Milk Street Bowtie Shaved Carrot Salad with Poppy Seeds and Parsley (Zanahorias Dulces)

Shaved Carrot Salad with Poppy Seeds and Parsley (Zanahorias Dulces)

4 Servings

30 minutes 15 minutes active

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This colorful, eye-catching salad is our version of one that we sampled in Buenos Aires at a tapas stall that reflects Spain’s lingering influence in Argentina. The flavors are salty, sweet and tangy, with nutty notes from toasted poppy seeds and grassiness from fresh parsley. Chef Diego Fernandez of De Lucía Tapas at the Mercado San Telmo showed us how the dressing ingredients are heated briefly in a skillet, then the carrot shavings added and cooked just until barely tender. We further simplified by microwaving the carrots—they cooked faster and more evenly. A sharp Y-style vegetable peeler works well for shaving the carrots into ribbons, but you also can use a mandoline. Either way, choose large, thick carrots—not the slender variety sold in bunches—because they're easier to shave. And stop shaving once you reach the fibrous cores. Carrots vary in sweetness, so you may need to add a little extra sugar, lemon juice and/or salt at the end to find just the right flavor balance.

4

Servings

Tip

Don't overcook the carrots in the microwave. The ribbons should be wilted but still have texture; they shouldn't be completely tender and limp. And be sure to let the carrots stand for 15 minutes after dressing to absorb the flavors.

30 minutes

15 minutes active

4​ or 5 large carrots (about 1½ pounds), peeled
Kosher salt
​1 tablespoon poppy seeds
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 star anise pods
¼ cup lemon juice, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon white sugar, plus more as needed
½ cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, torn if large
Ingredients
  • 4​ or 5

    large carrots (about 1½ pounds), peeled

  • Kosher salt

  • ​1

    tablespoon poppy seeds

  • ¼
  • 2

    medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

  • 2

    star anise pods

  • ¼

    cup lemon juice, plus more as needed

  • 1

    teaspoon white sugar, plus more as needed

  • ½

    cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, torn if large

Directions

Shaved Carrot Salad with Poppy Seeds and Parsley (Zanahorias Dulces)

More
Reviews
Robert J.
August 30, 2022
So good!
So many great things about this recipe! The carrots were al-denote, so there was still a hint of crunchiness. Everything was balanced well between the sweetness of the carrots, the anise and the bit of acidity the dressing. I like a little more garlic so I took them out to cool, and then mashed them a bit and added them back into the dressing.
Miriam J.
August 22, 2022
Carrot Salad
Very tasty and different way to use carrots. Made it with purple carrots from a local farmer.
Lynn C.

Hi Rob -

We used black, but you can use whichever you'd like!

Best,
The Milk Street Team

Charles D.

Is there an alternate cooking method that you would recommend? My microwave is very small and I'd like to double the recipe. I was thinking of using my steam oven.

Lynn C.

Hi Charles -

You could probably blanch and drain the carrots. Just make sure the ribbons are wilted but still have texture; they shouldn't be completely tender and limp. Good luck!

Best,
The Milk Street Team

Christopher G.

Thanks for another vethis sa
made several hours ahead?





















Thanks for another fascinating recipe! Will this salad hold up if made a couple of hours ahead?

Barbara L.

This was OK, but not great. I used my best spanish olive oil, maybe more lemon or a zested orange and the juice would punch it up. I served this as a side to turkey chili with a faux-tato salad made with steamed caulifower. The consensus was the cauliflower dish was the winner of the meal. I like the color pop.