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    Home / Recipes / Course / Salad / Raw Carrot and Beet Salad with Feta, Mint and Harissa

    8 April 17, 2015 Photo

    Raw Carrot and Beet Salad with Feta, Mint and Harissa

    Good morning and Happy Friday!

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Raw Carrot and Beet Salad with Feta, Mint and Harissa

    Today, I’m sharing a vibrant raw salad made with purple carrots and beets.  These nutrient-packed vegetables are grated, and then tossed with fresh herbs and a bold citrus-harissa vinaigrette.  After a brief rest in the fridge, the salad is finished with crumbles of salty feta cheese.

    Carrots and beets have been showing up regularly in my weekly Specialty Produce Farmers Market Box, so I’ve been trying out all sorts of cooking preparations to use them up.  This method of soaking grated veg in a spicy, acidic dressing is common in Moroccan cuisine.  And it’s brilliant!  The acid in the lemon juice tenderizes the grated beets and carrots while infusing with tons of flavor.  Flavors here include orange, garlic, olive oil, paprika and harissa, a spicy, North African chile paste.  Continue reading for the recipe.

    Carrots and Beets

    Grated Beets

    I grated my carrots and beets with a Microplane box grater, but you could certainly use a food processor fitted with a grating disc to simplify the task.  It’s really not hard to do it by hand though.

    Recently, I read that lemon juice helps to remove beet stains from your hands, but I’ve yet to test this out.  Does anyone know if it’s true?  I usually just rinse my hands frequently while working with colorful vegetables (purple carrots stain too).  That removes most of the pigment.

    Harissa and Citrus-Dressing

    The dressing here is made with olive oil, orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice, garlic, paprika and harissa.  Harissa has really become a staple at my house.  Sometimes I’ve got my homemade version in the fridge, while other times I’ve got a tube of store-bought harissa at-the-ready.

    Check out my recipe for Hard-Boiled Egg Toast with Harissa Butter here.

    Beet Hands

    Carrot and Beet Salad

    I partnered with Specialty Produce on this article.  All thoughts, opinions and recipes shared in this article are my own.  If you live in the San Diego area, and you’d like to sign up for a Specialty Produce Farmer’s Market Box, get details here!

    I’ve got a number of other carrot recipes and beet recipes on Kitchen Konfidence.  Check them out below!

    Roasted Carrot, Fennel and Blood Orange Salad

    Roasted Carrot, Fennel and Blood Orange Salad

    Pickled Carrots with Dill and Serrano

    Picked Carrots with Dill and Serrano

    Calavera Catrina Cocktail

    Calavera Catrina

    Roasted Beet Salad with Creamy Caraway Dressing

    Beet Salad with Caraway Dressing

    Beet and Turnip Gratin

    Beet and Turnip Gratin

    Roasted Beets with Red Onion, Poblano and Lime

    Roasted Beets with Red Onion, Poblano and Lime

    Pickled Beet Deviled Eggs

    Beet Pickled Deviled Eggs

    8
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    Categories: Photo

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Averie @ Averie Cooks says

      April 17, 2015 at 2:06 pm

      I love beets and with the feta and that harissa, perfect salad!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        April 17, 2015 at 4:58 pm

        Thanks Averie! It’s a good combo 🙂

        Reply
    2. Ben Maclain says

      April 18, 2015 at 7:29 am

      I love this kind of salads, and usually it’s quite a challenge to surprise me. But Brandon, you’ve nailed that! Not only is this salad delicious, but the pictures are amazing. Love this fabulous mess; If I were an owner of an art gallery, I would definitely opt for your work on display 🙂

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        April 20, 2015 at 2:17 pm

        Aww thanks so much Ben!!

        Reply
    3. Brian @ A Thought For Food says

      April 20, 2015 at 5:55 am

      These are all striking salads, but I’m just such a sucker for beets (and feta and harissa) that that may sound the best. What a great combination of flavors!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        April 20, 2015 at 2:18 pm

        Thanks Brian! I do love beets as well.

