This Beautiful Vegan Rainbow Carrot Salad turns the humble carrot into edible art. The colours in this Beautiful Vegan Rainbow Carrot Salad are a show-stopper! Beautiful hues of white, orange, yellow, magenta, purple and green tossed with a bright lemon vinaigrette. Cashew ricotta cheese, toasted pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and micro green balance the sweetness of the carrots perfectly.

Let’s Talk About Carrots!

If you haven’t tried them before rainbow carrots have a subtle light change in flavour among the colors. The small difference is noticed most when eaten raw rather than when they are cooked. Next time you try them, close your eyes and see if you can taste the difference.

What Makes Carrots Different Colour?

Carrots are different colors because of their pigment. The orange color is due to carotenes and yellow due to anthocyanins. It is important to know that the colour on the outside doesn’t always match the colour on the inside.

Orange carrots are orange on the outside and inside because they contain a high amount of beta-carotene. Purple carrots are different colours inside because of the amount of their anthocyanins content. Their insides could be either orange, red, or white.

The colour also depends on how the vegetable is grown. The colour is based on the time of year the seed is planted, weather conditions, the condition of the soil, and the amount of sun and water the seed receives. Farmers know how to plant and cultivate the carrots they want by abiding by those conditions.

If you can’t find rainbow carrots for this recipe it is ok to use regular orange carrots. This Beautiful Vegan Carrot Ribbon Salad will taste just as delicious.

Did You Know?

Those often discarded greens are also edible. At one time, carrots were grown for their leaves and seeds rather than for their roots. Thousands of years later, people began to eat the root and discard the leaves! Next time you’re about the throw those greens away, try them instead of radish leaves (which are also edible) in my Radish Leaf Pesto.

Carrot Nutrients

Carrots contain a large amount of vitamin K, vitamin B6, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and fat. Free sugars in carrots include sucrose, glucose, and fructose.

All are rich in different antioxidants. Orange carrots have high levels of beta-carotene, important for healthy vision. Purple carrots are packed with anthocyanins, which may prevent heart disease.

How To Make This Beautiful Vegan Rainbow Carrot Salad

Deliciousness couldn’t be any simpler! Using a vegetable peeler to make beautiful ribbons. Toss with lemon vinaigrette and rosemary top with toasted pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, cashew ricotta, micro greens and edible flowers.

Raw, vegan, gluten-free this salad will please everyones palettes. Serve as an appetizer or make it a main dish by adding some crispy baked tofu like the one I use in this recipe. If you are serving this your little ones add a handful of chickpeas or black beans for extra protein.

Try It Warm!

If you’re not a fan of raw dishes or you just want to try something different, you can enjoy this as a warm salad. Just before plating, place the carrot ribbons into boiling salted water for 1-2 minutes. Remove and rise quickly with cold water to keep the beautiful color.

More Salads To Try

If you enjoyed this Beautiful Vegan Rainbow Carrot Salad you will want to these other salad recipes:

–Vegan Thai Noodle Salad

–Light & Refreshing Spa Salad

–Roasted Pear & Spinach Salad

Show Me Your Creations!

If you make this Beautiful Vegan Rainbow Carrot Salad please take a photo of it and share it with me at @SusanCooksVegan. I’ll feature your beautiful creation on my Instagram and Facebook stories.

You can also find me on my other channels YouTube, Instagram, Facebook , Pinterest and Twitter.

Don’t forget to leave a comment on the recipe below and give this Beautiful Vegan Rainbow Carrot Salad a star rating.

Thanks for the love, my friends!

Susan 💗🌱