Roasted Heirloom Carrot Salad with Cashew Ricotta & Fresh Herbs

Photos & Recipe courtesy of : CCFM / Raw Inspiration

Heirloom rainbow carrots are in season and this is one of my favorite roasted carrot recipes!! Tender oven roasted carrots with a delicious and creamy cashew sauce infused with fresh herbs. What’s not to love about that!! I love the array of colors from the carrots and the bright green from the fresh watercress. This is a perfect side dish to accompany any meal!

Ingredients

For the carrots:

3 bunches organic medium carrots, about 2 lb., peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, tops reserved
Olive oil as needed
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the cashew ricotta:

1 cup organic cashews, soaked for an hour in hot water, or overnight
2 ½ tsp. Organic nutritional yeast
½ cup filtered water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Salt & Pepper, to taste

After Assembly:

¾ cup organic fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Leaves from 1 bunch organic fresh tarragon
2 oz. organic watercress

Directions:

To roast the carrots, preheat an oven to 400°F. In a bowl, toss the carrots with olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven until tender, about 25 minutes. Set aside.

To make the cashew ricotta, drain the cashews and discard the soaking water. Place the cashews in a food processor, add the nutritional yeast and slowly add the 3 cups water, processing until the cashews are broken down to the consistency of ricotta cheese. Adjust the seasoning with salt.

To make the carrot-top tarragon puree, bring a saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Roughly chop the 1 bunch reserved carrot tops, add to the boiling water and cook for 9 to 12 minutes. Drain and shock in a bowl of ice water. When the carrot tops are cool, squeeze out the water until completely dry. Place in a blender and add the parsley, tarragon, garlic clove, olive oil and lemon juice. Blend until very smooth. Adjust the seasoning with salt.

To assemble, place the roasted carrots and the green garlic confit in a bowl. Add a touch of lemon juice to balance the oil. Add the watercress and toss lightly. Place a line of the cashew ricotta on a plate. Drizzle with a little tarragon puree and place the carrots and watercress on top. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Farmers/Vendors

Reyes farms – parsley

Underwood farms – carrots

Vision sprouts – cashews