-medium heat until it has softened. Turn off the heat.
Add the white wine vinegar, maple syrup and currants to the frying pan and stir to combine.Pour the dressing over the carrots and toss gently to combine.
Check to see if the salad requires more seasoning and if you are happy with the sweet/sour balance. If you prefer more acidity, add an additional teaspoon of vinegar. Stand for 2 hours if possible, to allow the flavours to develop.Before serving, toss the mint through the salad and sprinkle with the slivered almonds.
Notes
Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons).
Sweet and Sour: check that the balance of flavours is to your liking, adding a little more maple syrup for sweet or white wine vinegar for sour.
Mint: we have used fresh mint, but parsley would also be delicious.
Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking – we recommend using freshly ground black pepper and sea salt flakes for the best flavour.