        Reply
    4. Sippitysup says

      April 20, 2015 at 2:13 pm

      I can hear those beets screaming bloody murder all the way in Los Angeles. What a gorgeous way to for them to die. GREG

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        April 20, 2015 at 2:20 pm

        Haha yes!! I need to try this next time with golden beets and carrots to minimize the mess. But the purple is so pretty :). Thanks Greg!

        Reply
    5. cristina says

      April 20, 2015 at 9:54 pm

      What a beautiful, vibrant and healthful salad, Brandon. Feta is always a fav and like the pairing of the mint and parsley. So, how long to get those beet stains fading from your hands? 😉

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        April 21, 2015 at 6:41 am

        Thanks Cristina :)!! Haha I washed them off shortly after taking the photo. I did have to wipe down my camera a bit too!

        Reply
    6. Arman @ thebigmansworld says

      April 21, 2015 at 12:59 am

      Brandon, this is what they call edible art that makes you feel good! Cheers!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        April 21, 2015 at 6:41 am

        Thanks so much Arman!

        Reply
    7. Lauren @ Wicked Spatula says

      April 21, 2015 at 4:17 am

      I love beets! This is absolutely gorgeous, I can’t get over all the pretty colors

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        April 21, 2015 at 6:41 am

        Thanks Lauren! I love beets too. So many pretty colors.

        Reply
    8. heather @french press says

      April 21, 2015 at 7:44 am

      what a gorgeous salad! I’m pretty sure the kids would pass, but that just means more for me 🙂

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        April 21, 2015 at 12:14 pm

        Yeah this might be a bit too adventurous for the kiddos, but perhaps the color would entice them ;)?

        Reply
    9. Erin @ Platings and Pairings says

      April 21, 2015 at 8:34 am

      Brandon this looks so delicious and refreshing – I’m always a sucker for a salad with feta! Thanks for sharing. Your photographs are beautiful as well.

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        April 21, 2015 at 12:15 pm

        Thanks Erin! I love feta as well. Adds a nice rich, salty note to the salad.

        Reply
    10. Laura @MotherWouldKnow says

      April 21, 2015 at 8:41 am

      Like you, I adore beets. Though I will admit to feeling a bit awestruck when I look at my hands. That telltale red all over (and not just my hands) – if someone walked in mid-way through one of my beet adventures, they would think I was an axe murderer. The combinations in this salad are magnificent. I always buy my harissa – will have to try your recipe for homemade.

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        April 21, 2015 at 12:17 pm

        Haha yes! And an apron is a must to avoid clothing splatters. Thanks Laura!

        Reply
    11. Faith (An Edible Mosaic) says

      April 21, 2015 at 4:12 pm

      I’m such a fan of beets it’s not even funny. Your salad is drop-dead gorgeous and I love the use of harissa here!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        April 22, 2015 at 12:41 pm

        Thanks Faith!

        Reply
    12. Alyssa @ Simply Quinoa says

      April 21, 2015 at 5:30 pm

      This salad is pure perfection. Seriously! The colors, the cheese and that harissa sauce? Oh my!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        April 22, 2015 at 12:42 pm

        Thanks Alyssa. The color does make me smile 🙂

        Reply
    13. Laura says

      April 21, 2015 at 7:32 pm

      I LOVE all of the color and flavors going on here! Such a great vegetable side dish for all of my favorite meat-centric Middle Eastern entrees!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        April 22, 2015 at 12:43 pm

        Thanks Laura!! I actually served this with some grilled lamb.

        Reply
    14. Steph @ Steph in Thyme says

      April 22, 2015 at 5:19 pm

      What stunning colors and flavors! I love the idea of soaking the veg in acidic dressing to tenderize. I wish I had a way to easily clean red beet juice off hands, I’m curious about lemon juice and will have to try it out!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        April 22, 2015 at 5:50 pm

        Thanks Steph!! Let me know if that lemon trick works.

        Reply
    15. Maureen says

      May 6, 2015 at 10:44 pm

      Hi Brandon! The pictures are amazing and I bet it taste really delicious too. It’s raw yet very vibrant! I would definitely love this salad recipe of yours. Thanks for sharing this!

      Reply
      • Brandon Matzek says

        May 7, 2015 at 6:33 am

        Thanks so much Maureen!

        Reply

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    Brandon and Federico

    I'm Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Read More…


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