Burnt Carrot Salad

Another recipe inspired by the grill master Francis Mallmann.

The first time I made this salad I cooked the carrots on the BBQ and served it with only a little cheese as a side dish to a BBQ rib eye steak. The salad completely outshone the meat.

Here I’ve upped the goats cheese to turn it into a light lunch salad. And I’m burning the carrots in a hot pan. While the results are pretty decent in the kitchen, it’s not quite as mind blowing as the BBQ version. So if you can BBQ your carrots by all means do. Note. This recipe originally appeared on Stonesoup without the problem solving guide etc.

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Burnt Carrot Salad

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people as a side

Ingredients

• 1 bunch baby carrots
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 handfuls mixed salad leaves
• 100 g goats cheese

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Heat a large heavy frying pan on a very high heat for 3-4 minutes.
• Meanwhile trim and discard carrot tops. Halve carrots lengthwise.
• When the pan is super hot. Add a little oil and the carrots, shaking to make sure they are in a single layer.
• Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes or until carrots are a little burned and charred in places.
• Meanwhile, combine balsamic, soy and 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
• Turn the carrots and cook for another minute or until cooked to your liking.
• Scatter leaves over a serving platter. Top with hot carrots, drizzle with dressing and finish with little chunks of the cheese.

Leftover Potential

Best when fresh because the leaves will wilt in the dressing but will still be edible for a few days in the fridge.

Variations for Serving Sizes

Increase or decrease as needed. If you have too many carrots you may need to cook them in batches.

Variations

vegan – replace the cheese with a generous handful or two of roasted almonds or sunflower seeds.

dairy-free – see the vegan option. Or try a couple of chopped boiled eggs instead of the cheese.

side salad – either decrease the cheese or skip it all together and serve as a side salad to BBQ steak or chicken.

more substantial – I’m keen to try this as a carrot & lentil salad. Just toss a drained can of lentils in the dressing. Or use home cooked lentils that have been boiled in water until tender (15-20 minutes) and drained.

carnivore – replace the cheese with shredded cooked BBQ chicken.

soy-free – just skip the soy sauce in the dressing and be more generous with the salt & pepper.

budget – replace the goats cheese with ricotta or another less expensive cheese. And use 5-6 regular carrots quartered lengthwise instead of the baby carrots.

Problem Solving Guide

carrots too crunchy – it’s important to cut the carrots so that they’ll cook through in the time it takes them to char in one side. Next time cut finer or use smaller carrots. For now, you could pop them in the oven or microwave to finish cooking.

bitter – a sign your carrots are too burnt. You could try cutting off some of the charred carrot. Next time watch more closely as the carrots are cooking,

Serving Suggestions

Great as a side to most meats or fish. Also make a great light lunch on its own.
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