Chive Blossom Salad with Pickled Carrots and Goat Cheese

Enjoy the bounty of spring with this fresh, leafy salad featuring a delicate chive blossom vinaigrette, tangy, pickled carrot ribbons and creamy goat cheese!

No Elvish feast is complete without at least one fresh, leafy salad. Blooming in late spring, delicate chive blossoms add their pungent, oniony aroma to both the vinaigrette and the pickled carrot ribbons. Creamy goat cheese adds a touch of richness to this refreshing salad. Perfectly balanced with a slightly sweet vinaigrette, crisp and tangy carrot ribbons, and creamy goat cheese, this chive blossom salad is sure to delight Elves and men alike!

Ingredient Notes

Chive blossoms: The tiny, pink blossoms of flowering chives bloom in late spring and impart a delicate oniony garlic flavour. They are certainly edible and are most used to create a flavoured vinegar. Be sure that you only use chive blossoms that have not been sprayed with pesticides.

Vinegar: To get the cleanest chive blossom flavour, pick a neutral vinegar such as distilled white or white wine vinegar. If you are unable to source fresh chive blossoms, this recipe can be made with a vinegar such as red wine, sherry, or champagne vinegar.

Honey: Honey adds a touch of sweetness to the chive blossom vinaigrette which balances the tangy flavours of the vinaigrette and pickled carrots.

Carrots: To create ribbons, pick long carrots that are medium size and are relatively uniform thickness in length.

Fennel seeds: Whole fennel seeds add a faint anise flavour to the pickled carrots that add an extra dimension of flavour.

Goat cheese: Choose a soft goat cheese, such as chevre. It will be easier to crumble if the goat cheese is cold.

How to Make Chive Blossom Salad with Pickled Carrots and Goat Cheese

Make the chive blossom vinegar

Pick and gently wash the chive blossom heads. Pack the blossoms into a clean jar. In a small saucepan, gently heat the vinegar until warm but not hot. Pour the vinegar over the blossoms, pressing down to submerge them as best you can.

Seal the jar and leave in a cool, dark place for one week or up to two weeks. After steeping, strain the vinegar and discard the blossoms. Return the vinegar to a clean jar and store in the fridge. The vinegar should last for several months if refrigerated.

Make the chive blossom and fennel pickled carrot ribbons

Make a brine by combining the water, vinegar, fennel seeds, sugar, and kosher salt in a small saucepan. Place over medium high heat. Bring the brine to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Peel the carrots. To make ribbons, use a vegetable peeler to peel long strips from one side of the carrot. Pack the carrot ribbons into a jar. Add the chive blossoms and chive stems. Carefully pour the warm brine into the jar, pressing down to submerge the carrots as best you can.

Seal the jar and store in the fridge for at least 2 to 3 hours. The pickled carrots should keep for 1 to 2 weeks in the fridge. Drain the carrot ribbons before using.

Make the chive blossom vinaigrette

In a small bowl, combine the chive blossom vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard. Add the kosher salt and pepper and whisk until combined. Slowly drizzle in the light olive oil while whisking continuously. Whisk until the vinaigrette is combined and fully emulsified.

The vinaigrette can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. It may separate after sitting – whisk it back together before serving.

Make the Salad with Pickled Carrots and Goat Cheese

Add the salad greens to a salad bowl. Drizzle with the chive blossom vinaigrette and toss until combined. Drain a handful of pickled carrot ribbons and scatter over the salad, lightly tossing to distribute them evenly. Crumble the goat cheese over the salad. If desired, pull some of the tiny pink flowers off the chive blossoms. Scatter the flowers over the salad and enjoy!