These Vegetable Matchstick Fries with Homemade Herb Salt make a great, colourful snack. A nice change from regular fries!
Beware, these Vegetable Matchstick Fries are dangerous! Long past the point you feel full, you'll still be tipping your head back to add another handful into your mouth.
I went with a mixture of regular potato, sweet potato and beetroot for these fries, but you can use carrot, parsnip, celeriac - basically any hard veggies that won't fall apart when being fried.
Slice them up really thinly using a mandoline (or by hand if you really want to - although it takes ages....), and then fry them in oil. Simple as that.
They taste great served as they are with a sprinkling of salt, but if you want to make them a little more special, sprinkle with some homemade herb salt.
No rocket science here - just your favourite fresh herbs, whizzed up with salt flakes. The result isn't a dry, flowing salt (you can use dried herbs if you'd prefer, but it's not quite as fresh-tasting and vibrant), it's more like finely chopped leaves that you scatter on top.
So the question is, does the fact that these fries are deep-fried totally negate all of the nutritional elements of the veggies?
Probably.
I like to think they're a little bit better for you (especially the beetroot fries) than a bowlful of regular matchstick fries. And even if they're not, it gives me pleasure watching the kids eat beetroot in any form ????????
I should probably go back to the rainbow salad if I'm looking for serious good-for-you-ness - which I need after the last few days of unhealthy eating.
It all started on Friday with Gracey's birthday sleepover. It's unbelievable how many cakes/biscuits/pizza slices and bowls of sweets/popcorn four 11-year-old girls can get through. They pretty much stayed up all night with the help of all that sugar, meaning Gracey totally crashed by the following evening. Fifteen hours of sleep later, she's pretty much back to her normal self again!
This week we've got two meals out planned, and then we're at the Big Feastival for the weekend, so I'm not sure how well I'll do on the healthier choices, but I'll try my best ????????.
Last year I was up on stage at the Feastival, competing in a live cook-off at the Neff Next Cookaholic competition. So much has happened since I won the comp! And this year I'll be judging. I'm trying not to get too nervous about it!
Gracey will be helping to judge the Little Cookaholics comp too. I'll be recording some Instagram stories during the weekend. Here's my instagram account if you want to follow along.
The Vegetable Matchstick Fries with Homemade Herb Salt Recipe:
Vegetable Matchstick Fries with Homemade Herb Salt
Ingredients
- 1 litre vegetable/sunflower oil for frying
- Large bunch - approx 20g/ ¾ oz of mixed fresh herbs – I used parsley, coriander and chives
- 2 tbsp salt flakes - not table salt!
- 1 kg mixed root vegetables – such as red-skinned potatoes, sweet potatoes and beetroot
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat a large pan of vegetable oil (or use a deep fat fryer)
- Place the herbs into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (don’t over-chop, or they’ll turn to liquid). Add the salt and pulse again until just combined. Place the herb salt in a small bowl.
- Peel the vegetables, and use a mandoline to julienne them. Place one of the pieces of potato in the oil. If it starts bubbling rapidly and quickly rises to the top, the oil is hot enough to cook the fries.
- Cook the fries in three batches, starting with the regular potato fries. Carefully lower the fries into the oil and fry until risen to the top and lightly browned. This should take around 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat next with the sweet potato fries, and finally with the beetroot fries (you can keep the fries warm in the oven on a low heat whilst you’re waiting for the second and third batch).
- Mix all of the cooked fries together and sprinkle on a good pinch of the herb salt and the chilli flakes. Serve with extra herb salt.
✎ Notes
Nutrition
Anıl Utkulu says
Would they be that delicious after airfried?
Nicky Corbishley says
Sorry Anil, I haven't tried these air fried. If you do, let me know how it goes 🙂
Katy says
Made these for a healthier half time snack whilst watching the football this weekend. They are totally moreish.
Hello Beautiful Bear says
I need these in my life! They look totally moreish! x