This pea and carrot salad pairs fresh the seasons sweet snap peas with carrots, rich, creamy burrata, tangy feta, garlicky croutons and an herbaceous carrot top pesto for a vibrant spring salad.
Why this Spring & Carrot Salad Recipe Works
- Minimize food waste! Instead of tossing the carrots tops we use them to make a pesto dressing for the salad.
- Eat no more boring salads! Crunchy fresh veggies, garlicky homemade croutons, tangy feta and herbaceous pesto make for all sorts of flavors and textures.
- Eat this dish any time of day! Brunch, lunch or dinner.
Peas and carrots are so often served hot. Serve them fresh, cold and crispy here while they’re at the peak of their season!
Half-Baked Harvest’s Spring Pea and Carrot Salad was my source of inspiration and I borrowed heavily from her recipe. I’m a huge proponent of minimizing food waste and finding good use for every part of the produce (or meat) that we can! I was stoked to see her re-use her carrot tops in the salad dressing. Waste as little as possible I say!
How to Make this Pea & Carrot Salad
Please enjoy my in process and ingredient shots with explanation for your easy cooking.
Cooks Tips
- Fresh is best! Get the freshest baby carrots and snap peas you can find for optimal texture.
- Roast the pine nuts for greater depth of flavor in the pesto.
- Pine nuts can be substituted with any of nut! I mean… have ya seen the price of pine nuts lately??? Walnuts or pistachios work great and the nut skies the limit!
- Use a sharp knife for all the initial chopping of the pesto ingredients, relying on the processor merely to mix everything together.
- If vegan, simply omit the cheese.
- If you don’t have a food processor, a blender can work too.
- Pesto oxidizes! Cover pesto and put in fridge so it doesn’t turn brown until ready to use.
- Any leftover pesto freezes beautifully.
- For storing baby carrots and snap peas: wrap them in a damp paper towel, place them in a loosely closed plastic bag and keep them in the vegetable crisper in the fridge.
More Carrot Recipes
If you’re looking for more carrot inspiration, check out these rainbow carrots and colorful carrot recipes. And if you want more peas enjoy my fresh English pea's and roasted radi
- Carrot Hummus - a bright carrot hummus that works wonderfully with every color of the carrot rainbow.
- Roasted Carrots - roasted on high heat until deeply caramelized.
- Shaved Carrot Tart - a bright cumin spiced savory carrot ricotta tart.
- Roasted Carrot Tart - savory carrot puff pastry with tangy goat cheese, creamy ricotta, spinach and fresh herbs.
Or try my fresh peas with burrata and roasted radishes recipe for a bright, colorful spring dish celebrating the flavors of the season.
If ya try this recipe, I'd love to hear about it - leave a comment below and let me know, and tag me on IG, @danielagerson, so I can see too.
Keep exploring for more seasonal recipes and colorful produce guides designed to inspire ya to play in the kitchen.
Let’s make waves in the kitchen.
Spring Pea & Carrot Salad with Carrot Top Pesto
Ingredients
Carrot Top Pesto
- 1 bunch carrots tops 1-2 cups washed and any brown tops removed, can sub fresh arugula or baby kale, roughly chopped
- 1 cup fresh basil roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts pistachios, walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or another nut will also work
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup Pecorino Romano or Parmesan omit if vegan
- 1 lemon zest & juice
- pinch crushed red pepper chili flakes
- kosher salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Spring Salad
- 1 piece ciabatta or sourdough French about 450 g, use gluten free bread if needed, cut or torn into bite sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- kosher salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 bunch baby carrots cut into ribbons or thinly sliced
- 2 cups fresh snap peas
- 1 bunch radishes thinly sliced
- 2 cups fresh watercress or baby spinach
- handful fresh parsley or mint or a combo
- 8 ounces feta omit if vegan
Instructions
Carrot Tops Pesto
- In the bowl of a food processor with the knife blade attached or a blender, combine carrot top greens, basil and nuts. Pulse until finely copped. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil. Add the cheese, lemon zest and juice, pinch of red pepper flakes and season with salt. Taste and add more salt as needed. Pour into a sealable container and keep in fridge until ready to use.
Spring Salad
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- On a large baking sheet, toss bread pieces with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper until bread is evenly coated. Bake in oven for 20 minutes, tossing halfway through until bread is golden and toasted.
- In a large salad bowl, toss carrot ribbons, snap peas, radishes, watercress or spinach, croutons and fresh herbs. Drizzle a few tablespoons of the carrot top pesto on top, to taste. Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve alongside remaining pesto. Enjoy!
Notes
- Fresh is best! Get the freshest baby carrots and snap peas you can find for optimal texture.
- Roast the pine nuts for greater depth of flavor in the pesto.
- Pine nuts can be substituted with any of nut! I mean… have ya seen the price of pine nuts lately??? Walnuts or pistachios work great and the nut skies the limit!
- Use a sharp knife for all the initial chopping of the pesto ingredients, relying on the processor merely to mix everything together.
- If vegan, simply omit the cheese.
- If you don’t have a food processor, a blender can work too.
- Pesto oxidizes! Cover pesto and put in fridge so it doesn’t turn brown until ready to use.
- Any leftover pesto freezes beautifully.
- For storing baby carrots and snap peas: wrap them in a damp paper towel, place them in a loosely closed plastic bag and keep them in the vegetable crisper in the fridge.
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