Carrot almond salad {fresh turmeric + coconut dressing}

Carrot almond salad – ribbons of rainbow carrots, doused in creamy, turmeric coconut dressing, topped with toasted almonds and fresh cilantro – an explosion of exotic flavors that will surely tantalize your taste buds!

This rainbow carrot and almond salad is an explosion of colors, and flavors! It has the most exotic taste – bursting with spice, heat, sweetness, and freshness, it’s sure to tantalize your taste buds.

The recipe was inspired by my new play toy  ingredient – fresh turmeric root.  I’ve been experimenting with this amazing medicinal spice lately, and making it into ‘golden milk paste’, ‘golden milk’ drinks, and sneaking it into soups, and curries.

Although I’ve used turmeric powder before, I only recently noticed the fresh turmeric root at the stores, and I was curious to try it raw. To my surprise, it smelled and tasted almost like a cross between carrot and parsley with a hint of ginger. I was intrigued!

It’s no news that curcumin, turmeric’s main active ingredient, is one of the most potent anti-cancerous, and anti-inflamatory natural compounds, but simply ingesting turmeric will not be very beneficial, because the human body has a hard time absorbing curcumin on its own.  To reap its benefits, your body needs a little bit of help in the form of fat and black pepper.  Fat, because curcumin is fat-soluble, and black pepper, because even the smallest amount has the ability to enhance curcumin’s absorption in the blood stream by 2000%.

This dressing contains both fat, from roasted almond butter and coconut milk, and a pinch of black pepper which is more than enough to provide the needed boost.  It’s mildly spicy, with just the right amount of heat, slightly sweet from the coconut and honey, and has warm nutty undertone from the cinnamon and toasted almonds.  It’s just so wonderfully yummy, that you will be tempted to eat it with a spoon, straight from the jar.  I might as well make it into a smoothie next.

Because raw turmeric reminded me so much of carrots, (not just the color, but its texture and scent too) I thought of combining the two into a salad.  It’s a simple salad of shaved rainbow carrots, fresh cilantro, and toasted almonds.  But when you drizzle that creamy, vibrant dressing on top, it all comes alive!

You will probably end up with left over dressing, but it will keep in the fridge well, and can even sub as a marinade. I tried it with chicken – another score!  Try it as a dip, or drizzle over roasted root veggies – it will add a fresh dose of zing to any meal!

You can grate the carrots if you want, or use your veggie peeler to make those long ribbons, with the effect of creating somewhat of a raw Fettuccine pasta.  You can get creative with the toppings too – try adding toasted coconut chips in addition to the toasted almonds.

One warning though – put on your oldest clothes when you make the dressing, and wear a bib when you eat the salad 😉

4.5 from 2 votes

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Carrot almond salad {fresh turmeric + coconut dressing}

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

15 mins

 

Carrot almond salad – ribbons of rainbow carrots, doused in creamy, turmeric coconut dressing, topped with toasted almonds and fresh cilantro – an explosion of exotic flavors that will surely tantalize your taste buds!

Course: Salad

Servings: 2

Calories: 412 kcal

Author: Viktoria

Ingredients

• 5-6 medium carrots
• 1/4 cup toasted almonds
• a bunch of fresh cilantro
• For the dressing:
• 3 Tbs freshly grated turmeric root (from about 6 inches of turmeric root)
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp honey
• 3 Tbs toasted almond butter
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• pinch of salt
• splash of fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Put the dressing ingredients (minus the lemon juice) in a blender and process until smooth.
2. Grate the carrots, or use a veggie peeler to create thin ribbons.
3. Toast and roughly chop the almonds.
4. Assemble the salad, by mixing carrots and a big handful of chopped cilantro, drizzle the dressing generously on top and sprinkle with the toasted almonds. Add a splash of fresh lemon juice and salt if necessary.

Recipe Notes

If fresh turmeric is not an option, use 3 tsp of turmeric powder in place of 3 Tbs freshly grated turmeric root