It’s Easter week, typically a week of chocolates and present-filled baskets and big gatherings with family and friends. George and I had planned to host a big Easter brunch and egg hunt for all of our friends and their kids at our new house, but that plan will wait for next year. Instead, we’re going to slow roast a huge pork butt for just the two of us (and freeze the leftovers in individually portioned ziplocs!), make a strawberry cake to use up part of the outrageous number of strawberries I ordered through my CSA and… well… keep doing what we’ve been doing for the past 30 days. Go on a lot of nice walks, play in the yard, feed the chickens, change Mattis’ diaper 4 million times…
We’ve been getting all of our produce from two local CSAs, and we’ve wound up with a TON of carrots over the past month. Which is great, because we love them! I love to grate them and put them in stir fries, roast them with chicken, roast them with honey and cumin seeds a la Ottolenghi, shave them thinly with a vegetable peeler and throw them in with peanut noodles… the list goes on.
But what I needed this week, after two weeks of quarantine-craving-mandated ham sandwiches, was a SALAD. And this is a perfect, lemon-y, springy salad. The carrots roast quickly, so you can chop your kale and whisk up your dressing while they’re in the oven, then throw it all together as soon as they finish roasting. The feta brings a salty creaminess, the roasted almonds provide the perfect crunch, and the lemony vinaigrette is perfect with the kale and caramelized, roast-y carrots.
Lemony Roasted Carrot & Kale Salad with Feta and Almonds
Ingredients
- 1 bunch small carrots (about 1 pound) (if your carrots are wider than 1/4-inch, cut them into 1/4-inch wide batons)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 lemon
- 1 bunch kale
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 3 tbsp roasted, salted almonds, chopped
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 3 tbsp raisins
Lemon Vinaigrette:
- 2 large lemons
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Toss carrots, olive oil, a big pinch of salt and pepper on a large rimmed baking sheet. Use a grater to zest the entire lemon onto a cutting board, then cut the lemon into wedges and distribute it between the carrots. Make sure no carrots are touching. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender and golden-brown. Squeeze the roasted lemon juice over the carrots and toss to combine.
- Meanwhile, remove the ribs from the kale, gather the leaves in a stack and roll them as tightly as you can. Slice as thinly as possible into skinny little ribbons (this is called a chiffonade!) and toss the ribbons into a large bowl with a big pinch of kosher salt. Use your hands to crunch (“massage”) the kale for 10 to 15 seconds or until it breaks down and feels tender and slightly damp in your hands.
- Chop up the parsley and mix it together with the lemon zest (right on the cutting board – no extra bowl needed) along with a little pinch of salt. Set aside.
- To make the dressing: whisk all ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Toss about half of the dressing into the kale, taste, and decide if you want to add more. Toss in the almonds, feta, and raisins.
- Divide the kale mixture between two plates, then top with the roasted carrots. Garnish with the parsley-zest mixture.
- 1 bunch small carrots (about 1 pound) (if your carrots are wider than 1/4-inch, cut them into 1/4-inch wide batons)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 lemon
- 1 bunch kale
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 3 tbsp roasted, salted almonds, chopped
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 3 tbsp raisins
Lemon Vinaigrette:
- 2 large lemons
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
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