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Roasted Carrot and Brown Rice Salad!

This salad has texture, flavor, and is visually stunning. A favorite salad any time of year!

Course Salad, Salad Dressing
Cuisine American
Keyword cilantro lime rice, roasted carrots, salad, side salads
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Author Linda Spiker

Ingredients

Spicy Pepitas

  • 1 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • ¼ teaspoon   black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1/4  teaspoon  cayenne pepper
  • 1/2  teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2  teaspoon  ancho chile or chili powder
  • 1/2  teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2  Tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice

For Salad:

  • 1/2 cup brown basmati rice cooked to package instructions
  • 8 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal (1/8" thick)
  • 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 4 cups baby greens
  • handful spicy pepitas (store bought or recipe included here)
  • 2 teaspoons chopped chives (optional as garnish)

Salad Dressing:

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons white balsamic
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • pinch sea salt and a few turns freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Make Pepitas:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place oven rack in center position

  2. Place all ingredients together in a bowl, toss and then spread on a cookie sheet. Bake, shaking pan once or twice, until lightly browned, 6-8 minutes

  3. Remove from oven and turn heat up to 400 degrees and move oven rack to the upper third position. Set pumpkin seeds aside to cool

For Salad:

  1. Start cooking rice to package instructions

  2. After slicing carrots, place on a parchment covered cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, toss

  3. Place carrots in oven and roast until carrots are soft and edges are browned. (usually between 30-40 minutes. While carrots and rice cook, make salad dressing.

Salad Dressing Prep:

  1. Whisk all ingredients together and set aside

Put it all together:

  1. When rice and carrots are cooked allow a little time for them to cool. They can be warm, but not hot.

  2. Place greens on platter, drizzle with desired amount of salad dressing and toss. Top with rice, carrots and pepitas, toss again. Sprinkle with additional sea salt and pepper if desired. Garnish with chives (if using) Serve

  3. Save extra pepitas in a sealed container and use as desired