Boiled Carrot Salad

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   This salad tastes best in the fall, made with fresh carrots. They're juicier, more fragrant, and richer in vitamins. Gather all the ingredients you'll need for the boiled carrot salad. Use any vegetable oil you like. I use dried hot pepper, but you can finely chop a fresh chili pod and add it to taste. Wash and dry the herbs.

2. Step 2:

   

   Peel and wash the carrots. Cut them into rounds at least 0.5 cm thick, otherwise they'll overcook and turn mushy in the salad. My carrot was quite thick, so I first cut it lengthwise into two equal halves.

3. Step 3:

   

   Pour 0.5 liter of water into a saucepan, set it over medium heat, bring to a boil, and salt it. Drop the chopped carrots into the water and cook for 6 minutes.

4. Step 4:

   

   Remove from the heat, drain off the cooking water, and immediately rinse the carrots with cold water. This stops them from continuing to cook inside and keeps them from going soft. Let the water drain completely, then transfer the carrots to a bowl.

5. Step 5:

   

   Squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl of boiled carrots, pour in the vegetable oil, add salt, and stir.

6. Step 6:

   

   Sprinkle the salad with ground paprika and stir. You can use plain paprika, but smoked paprika works beautifully here too — it gives the salad a light, smoky aroma.

7. Step 7:

   

   Add the black and hot peppers and stir. Add the pepper carefully, especially if it's in flakes rather than powder. The salad will continue to infuse, and the heat will build over time.

8. Step 8:

   

   Peel the garlic and grate it on a coarse grater or chop it very finely. Add the garlic to the bowl of salad. You can use more or less garlic, depending on your taste.

9. Step 9:

   

   Finely chop the parsley, add it to the bowl of salad, and stir. Instead of parsley, you can use cilantro or dill — whatever you prefer.

10. Step 10:

    

    Cover the salad bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for two hours so the flavors meld. Take the salad out, taste it, and adjust the seasoning to finish.

11. Step 11:

    

    Divide the carrot salad among serving bowls and serve. Enjoy your meal.