Carrot Salad with Pistachios, Dates, and Tahini Dressing
By Suzy Karadsheh
Category
Salad
Cuisine
Mediterranean
Servings
4
Prep Time
25 minutes
Total Time
25 Minutes
Crisp carrots, fresh mint, and bright lemon juice with nutty pistachios, sesame seeds, and creamy spiced tahini dressing. Every bite of this vibrant salad is a flavor party! Eat it as-is or heap it over a bed of cooked freekeh and for a satisfying vegan meal.
Ingredients
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1 pound carrots, trimmed and peeled
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3 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced (both white and green parts)
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1/2 cup roughly chopped mint leaves, plus more for garnish
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1/4 cup roughly crushed pistachios, plus more for garnish
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2 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped into small bits
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1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
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1 garlic clove, minced
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1 to 2 tablespoons tahini
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1 lemon, juiced
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1 teaspoon honey
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2 tablespoons water
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1/2 teaspoon sumac
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1/2 teaspoon cumin
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1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
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Kosher salt
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Black pepper
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Extra virgin olive oil
For The Salad
For The Dressing
Directions
Slice the carrots into matchsticks. Slice into 2- to 3-inch pieces, then slice lengthwise into thin planks (about 1/8 inch thick). Stack the planks and cut them lengthwise into thin strips. (Or, if you prefer, you can grate or shred the carrots using a box grater, peeler, spiralizer, or your food processor.)
Make the salad. Add the carrots to a large mixing bowl along with the green onions, mint, pistachios, dates, and sesame seeds.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, tahini, lemon juice, honey, water, spices, a big pinch of salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon each). Whisk in enough olive oil to make a nicely balanced dressing, about 1/4 cup.
Finish and serve. Just before serving, drizzle the vinaigrette into the salad and toss. Garnish with more fresh mint and crushed pistachios. Serve immediately!
Recipe Note
- If you have leftovers, store carrot salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. I recommend keeping the dressing separate if you know you’ll be storing it—this helps the carrots stay crisp and fresh.
Nutrition
Calories 180, Fat 7 grams, Monounsaturated Fat 3100 milligrams, Fiber 6.8 grams, Vitamin C 25.1 milligrams, Carbs 29.2 grams, Saturated Fat 0.9 grams, Sodium 89.2 milligrams, Sugar 16.3 grams, Calcium 110.1 milligrams, Protein 4.7 grams, Polyunsaturated Fat 2500 milligrams, Potassium 658 milligrams, Vitamin A 484.9 milligrams, Iron 2 milligrams