Roasted Asparagus and Carrot Salad

March 19, 2024

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This roasted asparagus and carrot salad is a delicious and simple low-carb side dish to celebrate in-season asparagus and carrots. It’s refreshingly tasty!

Roasted asparagus and carrots on a plate and drizzled with vinaigrette and topped with crumbled feta.

Simple but delicious is what we have here! To get the most flavor in this asparagus and carrot salad, we first roast the veggies to intensify their flavor and then top with a light vinaigrette and crumbled feta.

It’s a simple and perfect side dish for celebrating spring or summer, when asparagus and carrots are season.

To make this roasted vegetable dish a success, it’s best to make the asparagus and carrot spears somewhat similar in size before roasting. Therefore, we recommend buying thicker asparagus stalks and smaller, organic carrots, which you can trim as needed.

This asparagus and carrot salad takes about 20 to 25 minutes to make — and most of that time is hands-off while the veggies roast. It’s an easy and healthy side dish to do if you’re making something on the grill or stovetop.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Roasted asparagus and carrot salad ingredients in bowls and labeled.

Carrots: We recommend buying smaller-size, organic carrots at the store, similar to the picture below. Sometimes, these smaller carrots are called baby carrots (note: not the ones sold as pre-cut carrots in plastic bags) or you could also consider smaller rainbow carrots.

Even though the carrots are smaller, you’ll still need to slice the thicker ends so they’re similar in size to the thicker stalks of the asparagus (that way they can cook for the same amount of time). We also like to cut the carrots so they’re 2 to 3 inches in length.

Asparagus: You’ll want to purchase thicker asparagus stalks so they roast for the same time as the carrots. With thicker stalks, they’ll roast for about 15 to 20 minutes, which is similar to the sliced baby carrots.

Vinaigrette: After roasting, we top the veggies with a simple vinaigrette made with olive oil, red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice, and salt and pepper.

Feta: We love topping the salad with crumbled feta, but you could also consider goat cheese or freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Buying & Trimming Asparagus

We recommend buying thicker asparagus stalks (as opposed to thin stalks) so they roast for the same time as the carrots. Thinner asparagus can roast fast — in as little as 10 minutes. With thicker stalks, they’ll roast for about 15 to 20 minutes, which is similar to the sliced baby carrots.

Since the base of asparagus can be tough and woody, it’s best to trim off the woody ends before using. The easiest way to trim asparagus is by snapping the spears at their natural breaking point. To do so, simply bend the asparagus near the base until it snaps.

Buying & Trimming Carrots

We recommend buying smaller-size, organic carrots at the store, similar to the picture above. Sometimes, these smaller carrots are called baby carrots (note: not the ones sold as pre-cut carrots in plastic bags) or you could also consider smaller rainbow carrots.

Although the carrots are smaller, we still recommend halving or slicing the wider carrot ends so they’re similar in size to the thicker ends of the asparagus (that way they can cook for the same amount of time).

In addition to cutting the carrots to a similar width as the asparagus, we also like to to trim the carrots to 2 to 3 inches in length.

How to Make

STEP 1: Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Trim asparagus and baby carrots as indicated.

STEP 2: Toss the carrot and asparagus spears with a half tablespoon of olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Spread veggies into a single layer on lined baking sheet. Roast for 15-20 minutes, flipping once, until tender and lightly browned.

STEP 3: While veggies roast, make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and a teaspoon red wine vinegar or lemon juice. Season with salt and black pepper and whisk until fully combined.

Roasting asparagus and carrots on a sheet pan in the oven

STEP 4: Place roasted asparagus and carrots on serving plate and drizzle with vinaigrette. Top with crumbled feta. Serve immediately.

Finished roasted asparagus and carrot salad on a plate and topped with feta.

Other Additions

Fresh herbs — You can brighten up these roasted veggies by topping them with freshly chopped herbs including fresh parsley, chives, thyme, rosemary or basil.

Garlic — If you love garlic, then go ahead and add a clove of minced garlic to the dressing!

Nuts — Of course you can top this salad with crunchy slivered almonds or another chopped nut of choice!

More Asparagus Recipes

If you try this recipe, we would love to hear your feedback! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag @lowcarbsimplified on your photo of this recipe on Instagram or Facebook. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

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