Three-Way Carrot Shawarma Salad: My January Main-Event Bowl
January is when carrots turn unapologetically sweet—almost candy—and leeks get so velvety they feel like they’ve already been buttered. In Tel Aviv, winter meant street shawarma perfumes on damp evenings; in London, it meant I’d come home freezing and start roasting anything I could to fog up the windows. This salad is where those two cravings meet: shawarma warmth, but bright, crunchy, and piled high like a proper main event.
The inspiration was simple: I wanted one bowl that hit every texture. So I do carrots three ways—roasted for depth, shaved raw for snap, and quick-pickled for that electric lift. Then I char the leeks until they’re smoky at the edges and soft in the middle (don’t rush this—color equals flavor). The fennel–herb pistachio crunch is my chaos sprinkle: anise-y, green, loud.
And the black lime tahini? That’s my secret shortcut to “grill” flavor without a grill—smoky, citrusy, slightly mysterious.
Make it yours: swap pistachios for almonds, add chickpeas for extra heft, or finish with pomegranate if you want jewels on top. More herbs is always the answer.
Featured Recipe
Three-Way Carrot Shawarma Salad with Charred Leeks, Fennel–Herb Crunch, and Black Lime Tahini
In January, carrots are sweet like candy, leeks are at their most velvety, and my craving is always for something warm, spiced, and wildly crunchy. This is my “salad as a main event” love letter: carrots roasted, shaved raw, and quick-pickled in the same bowl—layered with charred leeks, a fennel–herb pistachio crunch, and a smoky black-lime tahini that tastes like the grill without needing one.
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Ingredients
- 900 g Carrots (mixed colors if you can find them)(about 2 lb; scrubbed, tops reserved if fresh)
- 3 Leeks(medium; well washed, sliced lengthwise into quarters)
- 1 Fennel bulb(small; fronds reserved)
- 1 cup Fresh cilantro(roughly chopped)
- 1 cup Fresh parsley(roughly chopped)
- 1/2 cup Fresh dill(roughly chopped)
- 1/3 cup Mint(optional but gorgeous; torn)
- 1/2 cup Pistachios(toasted; roughly chopped)
- 6 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil(divided)
- 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt(divided, plus more to taste)
- 1 tsp Black pepper(freshly ground)
- 2 tsp Ground cumin
- 2 tsp Ground coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp Smoked paprika(or sweet paprika + a pinch of chipotle)
- 1/2 tsp Ground turmeric(optional, for earthiness and color)
- 3 cloves Garlic(2 for tahini, 1 for pickling; grated)
- 1 tsp Fresh ginger(grated (my shawarma secret))
- 1/2 cup Tahini(well stirred)
- 1 Black lime (loomi)(or 1 tsp ground black lime; substitute: 1 tsp sumac + extra lemon)
- 3 tbsp Lemon juice(plus wedges for serving)
- 1 tbsp Honey(or date syrup (silan))
- 6 tbsp Warm water(more as needed to thin tahini)
- 1/3 cup Apple cider vinegar(for quick-pickle)
- 1 tbsp Granulated sugar(for quick-pickle)
- 1 tsp Crushed red pepper or Aleppo pepper(for quick-pickle; use less if sensitive)
- 1 1/2 cups Cooked lentils (green or black beluga)(optional, to make it extra filling; well drained)
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt(optional, for a creamy swoosh under the salad)
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 220°C / 425°F. Line a large sheet pan. This dish is all about texture, so we’re building it in layers: roast, char, shave, and pickle—each carrot moment has a job.
5 min
Tip: If you have convection/fan, use it. You want edges, not softness.
- 2
Cut about 2/3 of the 900 g Carrots (mixed colors if you can find them) into thick batons (roughly finger-size). Toss with 3 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tsp Kosher salt, 1 tsp Black pepper, 2 tsp Ground cumin, 2 tsp Ground coriander, 1 1/2 tsp Smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp Ground turmeric, 1 tsp Fresh ginger, and 1 cloves Garlic. Spread on the sheet pan.
10 min
Tip: Big pieces stay creamy inside while still caramelizing. Don’t crowd—use two pans if you need to.
- 3
Char the 3 Leeks: toss leek quarters with 1 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt. Nestle them on the same pan (or a second pan). Roast everything until carrots are deeply browned and leeks are collapsed with dark edges, turning once—about 22–28 minutes.
28 min
Tip: If the leeks char faster, pull them early. The leeks should taste sweet and smoky, not bitter-black.
- 4
Make quick-pickled carrots while the oven works: shave or julienne about 1/3 of the 900 g Carrots (mixed colors if you can find them). In a bowl, whisk 1/3 cup Apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp Granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, 1 tsp Crushed red pepper or Aleppo pepper, and 1 grated Garlic clove. Add the shaved carrots and toss. Let them sit, stirring once or twice.
10 min
Tip: This is your bright, snappy counterpoint to all the roastiness—don’t skip it.
- 5
Make the black-lime tahini: if using whole 1 Black lime (loomi), pierce it with a knife, then steep it in 1/2 cup just-boiled water for 5 minutes. Squeeze and scrape a little of the inside into a bowl (start with 1 tsp), then whisk in 1/2 cup Tahini, 3 tbsp Lemon juice, 1 tbsp Honey, 2 grated Garlic cloves, 6 tbsp Warm water, and a generous pinch of 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt. Adjust: more water for pourable, more lemon for bite, more loomi for smoke.
12 min
Tip: Tahini should be loose enough to ribbon over the salad. Think: heavy cream texture.
- 6
Make the 1 Fennel bulb–herb crunch: very thinly slice fennel (mandoline if you have one). Toss with fennel fronds, chopped herbs (1 cup Fresh cilantro, 1 cup Fresh parsley, 1/2 cup Fresh dill, 1/3 cup Mint), 1/2 cup Pistachios, 2 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil, and a pinch of 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt.
8 min
Tip: Keep this separate until plating so it stays fluffy and crisp.
- 7
Assemble: on a big platter, smear 1/3 cup Greek yogurt in a swoosh. Pile on roasted carrots and charred leeks. Drain pickled carrots lightly and scatter over. Add 1 1/2 cups Cooked lentils (green or black beluga) (if using). Crown with the fennel–herb crunch. Finish with plenty of black-lime tahini, extra 6 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil, and lemon wedges.
10 min
Tip: I like a final pinch of salt right before serving—makes everything taste louder.
Chef's Notes
This one is personal: in Tel Aviv, shawarma spice was the smell that followed you home—warm cumin-coriander air in the winter evenings. In London, January made me crave that same comfort, but I wanted it brighter and greener. So I put the shawarma idea on carrots (peak January sweetness), gave leeks the smoky edge I miss from street grills, and let herbs do what they always do in my kitchen: make everything feel alive. Substitutions: no black lime? Use 1 tsp sumac plus extra lemon zest. No pistachios? Toasted almonds or pumpkin seeds. Want heat? Add harissa to the tahini or a spoon of chili crisp over the top.
Yael Mizrahi
Bold flavors, beautiful plates
Born in Tel Aviv to a Moroccan mother and Iraqi father, I grew up speaking the language of spice. My kitchen was always full of cumin, preserved lemons, and the sound of multiple conversations happening at once. I moved to London at 22, cooked my way through the city's best restaurants, and discovered that the whole Mediterranean was my playground. Now I create dishes that celebrate the entire region—from Marrakech to Athens, with plenty of stops in between.