Name: Carrot Noodle Salad with Harissa and Honey
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: ¼ cup Harissa; ¼ cup lemon juice (2 lemons); 2 tablespoons water; 4 tablespoons honey; ¼ teaspoon table salt; ¼ teaspoon pepper; 1 ½ pounds carrot noodles, cut into 6-inch lengths; 4 ounces (4 cups) baby arugula; ¼ cup chopped fresh mint or cilantro, divided; 4 ounces goat or feta cheese, crumbled (1 cup); ½ cup dried apricots, sliced thin; ½ cup shelled pistachios, toasted and chopped

Why This Recipe Works

Spiralized vegetable noodles are a low-carb, fresh alternative to pasta, and their shape also works well in salads. Here we used naturally sweet carrot noodles, smoky-hot harissa, and peppery arugula for a salad with vibrant visual appeal and flavor. Chopped mint gave cool freshness, and jammy bites of dried apricots echoed the carrots’ sweetness. Topping our jewel-colored salad with goat cheese added creamy tang.

Before You Begin

We prefer our homemade Harissa here, but you can substitute store-bought harissa; spiciness can vary greatly by brand. You will need 2 pounds of carrots to get 1½ pounds of noodles. We prefer to spiralize the carrots ourselves for the best flavor, but you can use store-bought carrot noodles.

Instructions

Whisk harissa, lemon juice, water, honey, salt, and pepper together in large bowl. Measure out and reserve 1 tablespoon vinaigrette for serving.

Add carrot noodles, arugula, and 3 tablespoons mint to bowl with vinaigrette and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide among individual plates. Serve, topping individual portions with goat cheese, apricots, pistachios, and remaining 1 tablespoon mint. Drizzle with reserved 1 tablespoon vinaigrette. Serve.