Tired of the same old lettuce and tomato salad? Need something for a group that's inexpensive to make? Try carrot tabouleh salad. It's sweet, tangy, crunchy, and refreshingly different. The salad also is loaded with vitamin A and antioxidants. You don't need to shred the carrots. Instead, using the "S-blade" in a food processor (or maybe a blender?), chop the carrots fine. They should look similar to the coarse bulgur you see in tabouleh. A simple dressing that includes creamy yogurt and dried mint far surpasses the old mayonnaise version used in carrot salads for years. The carrot tabouleh is best if it's refrigerated for at least an hour before you serve it, and it keeps for days in the refrigerator. Serve the carrot tabouleh atop mixed greens or on its own. If you'd like extra crunch, you can sprinkle some chopped nuts on top. I like the carrot tabouleh sprinkled with chopped, toasted cashews (because I really, really like cashews), but walnuts also would work well.
Carrot Tabouleh Salad -- Serves 6+
1 pound of carrots chopped fine in the food processor
1 bunch of parsley chopped fine in the food processor (roughly 1/2-3/4 cup,
chopped)
1/4 cup of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 teaspoon of lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of dried mint
1 cup of plain, fat-free yogurt
1/2 cup of chopped toasted cashews (optional)
In a large bowl, combine the chopped carrots and parsley. Stir in the lemon juice and olive oil. Add the lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, coriander, dried mint, and yogurt and stir to combine everything well. Refrigerate the carrot salad for at least an hour for the best taste. When you're ready to serve the salad, sprinkle on the chopped cashews, if you'd like.
