Roasted Carrot Salad

A salad for all seasons, bringing great flavour and colour to the table.

This is the simplest of salads, particularly useful when cooking seasonally in winter.

It is also ideal for those occasions when you have minimal vegetables to select from when making a couple of salads.

Can be served as an appetiser or a light meal, to which you can add protein with cheese, grilled tofu or a mix of toasted nuts and seeds.

Ingredients

Preparation: 5+5 mins | Cook: 30-45 mins | Serves: 6 starter

8 carrots, medium

1 red onion (optional)

1/2 tsp fennel seeds**

3 sprigs thyme (or 1/2 tsp dry)

1 tsp cracked black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 oranges

2 tbsp chopped parsley

tarragon and chives (optional)

2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

Method

PREHEAT the oven, 200 C/400 F/Gas 6.

PEEL the carrots and slice lengthwise. (Cut a medium carrot cut into eighths lengthwise.)

PEEL red onion and cut into small wedges.

MIX carrots, onion, thyme, fennel seeds, black pepper and oil.

SPREAD onto a baking tray, avoiding layering the vegetables.

ROAST for 20 minutes, stir and return to the oven for 10-12 minutes until the carrots are soft and a little caramelised. (Cooking time is dependent on the size of the carrot pieces.)

REMOVE from the oven and cool.

DISCARD the thyme sprigs.

CUT the peel the orange and slice between the membranes into half moon slices. (Alternatively, cut the peeled orange into eight segments and each segment into two or three small wedges.)

RETAIN the orange juice to use in the salad dressing.

MIX the carrot, orange, 1/2 the chopped parsley and all the other chopped herbs.

POUR any orange juice over the salad. (Mix the juice with a little oil if you wish, although I do not think this is necessary because the carrot was baked in oil.)

SPRINKLE the salad with the remaining parsley and, if adding, toasted pumpkin seeds.

Serve

– As a tasty starter.

– Good accompaniment to a variety of meals.

Notes

Fennel is a good alternative to red onion for a Fodmap diet, complementing the flavour of the fennel seeds.