I couldn’t resist these beautiful rainbow carrots the other day while I was shopping, I quickly stuck them into my cart not knowing what I was going to make with them, but I was inspired by their vibrant colors!
Just look at these beauties! The colors are amazing, deep purple, yellow, red, white, peach and of course orange. I decided to make a salad, shaving the carrots into ribbons using my vegetable peeler so I could showcase all the gorgeous colors inside.
As I was shaving them their deep rich colors were even more pronounced, my favorite was the purple with the yellow center.
Surprisingly their flavor isn’t all that much different, some of the carrots might taste slightly sweeter than the others but you sure can’t beat the visual! Imagine this on a large platter as a side dish. I served it with grilled salmon, a beautiful healthy meal that needed nothing else!
Works of art for under five dollars, your guests will be impressed, it’s turns the humble carrot into a very sophisticated dish!
Of course I had to make my salad Italian style with ribbons of Parmigiano Reggiano tossed inside, I also added arugula which balanced the sweetness of the carrots perfectly.
Fresh basil, parsley and slivers of red onion added and tossed with my homemade vinaigrette, I’m telling you there wasn’t one ribbon left on the platter!
Don’t pass these babies up!
- I'm listing the ingredients, the amounts are to taste. Taste as you go!
- rainbow carrot ribbons
- baby arugula
- Parmigiano Reggiano ribbons
- slivered red onion
- fresh parsley
- fresh basil
- toasted pine nuts, optional
- salt and pepper to taste
- light vinaigrette, recipe below
- Use a large bowl to toss and coat every thing completely then place your salad on a platter.
- VINAIGRETTE RECIPE
- 3 parts good olive oil to 1 part wine vinegar, a splash of balsamic, 1 smashed garlic clove, a dollop of dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of oregano, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, ground pepper to taste. Whisk everything together.
I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {
I agree, this is a work of art…delicious too!
Wow, I’ve never seen carrots as colorful as these–they’re beautiful! Where do you recommend going to find them?
I would try a farmers market, my Whole Foods does not carry them. I got mine at Standard Market in the Chicago area.
Great, thank you so much!
Marie:
Your Ricotta Cherry Tart us simply put “The Best”
Thank you for another great recipe.
Patricia
Awwww, so glad you liked it Patricia! Thank you!
Doesn’t get any prettier. You are the master of ribbon salads!
LL
Gorgeous summer colors!
Wow! This looks and sounds delicious!
If I ever run into such a beautiful rainbow, I’ll snatch it up, Marie. But I’m imagining that with your vinaigrette, some cheese and arugula, even the pedestrian orange carrot would be beautiful — especially caught with your camera’s eye!
Too, too beautiful!
I’ve never seen this array of beautiful rainbow carrots before, Marie! I hope I can find them in Colorado!
Oh, don’t you just love those little cuties! I think they are fantastic. Remember how boring carrots were when we were kids? These beauties are enough to make any kid eat his or her vegetables, and your salad is really beautiful, Marie. It is the perfect thing for a summer meal. This is a keeper, most certainly. Nice job, amica!
They are things of beauty Marie!!
An absolutely gorgeous salad! I like the arugala pairing to even out the carrot flavor and sweetness. Very impressive!
Marie,
Your salad looks delicious. Those carrots are lovely.
Annamaria
What a great idea! So simple and so beautiful!
It’s that time if year. It’s so easy to get inspired by all the colorful veggies. Your carrot ribbon salad is lovely.
I just subscribed. Who knew I could be lured in by a carrot? 🙂 Tomorrow is farmer’s market day. I know what I am buying.
Oh my gosh your food is fabulous. A friend sent me here and I have subscribed. Love the freshness, love the photos!
Thanks Corrine!
That is incrediably gorgeous!
A beautiful idea Marie. I’ve bought these and cooked with them, rendering the vibrant colors pretty dull. This is the way to roll with these lovely veggies. Thanks for the idea – perfect for summer.
Oh yum! I bet there wasn’t a single ribbon left. You do magical things with vegetables, Marie. I would hang a picture of this salad on the wall in my kitchen. Stunning.
Cathy, I was thinking the same thing about these GORGEOUS photos!