Maple-Roasted Carrot Salad
Roasting anything (I mean ANYTHING) with maple syrup makes me incredibly happy! Especially multi-colored carrots! Add those to some arugula, top it with cranberries, goat cheese and Marcona almonds and say hello to Autumn! It’s the perfect starter to a weeknight dinner or to serve for a light lunch.
The carrots get roasted in olive oil and then finished with maple syrup until they are nicely caramelized. The cranberries get lightly poached in fresh orange juice. The dressing is simply sherry wine vinegar, garlic and olive oil, so it’s very light with a bit of tang.
Use a good quality goat cheese, such as Montrachet. It will make a difference! Then top the entire salad with Marcona almonds and a sprinkle of salt. It’s delicious!
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Maple-Roasted Carrot Salad
Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots, preferably with leafy tops
- Good olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup pure Grade A maple syrup
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries
- 2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (2 oranges)
- 3 tbsp sherry wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane
- 6 ounces baby arugula
- 6 ounces goat cheese, such as Montrachet, medium-diced
- 2/3 cup roasted, salted Marcona almonds
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Trim and scrub the carrots. If the carrots are more than 1 inch in diameter, cut them in half lengthwise. Cut the carrots in large diagonal slices 1 inch wide × 2 inches long (they will shrink when they roast) and place in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss well and transfer to two sheet pans. (If you use just one, they’ll steam instead of roasting.) Roast for 20 minutes, tossing once, until the carrots are tender. Transfer all the carrots to one of the sheet pans, add the maple syrup, toss, and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges are caramelized. Watch them carefully! Toss with a metal spatula and set aside for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the cranberries and orange juice in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer, then set aside for 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Place the arugula in a large bowl and add the carrots, cranberries (with their liquid), goat cheese, almonds, and the vinaigrette. Toss with large spoons, sprinkle with salt, and serve at room temperature.
Recipe from Barefoot Contessa
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