Carrot Ribbon Salad
30 minutes. Serves 4. This surprisingly simple salad combines carrot ribbons with golden raisins, mint, cilantro and crunchy pita chips before being drizzled with a garlicky dressing. What makes this salad stand out is that every bite is packed with flavor and texture. I love the addition of pomegranate molasses, a staple in Middle Eastern cooking, in the dressing for the earthy sweetness it adds, but if you don’t have it, just leave it out. The components of this salad can be prepared in advance, which makes it ideal for dinner parties. Dress the salad right before serving or it’ll become too soggy.
3 pitas, torn into
1-inch pieces
1⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher
salt, divided
2 bunches medium
carrots (about 10)
2 garlic cloves, grated
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Juice of ⁄2 lemon
1
1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground
sumac
3⁄4 cup golden raisins
1⁄4 cup lightly packed mint leaves, torn in half by hand
1⁄4 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, torn in half by hand 1 Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2 Place the pita on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with ½ teaspoon of salt, and toss with your hands to coat. Bake until the pita is golden brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
3 On a cutting board, use a vegetable peeler to peel the carrots into ribbons. Transfer the ribbons to a large bowl. 4 In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, add the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper and sumac, and whisk to combine. While whisking, drizzle in the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil until emulsified. The dressing can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
5 Add half the toasted pita chips, the raisins, mint and cilantro to the bowl with the carrot ribbons. Drizzle with the vinaigrette, tossing until everything is well coated. Top with the remaining pita chips.