Algarve Carrot Salad Recipe

By Rex Marketing & CX Team

Bunch of carrots with leafy greens & small vinegar bottle with geometric shapes on cream background

American Vinegar Works Algarve Carrot Salad

This recipe comes to you via southern Portugal and always reminds me of spring. Think of this dish as more of a small plate or toothpick-able addition to a picnic or grazing spread rather than a formal side dish or starter salad. The sweetness of the carrots balances perfectly with the light sour of the vinegar. For those of you that are considering lamb for Easter these also pair very well as a small side with fatty or braised meats to add some brightness.

Featured Ingredients

This recipe features our premium Better Than Champagne Chardonnay Vinegar and raw California Extra Virgin Olive Oil. For more culinary inspiration, you can explore our complete craft vinegar collections to find the perfect pairing for your next grazing spread.

Quick Preparation Tips

  • Slice Thinly: For the best texture, use a mandoline or a sharp knife to slice the carrots into uniform, thin rounds.
  • Let it Marinate: Allow the carrots to toss and sit in the chardonnay vinegar and olive oil dressing for at least 30 minutes before serving to fully develop the flavors.

Which vinegar to use, and why

Carrots are sweet, so they want an acid with fruit behind it rather than a flat sour note. Raw cider vinegar has both. We use 19.53 Miles From The Tree Apple Cider Vinegar here. It is slow-fermented and aged in oak at our mill in Worcester, Massachusetts, which is why it seasons the dish rather than just souring it.

Make it ahead and keep it

Dress it just before serving. Once the leaves are coated they soften quickly, so make the dressing ahead and combine at the table.

What to cook next

Try Fennel & Apple Salad, or browse all our vinegar recipes. If you have not cooked with craft vinegar before, a mini bottle sampler set lets you taste across the range before committing to a full-size bottle. Orders over $85 ship free within the contiguous US.

Related products

Chardonnay Wine Vinegar front bottle view — craft wine vinegar

Better Than Champagne Chardonnay Wine Vinegar

Prices: From $13.00

- go to product better than champagne chardonnay wine vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil with basil, tomatoes, and peppercorns flat lay — artisanal olive oil

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: California Organic

Prices: $29.00

- go to product extra virgin olive oil california organic
19.53 Miles From The Tree Apple Cider Vinegar front view — raw ACV

19.53 Miles From The Tree Apple Cider Vinegar

Prices: From $13.00

- go to product 19 53 miles from the tree apple cider vinegar

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Algarve Carrot Salad

American Vinegar Works

Servings

4–6

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Calories

86

Cuisine

Portuguese

Category

Side

This recipe comes to you via southern Portugal and always reminds me of spring. Think of this dish as more of a small plate or toothpick-able addition to a picnic or grazing spread rather than a formal side dish or starter salad. The sweetness of the carrots balances perfectly with the light sour of the vinegar. For those of you that are considering lamb for Easter these also pair very well as a small side with fatty or braised meats to add some brightness.


Algarve Carrot Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch of sweet carrots
  • 3 tablespoons of Better Than Champagne Chardonnay Vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon of paprika (sweet - NOT smoked, NOT hot)
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons of California Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 large bay leaf, broke in half
  • 1 garlic clove, very thinly sliced
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons of roughly chopped, flat-leaf parsley
  • Salt to taste

Directions

  1. Peel and cut carrots into rounds that are about ¼ inch thick.

  2. Boil carrots in salted water (think pasta) until they are just done and can be pierced by a fork—if in doubt undercook so you don’t end up with mushy carrots. Drain carrots well and add to a deep, narrow bowl.

  3. In a small cup mix vinegar and paprika, then mix in olive oil. Ingredients are super important but fight the urge to use that high-end Spanish smoked paprika—the two stars here are the sweetness of the carrots and the acid of the vinegar, the smoke gets in the way.

  4. Dump this mixture over the still warm carrots and add the bay leaf, parsley, and garlic. Mix carefully so as not to damage the carrots. Let this mixture sit for at least an hour, ideally two, and mix from the bottom of the bowl a few times so that all the carrots have equal access to the herbs and vinegar mix.

  5. Taste and adjust salt and vinegar as needed. It is best to wait until this point to adjust the salt/vinegar as the flavor will evolve during the 2-hour resting period. This is not a jardineira/pickle, the vinegar flavor is important but it should be in balance with the herbs and garlic. You also are not going for ‘sauce’—the liquid should be just enough to soak into the carrots and leave them wet, not drowning.

    The carrots are now ready to go. You can also make ahead and refrigerate the carrots overnight. Just let them come close to room temperature before serving so you don’t have coagulated olive oil on them.
Glass mug of hot apple cider with cinnamon stick and star anise on a yellow and red background
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