Shredded Veggie Rainbow Salad

I recently returned from a week-long trip to Israel with some family members. One of my key takeaways was to never visit Israel in August. It was blazing hot! We kept hearing "heat wave, heat wave, blah blah", but man we roasted. Second, and far more exciting to me, Israel has AMAZING produce. I'd heard that Israeli farmers do some impressive things, but it wasn't until I visited that I realized how impressive it is. We saw all different types of farms and orchards and fields and the produce in the markets was always fresh and gorgeous.


One of my favorite meals we had (and we had some really great meals) was at a lovely restaurant in a small town in upper Galilee. We sat, sweating, on a lovely veranda overlooking the valley and gushed over the amazing food. I absolutely flipped over one of the salads we were served. It was a combination of simply-dressed shredded raw vegetables topped with candied walnuts and Parmesan cheese. The light flavors of the raw vegetables balanced out the rich nuts and cheese and dressing just perfectly and it was so lovely in the heat. (Technically it wasn't actually my salad, but I'm confident the rightful owner didn't mind that I ate most of it.)

In all of of its grainy glory, here is The Salad. So delicious we're making it a proper non.  

My sister and I went back and forth trying to break down the ingredients. She was convinced it was dressed with olive oil and lemon juice, but I just couldn't believe it was that simple. We finally asked the waiter in what turned into an embarrassingly long ramble about "how much we loved the salad and how we wanted to make at home and could he please oh please tell us what was in it because we couldn't quite figure it out, and would he be so kind as to tell us, please and thank you." He stared at us for what seemed like way too long and then, with what I'm sure was a heroic effort at suppressing an eye roll, confirmed that the salad was dressed simply with lemon juice and local olive oil. Bam.

Of course, I knew immediately I had to recreate this salad. Dear readers, these are the lengths we go to for this blog: embarrassing ourselves in front of Israeli waiters and a healthy lack of self respect. Dedication, folks. Dedication.

Okay, on to the important stuff - the food. This salad is really easy and perfect for hot weather. I don't have air conditioning in my house and I just can't bear the thought of dealing with a hot stove. I know I have posted a lot of these kind of dishes this summer (see exhibits one, two, and three), but this is how I eat during the summer.

First, prepare the candied walnuts. Lightly chop the walnuts - you want a combination of whole and large pieces. Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons brown sugar plus a pinch of freshly ground black pepper (trust me) and stir for about 30 seconds or until until mostly melted and combined. Add 1 cup chopped walnuts and stir to coat. Cook for a minute or two more, stirring frequently, until the sugar starts to melt and harden a bit. Remove from heat and spread in an even layer on parchment paper and allow the nuts to cool. Try not to snack on the nuts while preparing the rest of the salad.

Next, prepare the sauce. Whisk together 3 tablespoons of both olive oil and lemon juice, 1 small garlic clove (grated or finely minced), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a pinch or two of freshly ground black pepper. Set aside. Easy peasy. 

Shred 1 medium beet (both red beets or golden beets work), 4 small to medium carrots (about 1/2 pound), and 1 medium zucchini in a food processor or with a box grater. You'll end up with 1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded veggies.

Combine the veggies in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Turn out on a serving dish and top with the walnuts and (very important important) Parmesan cheese. I use a vegetable peeler to shave off several pieces of Parmesan cheese, then break them up and scatter them over the dish.

A couple of notes:

• The quality of ingredients in this dish really matters. This is the time to bust out your best olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Don't skimp. Also, use the freshest produce you can find.
• Olive oil. A note about olive oil. Good quality olive oil will make a difference in the flavor of this dish. You will want to use the best quality olive oil you have. Buying olive oil can be tricky, but the better quality ones will have a darker, richer color and will be a bit thicker when poured. 
• Serve immediately. This recipe doesn't keep particularly well, especially if you use red beets. If you need to make ahead, I recommend storing the shredded veggies, dressing, and nuts separately. Pour off any accumulated juices from the veggies then combine the ingredients and serve. 
• I learned the hard way that this recipe makes a lot of salad. Because I live alone, I ended up eating a ton of shredded veggie rainbow salad for breakfast (true story), lunch, and dinner for days after. If you aren't feeding a lot of hungry people, you might cut the recipe in half. Alternatively, make a half batch and store the ingredients and make another half batch a day or two later. 
• This salad goes really well along side avocado toast. I know because I ate it for breakfast, lunch a dinner for days. :)

Shredded Veggie Rainbow Salad

Serves 4-6

1 medium beet, peeled

1 medium zucchini

3-4 medium carrots (about 1/2 pound), peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 small garlic clove, finely minced or grated

1 cup (barely) chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter

Fresh Parmesan cheese, shaved into thin strips

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add butter, brown sugar, and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper. Stir constantly for about 30 seconds until the sugar and butter starts to melt. Add the walnuts and stir to coat. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Spread in a thin layer on parchment paper and set aside to cool.

2. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and garlic. Set aside.

3. Shred the veggies with a box grater or in a food processor. Combine the grated veggies in a large bowl. If making in advance, stop here and store the ingredients separately, combining just before serving. 

4. Toss the veggies with the dressing and fold about half of the walnuts. Turn out the mixture onto a serving platter and top with the rest of the walnuts. Shave several large pieces of good Parmesan cheese over the veggie mix, breaking them into smaller pieces as necessary. Serve immediately.