POV: You crave something fresh and tangy. It’s lunch or maybe you’re making dinner. You already have a carb and a protein planned that are going to fill you up. You’re looking for some color on your plate and something healthy.

Why you’ll love this recipe

It’s a very simple way to consume a large amount of carrots, which are full of Vitamin A and fibre.
It’s so very simple to make with ingredients that you’ll likley have on hand.
It keeps well and only gets more flavorful after a night in the fridge.

Equipment

Box grater or mandoline grater
Large bowl for serving
Lemon squeezer

Tips and Lessons

Make this salad if you have fresh crunchy carrots on hand. It doesn’t taste quite right if your carrots have lost their crunch.
If your carrots aren’t super fresh anymore, I recommend trying putting them in cold water for a few hours. This usually allows them to rehydrate to the point where you can use them for this recipe. If this doesn’t work, best use them in a soup or stew.
This recipe tastes best when you use a box grater or a mandoline grater. I personally prefer this recipe when the carrots are very thinly sliced. If you’re short on time use the large perforations on the box grater, this is the quickest.
If you don’t have a lemon squeezer instead halve the lemon and squeeze it by hand. Use a fork to squeeze out the maximum of lemon juice from the halved lemon.

Ingredients

2-3 fresh crunchy carrots. I use regular sized carrots but you can also use baby carrots for an even sweater salad.
1/4 cup maple syrup. Maple syrup is ideal because of its runny consistency and hearty taste
1-2 lemons to make approximately 1/4 cup lemon zest
tsp roasted sesame oil
1/4 cup roasted sesame seeds (optional)

Swaps and Alternatives

Roasted Sesame Oil: If you don’t have roasted sesame oil on hand, use an alternative nut oil. A hearty nut oil really balances the tang and sugar of the lemon carrots.
Roasted Sesame Seeds: If you don’t have sesame seeds on hand, use walnuts, cashews or sun flower seeds. All of these give the recipe a lovely nutty aroma and texture.
Fresh Lemon: If you don’t have fresh lemon on hand, you can use concentrated lemon juice instead. This is cheaper than buying real lemons, but doesn’t come with the health benefits of consuming fresh citrus fruits.
Limes instead of Lemons: Try this recipe with limes instead of lemons. The limes add a lightly more tangy and acidic note, adjust the amount of limes you use accordingly.
Use Honey instead: You can swap honey or sugar for the maple syrup. If you use sugar, make sure to dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice before you pour it over the carrots, to avoid a crunchy feeling while eating your salad.

How to make 3-Ingredient Asian Roasted Sesame Oil Carrot Salad

Heat a small skillet or non-stick frying pan and add the sesame seeds. Let them turn slightly golden while moving the pan frequently to toast them evenly on each side. Watch these closely, they burn easily. Take them off the heat once they are a lovely golden color.
Grate 2 large or 3 medium sized carrots with a box grater. Keep in a large bowl.

For the dressing

Juice a lemon, you should get roughly 1/4 cup of juice. If not, juice another lemon until you have enough. Keep the juice in a small bowl.
Add the 1/4 cup of maple syrup to the lemon juice.
Add 1 teaspoon of roasted sesame oil and mix well.
Adjust to taste balancing the sweetness and tang.

Before serving

Pour the dressing over the grated carrots and mix well
Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds right before serving.

How to store

Keep this in a closed container in the fridge, to avoid the salad soaking up other fridge smells. The carrots become more tangy and loose a little crunch, which is still very tasty. This lasts well for a night in the fridge. Once it becomes to soggy, discard. Don’t add this to a worm bin or a worm composter: The citrus acid does not agree with worm composting. If you have a compost or a bokashi composter, use this instead.

How to pair

This recipe pairs wonderfully with other main dishes for an Asian-inspired spread. I love making this on the side of roasted celery root or savory sourdough pancakes. It also works well for potlucks because it’s a refreshing and light dish that can easily be paired with other cuisines.