If you have a particular hatred for eating giant heaps of vegetables, turn away. Actually, no, wait! Come back! Stay here and get convinced that turning vegetables into long, thick noodle-like ribbons will make a veggie lover out of you. Also: can I get a moment of silence for rainbow carrots? My neighborhood organic farm sells them and I can’t get over how gorgeous they are.
To make this fun, fresh salad you’re going to need a vegetable peeler. I used this one and am so happy I did. The no-slip grip and sharp ceramic blade made it easy to turn my rainbow carrots and cucumber into long, curly, gorgeous ribbons. The whole process happened quickly with my brand new, sharp, snazzy peeler. Seriously, if you have an old peeler that’s been banging around in a drawer since N*SYNC made their last album, go get a new one. If nothing else, you’ll definitely win the annual potato-peeling contest at Christmas with this Everything Peeler. Sure, my only competition might by my sister and my 12-year old cousin, but a win’s a win. If I can’t at least peel the most potatoes on Christmas, what am I doing with my life? Don’t answer that question.
So, let me just state for the record that ribbons are the cutest. You can swirl and twirl them up with a fork, and they are pretty fun to make, too. All you have to do to turn your favorite vegetables into ribbons is shave them in one direction until you can’t peel any more. Then, flip it over and keep on shaving. The goal is to get nice long, even strips. I stopped when the carrots were getting thin and when the cucumber was down to mostly just seeds. Rainbow carrots made this salad extra special, though all orange carrots work just the same; its all getting covered in a spicy sesame sauce anyway.
The bright, bold, spicy sauce for this salad is made in a blender. Just dump everything in, blend it up, and pour it over your veggie ribbons. Cilantro, garlic, ginger, lime, and tahini make this dressing thick, creamy, fresh, and spicy. We enjoyed this salad as is with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, but I think it would be delicious with a piece of grilled salmon, chicken, or shrimp on top. It would even be fun to boil some super thick pasta (I’m thinking tagliatelle or another wide, flat noodle) and turn this into a carrot ribbon pasta salad.
I think you’re going to love this salad! It’s an easy, flavorful, exciting way to enjoy a bowl full of vegetables. If nothing else, it’s a great excuse to finally buy yourself a nice new vegetable peeler to have ready for Christmas competitions weeknight salads. If you try this salad, let me know! Leave a comment below, or tag me #bakedgreens on Instagram so I can check out all your carrot ribbon-ing skills! Have fun, friends!
Spicy Sesame Carrot Ribbon Salad
Ingredients
- 4 large carrots*
- 1 large cucumber**
- 1 cup cilantro about 1/2 a bunch
- 1 garlic clove
- 1- inch piece fresh ginger
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 lime juiced and zested
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon each black pepper and cayenne pepper optional, for extra heat
- 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds for topping
Instructions
- 1. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the carrots and cucumber into ribbons. This works best if you leave the vegetables flat on a cutting board and firmly slide a peeler from one end to the other, flipping them over halfway through. Alternately, hold the carrots upright by the thickest end peel down towards the counter. Stop when you've peeled as much carrot as possible, and when you reach the seeds in the center of the cucumber. Put carrot ribbons into large serving bowl.
- 2. Add all dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
- 3. Pour dressing over salad, toss to combine, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately as a side dish, or top with extras like grilled salmon, chicken, shrimp, and avocado for a meal.
Notes
**I used an English cucumber (aka hothouse cucumber, seedless cucumber, etc). These are the large, long cucumbers with a thin skin and relatively few seeds. As with the carrots, the longer/thicker the cucumber, the longer and thicker the ribbons will be.