Gordon Ramsay Academy Recipe: Roast Carrot Salad With Feta Cream and Salsa Verde

ROAST CARROT SALAD WITH FETA CREAM AND SALSA VERDE

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 16 small-medium carrots ​(ideally with the carrot tops for garnish)​
• 2 tbsp olive oil​
• Sea salt​
• 1-2 tbsp runny honey​
• 300g feta​
• 50g blanched hazelnuts​
• Pomegranate seeds, to serve​
• Extra virgin olive oil, to serve​
• ​

For the salsa verde ​

• 20g flat-leaf parsley ​
• 10g mint leaves ​
• 10g coriander ​
• 1 tbsp capers ​
• 1 garlic clove, peeled ½ green chilli (optional) ​
• 4 tbsp olive oil ​
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon ​
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper​

Method​​

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas 6.​​
2. Give the carrots a good wash (no need to peel) and trim the ends, reserving any carrot tops​ for garnish. Toss with the oil and a good pinch of salt in a large roasting tray. Roast for 20 minutes.​​

3. Remove from the oven and drizzle over the honey. Toss to coat and return to the oven for ​10-15 minutes or until the carrots are tender and nicely coloured. The carrots can be served ​warm or at room temperature.​​

4. Meanwhile, crumble the feta into a food processor and blitz for a few minutes until completely​ smooth and creamy. Spread out on the base of a large serving platter, crating ripples and waves.​​

5. To make the salsa verde, add the herbs, capers, garlic, chilli (if using) and oil to a food ​processor or blender. Blitz until smooth. Add the lemon zest, juice and some seasoning then blitz ​again. Taste, and add more seasoning if needed.​​

6. Put the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan over a medium heat. Toss gently over the heat for ​1-2 minutes or until the nuts are lightly toasted. Tip onto a board to cool then roughly chop.​​

7. To assemble, drizzle the salsa verde over the feta cream, gently swirling some through but ​leaving some pools and drizzles. Top with the roasted carrots (either warm or at room temperature) ​and scatter over the toasted hazelnuts. Finish with the pomegranate seeds, any reserved carrot tops​and a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.​​

EXTRA TIP: Leftover Roast Carrot Salad​​

If you have leftover cooked carrots from a roast dinner, you can use these instead. ​Simply bring to room temperature before topping the feta cream, or toss with a little honey and ​warm through in the oven or in a pan before serving.​