This carrot salad is marinated in a creamy lemon dill dressing to give your veggies a fresh flavor boost. Easy to meal prep for the week so you always have veggies on hand.
Why You’ll Love This Marinated Lemon Dill Carrot Salad
- Budget-Friendly. Carrots in the winter months are in season and cheap. Chickpeas are thankfully still very budget-friendly too. All great ingredients we could all benefit from when it comes to saving a little money.
- Marinating makes veggies more enjoyable. The more enjoyable your veggies are, the more likely you will eat them. This means you will be more likely to reap the benefits of those veggies including the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants found in them.
- Fiber packed. The addition of the chickpea crispies helps to not only add a protein source to this meal, but helps to add a significant amount of fiber to this dish too.
- Easy to meal prep. This is a dish that stands up really well to prepping in advance. It stays crisp and the flavors continue to build while packed in the fridge.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chickpeas: Feel free to swap with a different bean like white beans. I would just make sure that you pat them dry to remove excess moisture. You can also use shredded tofu for a bump in protein.
- Nutritional Yeast: When fortified, provides B12 and protein, plus adds a lot of umami flavor. You can still make this without the nutritional yeast.
- Carrots: This is the main ingredient, so I wouldn’t swap out if possible. For convenience, this can also work with bagged julienned carrots as well. Note, you can add more veggies if desired. For example, the carrots can pair well with shredded cabbage, zucchini or English cucumbers.
- Red Onion: A white onion or shallot can work here too.
- Herbs: I used a combo of dill and parsley. You can also try this with basil.
- Capers: If not a fan of capers you can swap with 2-3 green olives or a Gherkin (no need to cook). If it’s available to you, try with some preserved lemon (often found in Middle Eastern markets).
- Mustard: Dijon mustard is ideal.
- Agave: My go to as it mixes instantly into the dressing. Yes, other liquid sweeteners can work too. You can also use a pinch of sugar, just make sure it is fully dissolved in the dressing.
How to Make a Good Marinated Carrot Salad
Prep the chickpeas: Mash the chickpeas using a fork or potato masher. Add nutritional yeast and oil, then toss to combine. Spread the mixture out on a baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes. Toss the chickpeas, then bake again for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt then allow to cool completely.
Prep the veggies: Add the sliced onions and carrots to a mixing bowl. Top with the lemon juice and a generous sprinkle of salt, then toss to combine. Allow to sit for 15 minutes, then discard any of the excess liquid that is drawn out from the veggies. Top with parsley and dill, then set aside.
Make the dressing: Heat oil in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and capers, stirring occasionally until the garlic is golden, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer the mixture including the oil to a blender cup. Add mustard, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, agave syrup, and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth. Add the dill and parsley, then blend again until minced. Taste and adjust salt as desired.
Marinate the carrot salad: Pour half the dressing over the carrots, then toss together, adding additional dressing as desired until well coated.
Assemble: Add a serving of your favorite grain to a bowl. Top with the carrot salad and the crispy chickpeas. Use leftover dressing to drizzle over top and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Soak your sliced red onions in cold water for 5 minutes to reduce their astringent, sharp flavor.
- Sprinkle salt on your shredded carrots and allow to sit for 15 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Discard that liquid and you’ll be left with carrots that will better absorb the flavors of the dressing and maintain their crunch.
- If you don’t want to cook, just slightly modify the dressing. You can use 1-2 cloves of grated garlic instead of cooking the garlic. Cooking the garlic and capers just brings out different flavors and tones down some of their sharpness, so it’s totally okay if you want to skip this part.
Frequently Asked Questions
After dressing and prepping the carrot salad, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Carrots are very hearty, so they hold up well in a salad like this.
There are a number of ways to julienne or cut your carrots for this salad. For the easiest method, use a vegetable peeler to thinly peel the carrot into ribbons. If you want the carrots slightly thicker, you can also use a julienne peeler or a mandoline with a julienne attachment to shred everything quickly. Lastly, you can also use a regular knife. This will take longer, but start with a thick carrot and slice at a bias. Thinly slice the coins into julienne cuts. You can see a demonstration here.
Try pairing this salad with some tofu “feta”. I have a homemade option of this available here.
Make It Balanced
A good carrot salad can provide a ton of nutrition to any meal, so use it to build a nourishing meal. Consider pairing the carrot salad portion with:
- Protein & Fiber: This is where beans shine so well! I love topping this salad with crispy chickpeas for that nutrition bump in protein and fiber, while also getting a lovely crunch with my meal.
- Grains: Pair it with some rice, quinoa, or farro, so that you get the benefit of the sustained energy they provide in combination with the other ingredients.
- Extra Herbs: Such an easy way to add in some extra antioxidants and vitamins like vitamin K, C, beta-carotene, B9, and even iron!
More Satisfying Salads to Try
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Description
This carrot salad is marinated in a creamy lemon dill dressing to give your veggies a fresh flavor boost. Easy to meal prep for the week so you always have veggies on hand.
Crispy Chickpeas
Lemon Dill Dressing
Carrot Salad
- Prep the chickpeas: Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Pat your chickpeas dry with a clean kitchen towel, then transfer to a large bowl. Use a fork or potato masher to lightly mash the chickpeas. Add the nutritional yeast and oil, then toss together to combine. Spread the chickpea mixture out on the baking tray, then bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Use a spoon to give the chickpeas a toss. Bake again for 10 minutes, stirring again half way. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt then allow to cool completely.
- Prep the veggies: Add the sliced onion to a mixing bowl and cover with cold water for 5 minutes. Drain well and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Use your preferred tool for shredding your carrots (options include a julienne peeler, regular vegetable peeler, or a mandoline with a julienne attachment), then shred the carrots into the bowl. Add the lemon juice and a generous sprinkle of salt overtop, then toss to combine. Allow to sit for 15 minutes to draw out excess liquid from the carrots. Discard that extra liquid then add the minced parsley and dill to the bowl.
- Make the dressing: Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Add the garlic and capers, stirring occasionally until the garlic is golden in color, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before transferring the mixture including the oil to a blender cup. Add the mustard, lemon zest and juice, white wine vinegar, agave syrup, and a pinch of salt. Blend on high until smooth and emulsified. Add the dill and parsley, then blend again until finely minced and incorporated into the dressing. Taste and adjust salt as desired.
- Marinate the carrot salad: Pour half the dressing over the carrots, then toss the ingredients together, adding more dressing as needed until the salad is well coated.
- Assemble: Add a serving of your favorite grain to a bowl. Top with a generous portion of the carrot salad and the crispy chickpeas. If you have leftover dressing, feel free to drizzle more on top and enjoy!
Notes
Soak your sliced red onions in cold water for 5 minutes to reduce their astringent, sharp flavor.
Sprinkle salt on your shredded carrots and allow to sit for 15 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Discard that liquid and you’ll be left with carrots that will better absorb the flavors of the dressing and maintain their crunch.
If you don’t want to cook, just slightly modify the dressing. You can use 1-2 cloves of grated garlic instead of cooking the garlic. Cooking the garlic and capers just brings out different flavors and tones down some of their sharpness, so it’s totally okay if you want to skip this part.
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