Carrots stand in for seaweed in this refreshing, Asian-inspired salad. Serve it with hoisin glazed chicken kebabs or pack it in a basket with my favorite ham + asparagus picnic sandwiches.
Last summer, Shawn and I stopped by the co-op for a picnic dinner and I impulsively grabbed a container of sesame carrot salad. I can’t remember what else I ate that night, but the carrot salad is permanently seared into my memory – it was so good! Of course I had to recreate it at home.
This easy recipe has a lot of the same flavors as seaweed salad (one of my favorites!), with carrots standing in for the seaweed. Since carrots can be pretty intense on their own, I also added a generous helping of cucumber to add some lightness to the dish.
In the original recipe, the carrots were cut into a fine julienne but I decided to spiralize mine instead. I love those little curlicues! (I bought this spiralizer earlier this spring and I’m obsessed – it makes vegetables so fun! Shawn isn’t one to get excited about vegetables, but he’s been requesting zuchinni noodles on weekly basis since the first time I made them.) If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can still make this salad – use a julienne peeler or shred the carrots on a box grater instead.
Spiralized Carrot Salad
Ingredients
- 4 carrots
- 1 cucumber
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Use a spiralizer or julienne peeler to cut the carrot and cucumber into long, thin strips. Place in a large bowl. Toss with the scallions.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lime juice, ginger and soy sauce. Pour over the carrots. Turn to coat well. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
This is exactly the sort of dish I gravitate towards at picnics – especially when it involves Asian flavors. Now that I have a spiralizer, I will have to try this!
I really need to start using my spiralizer! This salad looks fabulous!
First I need to get a spiralizer…they just look fun. I like the carrot for seaweed substitution..
I *must* have a spiralizer now. Must. And I love the Asian-inspired dressing you’ve used here – so much flavor!
Ooh! I want to try this for my husband. I really need a spiralizer! They seem so useful.
I love that you spiralized the carrots! This looks so gorgeous!
There’s a not thing that I’ll ever hate about spiralized salads. Those twists could get a veggie hater to gobble them up.
So many great flavors in one bowl! Now I think I’ve finally been convinced to get me a spiralizer!
I love all of these flavors! I can’t wait to make this!