Winter Carrot Grain Salad
When it's too cold for fresh greens, try this gluten-free warm salad.
This is another sister-in-law improvised grain salad classic. Sharon blew my mind when after tasting her almost finished dish, she confidently decided to throw in some of my bread and butter pickles. You’re going to have to trust us on this one… it totally works.
Flexible recipes
In true improv-cooking Sharon fashion, I encourage you to remix this grain salad with whatever you have on hand. Originally this was made with farro, but I like mine as a gluten-free brown rice version. Dried apricots would work great in lieu of raisins and roasted cauliflower could be a nice seasonal replacement for carrots.
Tips
- Make a double batch of rice and put half of it in the freezer. You will thank yourself profusely the next time you want to make this meal a little more quickly and with one less pot to clean.
- Thinner strips of carrots will roast quicker than big chunks. I also think they’re more enjoyable to eat.
- For a little extra protein, add a soft boiled egg or a piece of slow-roasted salmon.
- Save this recipe for your next holiday gathering and all your vegetarian relatives will love you.
Winter Carrot Grain Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice
- 4 medium carrots 1 lb.
- 3 T olive oil
- 1 T yuzu vinegar or rice vinegar
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/2 cup pickles
- 2 T raisins
- 1/2 tsp urfa chili pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped dill
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and trim carrots. Cut each carrot in half lengthwise and then cut again into 2 inch chunks. In a large bowl toss carrots with a glug of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Transfer to a cast iron roaster or baking tray and roast for 35-40 minutes.
- Set brown rice to cook in a small saucepan. While the rice and carrots are cooking, make the vinaigrette. In the same bowl you tossed the carrots, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, lemon, honey, urfa, salt and pepper. Add raisins, pickles and chopped dill and fold to combine.
- When the rice and carrots have finished cooking, gently fold into the vinaigrette and salt to taste. Serve warm or room temp.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @growingwithgertie on Instagram.