Discover the secrets of longevity with this nutrient-packed Ikarian Carrot Salad! Learn how to transform everyday ingredients into an extraordinary plant-based meal using the entire carrot – from root to greens. This colorful, crunchy salad features vibrant carrots, nutrient-rich carrot tops, toasted walnuts, and aromatic herbs inspired by the Blue Zone island of Ikaria, Greece.
Packed with vitamins A and C, fiber, and antioxidants, this easy Greek salad recipe promotes eye health, supports digestion, and may contribute to a longer, healthier life. Perfect for meal prep, this versatile dish works as a light lunch, side dish, or healthy snack.
Try this waste-free, Mediterranean-inspired salad today and taste the flavors of one of the world’s longevity hotspots!
This carrot salad with carrot greens, mint and walnuts is inspired by Ikaria’s longevity diet and the waste-not, want-not mentality of Ikarian home cooks. Nothing evinces that more than the variety and number of edible greens most of us, myself included, would discard if someone didn’t show us a more enlightened way to use them.
My 90-year-old friend Yiorgo taught me that carrot tops are not only edible, they’re really good for us. Indeed, the greens contain an impressive list of nutrients, including vitamin A, dietary fiber, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. On Ikaria, they are mostly used in savory pies together with countless other wild greens and herbs. I like to add them raw to this carrot salad, which is one Greek salad that’s both a feast for the eyes (literally, too, since carrots and carrot greens are both very good for eye health!) and the senses. The walnuts add a layer of crunch! This is one of many Greek recipes perfect when the main ingredient is in season, and for carrots peak freshness is in cooler weather.
If you’re looking for ways to transform #EverydayIngredients into easy, healthy and extraordinary plant-based meals, you’ll find lots to cook in my latest book, The Ikaria Way, (an instant NYT Bestseller)!
Ingredients
6 medium carrots preferably different colors, with their greens intact
4 tablespoons ground walnuts lightly toasted
⅓ cup extra virgin Greek olive oil
Strained fresh juice of 1 lemon
Greek sea salt to taste
1 large garlic clove minced
1 ½- inch knob of ginger peeled and grated
½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne or more to taste
¼ cup shredded fresh mint leaves
Instructions
Remove the greens from the carrots and set the carrots aside. Trim the greens, discard the tough stems, and wash the leafy part thoroughly, as they can contain some dirt. Finely chop the greens and set aside.
Pare the carrots. Using a mandolin or spiralizer, cut the carrots into thin flat strips or strands.
Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, garlic, ginger, and spices.
Combine the carrots, chopped carrot greens, walnuts, and mint in a serving bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss gently and let stand for a few minutes before serving.
Want more plant-based recipes inspired by the longevity secrets of Ikaria❓
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1 Comment
Looks delicious.