Carrot Salad with Ginger, Raisins, and Lime

It is fall and carrots are crisp, sweet, and bursting with flavor. This salad will surprise you; it is not what you’d expect from a carrot salad. It is spicy, tart, and delicious. The raisins, carrots, and daikon add just enough sweetness to balance the spicy chilis and ginger. This salad makes a refreshing, crunchy, and delicious side that will wow your guests. I make extras for leftovers to put on sandwiches or eat the next day when it is just a hair sweeter than it was the night before.

The basic recipe for this salad comes from Samin Nosrat’s amazing book “Salt, Fat, Acid Heat”. I’ve modified the recipe to my liking and added daikon radish to reduce the sweet factor of the carrots. Gather up these ingredients and get to work in the kitchen.

• 1 1/4 cup black or golden raisins

• 1 teaspoon cumin powder

• 1 1/2 pounds carrots cut into 2-inch-long by 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks or spiraled and cut into 2-inch lengths

• 3/4 pound daikon radish cut into 2-inch-long by 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks or spiraled and cut into 2-inch lengths (if you can’t get daikon just go with the carrots)

• 1 garlic clove, finely grated or pounded with a pinch of salt

• 4 teaspoons finely grated ginger

• 1 to 2 large jalapenos, seeded, veins removed, and minced

• 2 cups coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems

• salt

Lime Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 clove of garlic, minced

• salt

Start by making the lime vinaigrette. It is simple and fast. Pour the lime juice and olive oil into a jar with a tightly fitting lid. Add the minced garlic to the jar, along with a generous pinch of salt (about a 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt). Secure the lid and shake the the jar vigorously to combine. Add salt to taste. Let the dressing sit for 10 minutes while you prepare the salad.

Now do the salad. First, place the raisins in a bowl and cover them in boiling water. Let the raisins soak for 15-20 minutes to plump up before draining. Set them aside to add to the salad.

Peel the carrots and daikon. If you have a spiralizer or julienne attachment on your food processor, julienne or spiral the carrots and daikon. Cut the spirals into 2-inch long lengths. The julienne stips should be about 2 inches. If you don’t have these attachments, matchstick, i.e. julienne the carrots and daikon using a sharp knife. You want your matchsticks to be about a 1/4-inch-thick and 2 inches long. If this is too much trouble just slice the carrots into 1/4 inch thick coins. Do the same with the daikon but then cut the coins into quarters, since daikon radishes have a large diameter.

In a large bowl, combine the carrots, daikon, ginger, garlic, jalapenos, cilantro, cumin, and raisins. Season the mixture with 3 big pinches of salt (about 3/4 teaspoon). Add the lime vinaigrette. Toss to combine all the ingredients. Taste the salad and add more salt if needed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. Be sure to toss the salad after you remove it from the fridge to distribute the dressing and ingredients. Serve and enjoy.