French Carrot Salad

I never knew I’d be so excited about a raw carrot salad. Then again, I’m not sure I’ve ever had French carrot salad before! Have you? Carrot salads are ubiquitous in France and we’ve been missing out.

I’m generally a fan of big, bold flavor, but French carrot salad (salade de carottes râpées) is a delicate balance of sweet raw carrot, tangy lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard and herbs. This carrot salad is a lesson in restraint and tastes more complex than it is.

Ingredients:

Carrot salad

1 pound carrots, peeled

2 tablespoons finely snipped chives or chopped green onion

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Optional: 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas

Dressing

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt