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Harissa Carrot & Parsnip Salad with Quinoa, Radicchio & Yogurt Sauce

5 from 7 reader reviews
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6
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Ingredients

Harissa Carrots and Parsnips & Quinoa

  • 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch batons (cut thick ones in half and then into wedges)
  • 1 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into 3-inch batons (cut thick ones in half and then into wedges)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon harissa spice blend
  • sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • ⅓ cup quinoa, thoroughly rinsed and drained

Yogurt Sauce

  • ½ cup thick plain vegan yogurt (see notes)
  • 1 small clove garlic, finely grated with a Microplane
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • ¼ cup fresh dill leaves, chopped (plus extra)
  • sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Salad Assembly

  • 1 head radicchio
  • olive oil
  • sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • ¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
  • zest of 1 very small orange (about 1-2 teaspoons)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set out a baking sheet.
  • Bring some water in a medium saucepan up to a boil. Drop in the carrots and parsnips and boil them for 5 minutes. Drain the vegetables (reserve the cooking water!) and dry them with a clean towel.
  • Transfer the carrots and parsnips to a baking sheet. Toss the carrots and parsnips with the olive oil, harissa spice blend, salt, and pepper. Once all pieces are evenly coated, spread them out in a single layer on the baking sheet and slide into the oven. Roast until vegetables are tender and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Flip and toss them at the halfway point.
  • While vegetables are roasting, combine the quinoa, ⅔ cup of the carrot/parsnip cooking water, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Bring this up to a boil and then simmer until quinoa is cooked and the little tails are popping out, about 13-14 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  • Make the yogurt sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
  • Separate the leaves of the radicchio, tear them up a bit, and then fan the pieces out on your serving plate. Drizzle the radicchio with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Scatter most of the quinoa over top of the radicchio and within the layers, and then top with the roasted carrots and parsnips. Scatter the remaining quinoa over the top. Drop dollops of the yogurt sauce evenly over the whole salad. Finish with the chopped hazelnuts, extra dill, and the orange zest.

Recipe Notes

  • I used the Herby Harissa spice blend from NY Shuk. I love all of their spices so much.
  • If you don’t have quinoa, I recommend substituting with a wild rice blend (like this one), or something like wheat berries/farro.
  • My favourite plain vegan yogurts for making savoury yogurt sauces are: Yoggu, Culina, Cocoyo or Simpla.
  • Make it ahead! You can make the yogurt sauce, roasted carrots/parsnips, and the quinoa up to 3 days in advance. Just store them all in separate sealed containers in the refrigerator. Bring the carrots/parsnips and quinoa up to room temperature before plating. If you’re feeling a bit of extra effort, you can slide the carrots/parsnips into the oven for 5 minutes to warm through before serving. The yogurt sauce might need a splash of cold water to thin it out a bit.
The contrast of flavours and textures in this roasted harissa carrot and parsnip salad are sublime! Layers of radicchio, cooked fluffy quinoa, harissa roasted carrots and parsnips, and toasty chopped hazelnuts are piled on a platter, and then topped with a creamy vegan yogurt sauce, fresh dill, and orange zest.