Copper penny salad is one of my favourite summer salads. Tender carrot rings with sweet peppers and onions in a tangy sweet-and-sour tomato sauce make a perfect side for the barbecue or a light, refreshing lunch.
Sweet and sour carrots
This copper penny salad is made from sliced carrots coated in a tangy, tomato-based sweet-and-sour sauce. It pairs beautifully with grilled or roasted meats, and also travels well for potlucks — serve at room temperature or chilled.
When I lived in South Africa, a large bowl of copper penny salad was always on the table at summer gatherings and was one of the first dishes to disappear.
I think you’ll enjoy it too.
- Quick to prepare — mostly assembly, then rest in the fridge overnight so the flavours develop.
- Keeps well in the refrigerator for more than a week, or freeze in meal-sized portions and defrost when needed.
- Made from pantry staples — no unusual ingredients required.
- Travels well and is ideal for potlucks because it’s fine at room temperature.
The name comes from the carrot rings, which are said to resemble old-fashioned copper pennies.
Ingredients
- Carrots – peeled and sliced into thin rings. Use orange, yellow or purple carrots. Once sliced you should have about 2 cups.
- Pepper – deseeded and diced (about 1 cm / ½ in). Traditionally green pepper is used, but yellow or red work well. This should equal about 1 cup.
- Onion – peeled and diced to the same size as the pepper (about 1 cup).
- Sunflower oil – for stir-frying the vegetables.
- Cornflour (cornstarch) – for thickening the sauce.
For the sauce
- Tomato passata – blended tomatoes in a smooth, pourable form (not ketchup).
- Vinegar – for tartness.
- Sugar – white granulated sugar to balance the acidity.
- Mustard – Dijon, English or wholegrain will add tang.
- Worcestershire sauce – for depth of flavour.
- Salt and pepper – to taste.
Instructions
This salad is simple: stir-fry the vegetables briefly, make the sauce, combine and allow the flavours to meld.
- Peel the carrots and slice into rings. Wash and deseed the pepper and dice. Peel and dice the onion into similar-sized pieces.
- Heat the sunflower oil in a wok or large frying pan and stir-fry the vegetables gently for about 10 minutes until they begin to soften but remain slightly crisp. Avoid overcooking.
- Transfer the vegetables to a serving bowl.
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan (or the same wok) and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Mix 1 heaped teaspoon cornflour with 1 tablespoon cold water, stir into the sauce and boil for another minute to thicken slightly.
- Pour the hot sauce over the carrots and mix to combine.
- Allow the salad to cool, cover and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving for best flavour.
You can serve the salad once cooled, but letting it stand overnight improves the flavour as the carrots absorb the sauce.
Questions
Yes. Pack into meal-sized freezer containers and freeze for up to six months. Defrost in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving.
Yes. The salad improves with standing. Store covered in the refrigerator; it will keep for over a week.
Marinating overnight allows the carrots to absorb the flavours of the sauce, giving a richer, more balanced taste.
Yes. Double the vegetables as needed. When increasing the sauce, add the original vinegar and sugar amounts first, then adjust slowly to maintain the sweet-and-sour balance.
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Other salad recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like some of these other salads.
Egg and asparagus salad-
Curried green bean salad
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Spicy beetroot salad
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Tuna noodle salad – with lemon
📋 The recipe
Copper penny salad
Copper penny salad is one of my favourite summer salads. Tender carrot rings with sweet peppers and onions in a tangy sweet-and-sour sauce make a perfect accompaniment to any outdoor grill or barbecue.
Equipment
- Wok or large frying pan
- Small saucepan
- Sharp knife and chopping board
Ingredients
- 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into rings
- 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
- 1 large yellow pepper, deseeded and diced
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1 heaped teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch)
Sauce
- 1 cup tomato passata
- ¼ cup (60 ml) white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ⅓ cup (65 g) white sugar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Peel and slice the carrots into rings. Dice the pepper and onion into roughly 1 cm (½ in) pieces.
- Heat the sunflower oil in a wok or large frying pan and stir-fry the vegetables gently for about 10 minutes until they begin to soften but remain slightly crisp.
- Transfer the vegetables to a serving bowl.
- Place all sauce ingredients into a small saucepan (or the wok) and bring to the boil. Boil for 2 minutes.
- Mix the cornflour with cold water, stir into the sauce and boil for one minute to thicken slightly.
- Pour the hot sauce over the carrots and mix to combine. Allow to cool, cover and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
You will need roughly twice the amount of carrots as the combined amount of onion and pepper: about 2 cups sliced carrots and 1 cup each diced onion and pepper.
When increasing quantities, add the original sugar and vinegar amounts first, then adjust slowly to preserve the sweet-and-sour balance.
Nutrition values are per serving based on 4 servings.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates – 30.5 g |
Protein – 1.8 g |
Fat – 7.3 g |
Fiber – 3.1 g |
Sugar – 22.5 g
Nutrition information is an estimate provided for guidance only.
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