I've had cookbooks inspire me, motivate me, and reinvent the way I look at the way we eat, but I've never had a cookbook touch me on a deep, emotional level before now. Lily Diamond's book, Kale & Caramel; Recipes for the Body, Heart, and Table , speaks to me as a mother, a daughter, and a passionate cook who believes that food has the power to heal both the body and soul. The flavors in this Carrot, Feta, and Pistachio Salad with Orange Blossom Toss are totally unexpected, strangely addicting, and not to be missed!
Reading and cooking my way through Lily's book left me virtually speechless; I wasn't sure how to write a post that adequately conveyed how much heart and soul she poured into writing it. So, I decided to live with it. I read it cover to cover, I cooked a plethora of dishes from it including this Carrot, Feta, and Pistachio Salad with Orange Blossom Toss. I pampered myself with blackberry basil face masks and coconut mint salt scrubs, and I soaked every page in.
As much as this book is about the recipes that grace its pages it is also a touching memoir that documents Lily's life through love, the loss of her mother, and the power that plants have to heal the body, mind, and soul even through the deepest grief.
We've been enjoying this gorgeous Carrot, Feta, and Pistachio Salad with Orange Blossom Toss quite often over the last few months. Sometimes on its own, other times as a side dish and even stuffed into wraps with homemade falafel. It's always a beautiful addition to the dinner table and since orange blossom is known to have qualities that can reduce anxiety I intend to continue to indulge especially during those hectic weeks that seem to be more frequent these days than ever before.
PrintCarrot, Feta, and Pistachio Salad with Orange Blossom Toss
We love this salad on its own as a side, but we've also been enjoying it stuffed into wraps with falafel
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: Sied Dish
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Orange Blossom Toss
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons orange blossom water
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for garnish
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Carrot, Feta, and Pistachio Salad
- 10 carrots, washed, tops trimmed and reserved
- 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
- ⅔ cup chopped toasted pistachio nuts
- ⅔ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
Make the orange blossom toss
- Combine the oil, vinegar, orange blossom water, honey, cumin, cardamom, the ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and the salt in a jar, seal, and shake to blend. Alternatively, whisk the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Make the salad
- Use a vegetable;e peeler, mandolin, or spiralzer to slice the carrots into long, thin strips. Finely chop a handful of carrot tops (resulting in a bout ¼ cup). Place the carrot strips and tops in a large salad bowl.
- Add the mint and pistachios, and pour the dressing over all. Toss to combine. Gently fold in the feta. Top with mint and extra red pepper flakes, if you want an additional kick of spice.
Notes
Copyright © 2017 by Lily Diamond from KALE & CARAMEL: Recipes for Body, Heart, and Table published by Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Photos copyright © 2017, Lily Diamond
Marcia Robin says
This is a "keeper" salad - we'll make it again & again. Thank you for posting it. We ate it on warmed tortillas w/homemade falafels & declared the meal "very good." Carrots alone mixed w/the dressing were tasty, then I remembered to add the feta and nuts. So delicious! I used toasted pistachios. I think almonds would be good also but the toasted pistachios were sooo good. I made carrot coins with a food processor because I'd tried another salad with carrot ribbons & found them annoying. Thin carrot coins worked fine. Also I didn't have orange blossom water (but love having an excuse to get some) so I used pear syrup I'd made from juice when I dehydrated canned pears earlier this year (got a dehydrater for Christmas). The dressing is lovely & light, & I am looking forward to making this w/blossom water. Thank you again!
thismess says
Marcia your tweaks to the recipe sound SO good!! I bet that pear syrup was an incredible addition. I'm glad you love the recipe too, we just can't get enough of it!
CJS says
Had to make it with almonds as didn't have any pistachios. Stunning salad!
thismess says
I bet it is amazing with almonds as well!! YUM!!
Lily | Kale & Caramel says
Oh my goodness, Meg—now I'm speechless. Thank you so much for your incredibly kind words, your thoughtful attention to every page of the book, your beautiful photos, and your passion. I'm truly honored to be on This Mess Is Ours today. How lucky am I for my little blog baby to have such an incredible aunty. And nothing could make me happier than knowing how this is touching you specifically, as a mother. Yes. Yes yes yes. Sending huge hugs and gratitude.
thismess says
Awwww Lily!! You are the sweetest, thank you so much for allowing us to share your beautiful book with our readers, I am so moved by your story and so honored to be your books auntie. Goodness, I hope we run into each other in LA soon,I need to hug your neck!