Shaved Carrot Salad

Buttery pistachio and mint pesto, creamy goat cheese and paper-thin shaved carrots are the makings of our new favorite way to do summer veggies – a Raw Carrot Salad. We are simply obsessed with this crunchy, herbaceous, tangy totally delightful side dish.

Currently vegetables are having their time in the sun within my diet. You name a summer vegetable, I’ve tinkered with it in the past month. Hearty artichokes have been stuffed and demolished. Corn adorned only with butter and salt have been eaten by the bucket full. And this Raw Carrot Salad is something I may with every meal from now until the first freeze and beyond.

Even though raw carrots are likely one of the more prevalent raw vegetables we all eat regularly it’s rare to see the, consumed in any form but crudités. I’m here to tell you, this raw carrot salad will have you shaving your carrots from now on.

Ingredients in our Raw Carrot Salad

Carrots. For this particular recipe you’ll need carrots with the tops still attached. We use the tops to make the pesto and then shave the carrots for the salad. For aesthetics I like to get a variety of colors but any variety will do. (See notes if you can’t find carrots with the tops.)

Pistachios. To skip a step and make things for streamlined try to find pistachios already roasted.

Mint. I’m obsessed with the combination of mint and carrot in the summer time. It’s plentiful and grows really easily so it’s something I always have in my backyard herb garden.

Parmesan. Just a little bit goes a long way here.

Lemon juice. For this “Pesto” I like to add in a little bit of acid.

Olive oil. I don’t like anything too strong here so try to avoid extra virgin, if that’s all you have, it’s okay.

Water. Pesto normally has a ton of olive oil and even though it’s heart-healthy I still like to cut back on it.

Goat cheese. I love to use a local goat cheese but any favorite will do.

Let’s make Raw Carrot Salad

Shave the carrots. You don’t need any fancy gadgets – a simple vegetable peeler will do. I like to peel in the same place over and over so I get nice thick strips.

Make the pesto. This is more of sauce than a pesto so I like to start by grinding the pistachios. Add them to a food processor and pulse until they are finely ground. Add the carrot tops and mint. Pulse again until the herbs are chopped very finely. Add the parmesan, lemon juice and salt. Pulse until combined. With the mixer running, add the olive oil. I like to loosen up the pesto so it mixes well with the carrots, so add 1-2 teaspoons of water until it becomes a dressing consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Assemble. Add carrots to a bowl. Drizzle with the pesto/dressing. Toss until combined. Transfer half of the carrots to a serving platter. Sprinkle with half of chopped pistachios and dot with goat cheese. Cover with remaining half of the carrots. Sprinkle with remaining pistachios and goat cheese. Finish with a little bit of maldon salt.

Can I make Raw Carrot Salad in Advance?

Yes! But it is best served room temperature so make sure you let it sit out for 30 minutes before serving.

What if I can’t find carrots with the carrot tops?

Don’t worry! If you can’t find carrots with leafy tops, swap them out for basil or parsley.