The vegetable dish that took Manhattan by storm.
This roasted carrot avocado salad recipe is beyond good. There’s just no other way to describe it. More like a salad-inspired roasted carrot side dish than a traditional salad, this recipe is a centerpiece vegetable dish.Â
Origin Story: This Roasted Carrot Avocado Salad Recipe
The first time I ate (devoured, actually) this roasted carrot dish, listed as a salad on the hyper-seasonal ABC Kitchen menu, I considered ordering another.
I restrained myself — more food was on the way — but I did ask the server to show me the recipe from the kitchen’s binder. I’m not sure if she was supposed to do that, but I am sure glad she did. This is hands-down the best roasted carrot salad side dish recipe out there. Period.
ABC Kitchen is still a trendy, well-loved watering hole from Jean-Georges Vongerichten, populated mostly by well-heeled, wellness-focused Manhattanites seeking nourishing, organic-seasonal-local fare. Founding executive chef Dan Kluger is no longer in the kitchen, but the carrot dish remains.
And for good reason. The combination of flavors, technique, and textures elevates carrots to new heights.
Why This Roasted Carrot Avocado Dish Is So, So Good
This recipe is my all-time favorite roasted carrot recipe for several reasons. The ingredients are layered, and the process a little more time consuming than a standard roasted carrot, but it is worth the effort.
First, the carrots.
The carrots are first boiled until softened, and then roasted. That way, you enjoy a double whammy of silky-soft carrots that also have the depth of flavor only roasting provides.
Next, the layers of flavor.
The carrots are “marinated” in an earthy, garlicky sauce with coriander, and dressed with citrus that roasted along with the carrots. The result is a flavorful salty, citrus flavor that is further complemented with the tang of crème fraîche or Greek yogurt.
Finally, the textures.
Soft carrots, avocado, and dollops of crème fraîche, sour cream, or Greek yogurt get combined with with some crunchy seeds and sprouts. The finished roasted carrot dish looks almost too gorgeous to eat. But eat it anyway.
Roasted Carrot Avocado Salad: Recipe Notes
- This roasted carrot recipe can be served as individual plated salads for three or four people, but I like to serve it on one serving platter as a family-style side. You can double this recipe as well.
- This recipe is not hard, but it is a little more time consuming. This is by virtue of both boiling and roasting the carrots. No big deal, though. While the carrots are boiling, prep the other components. Then, while the carrots roast, you can do some cleanup.
- Don’t use huge carrots. Because these carrots are served whole and you want to make sure they cook through, use standard size carrots, not big thick ones.
- Feel free to swap different kinds of seeds. Pistachios would also be very good here.
Did you make this roasted carrot avocado salad? What did you think?
Love this roasted carrot recipe? You’ll also like:
- Zucchini Ribbon Salad With Mint
- Roasted Beet and Citrus Salad
- Stovetop Parmesan Farro
- Tomato Cucumber Halloumi Salad
Roasted Carrot Avocado Salad With Citrus and Seeds
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium- or small-sized carrots, peeled (unless very young and fresh)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon coriander seed
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for dressing the sprouts
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 cups pea or sunflower shoots (sprouts)
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
- 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
- sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, optional
- salt and pepper
For the Dressing
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 orange, halved
- 1 lemon, halved
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Peel and trim the ends of the carrots, unless very fresh and tender. Boil whole in a large pot of salted water until fork tender, about 15 or 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease or line with parchment a half-sheet pan.
- While the carrots are boiling, use a food processor or mortar and pestle to mix the garlic, coriander seeds, red pepper flakes, thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 cup olive oil, red wine vinegar, and a dozen turns of fresh black pepper. Set aside. The texture will be like a paste.
- Drain the carrots and transfer to a baking sheet. Spoon the garlic and oil mixture over the carrots. Nestle the halved lemon and orange face down on the baking sheet. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a serving platter.
- When cool enough to handle, squeeze the citrus juice into a small bowl and whisk with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle most (not all) of the citrus dressing over the carrots.
- Toss the sprouts with the remaining dressing. Arrange sliced avocado, dollops of sour cream or yogurt, and the sprouts around the carrots. Garnish with the seeds and another sprinkle of salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.
15 comments
Flo
Another question….can I make this the day before serving and bring to room temperature?
Unpeeled
Hi, Flo! Sorry for the delayed response. You can cook the carrots in advance and then reheat them, but I recommend doing the rest of the recipe and assembly day-of; avocado will turn brown if you cut into it too far in advance, and the greens might turn a little limp. Hope this helps, and enjoy!
Flo
Can I use ground coriander instead of seeds or will that affect the taste?
Unpeeled
Yes, definitely. Just use half the quantity since ground spices have a denser volume in the measuring spoon. Enjoy!
Sophia Sarigianides
Phenomenal. Worth every step. Thanks for asking for those kitchen notes, Lisa! We LOVED this salad: gorgeous, delicious, easy on the palate.
Jen
WORTH IT.
MJ
w h at ” srouts”?????
Unpeeled
Hi! I re-read the recipe and realized that I use “shoots” and “sprouts” interchangeably. I amended the recipe. Thanks for pointing out the inconsistency!
Sydney W.
This was fantastic!! I live in Memphis and a local restaurant here serves something similar so as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to make it. It tasted just like the restaurant. I will say, though, it is a lot of steps for a side dish. I think the carrots would be great even if you just boiled them and roasted them with the garlic and coriander glaze to save on some steps for a weeknight meal. But it wouldn’t be as pretty and that’s half of the fun 😉
Teresa
Bingo, Sydney! I came to the same conclusion after my first try at this recipe — following it to a “T”. It was divine, but the glaze alone (for tossing the carrots prior to roasting) made the dish so delicious that I decided most of the time that’s all I need for a fairly quick and easy veggie side dish that is just fabulous. And I can experiment with endless combinations of spices and herbs, depending on the vegetable. The avocado, citrus, sprouts and nuts were fantastic, too, but I can save those ingredients and steps for the really special, holiday type meals. Thank you for this wonderful recipe, Lisa,
Unpeeled
Hi, Sydney! Thanks so much for the great feedback and I agree with you on all counts. It does require a few more steps/ingredients than I would normally want in a recipe (especially for a side dish!), but on the other hand, it IS pretty amazing. And I love the idea of using the full recipe as a launchpad for a simpler variation. Thanks again!
Ricki
Made this for Christmas Eve and it was delicious!!
The flavors are so good and it was easy to prepare. Also, was something different for everyone to try and they loved it
Thank you, I enjoy your blog!
marianna89
I used pistachios instead of the seeds but everything else the same. DELICIOUS.
TK.
.I felt so fancy making this with the carrots and sprouts and avocado and seeds. The flavor was 100% excellent. What a great combination of ingredients that all work together. I really do love this.
Jenni
I have had this in NYC at ABC Kitchen and so I was beyond thrilled to see this recipe. It tastes just like theirs and I am so happy to have this recipe. I vouch 100% for this being so delicious.