Carrot Salad With Raisins And Walnuts
This is a classic variation made by adding a handful of raisins to our basic carrot salad recipe. To jazz it up, we also like to add crushed walnuts they taste delicious with carrots and raisins and remind us of a tasty carrot cake.
If you’d like to try this carrot and raisin salad with a different dressing, then you can replace the lemon juice in the dressing with orange juice. The salad will be sweeter and very aromatic.
This one is also delicious with Greek yogurt or plant-based yogurt added to make it more similar to an old-fashioned grandma salad.
Carrot And Peanut Asian Salad
Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 large carrots, grated
1/2 cup peanuts, rough chopped
Optional: salt
Directions
1. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together the peanut butter, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, lime juice and ginger. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the carrots and peanuts. Pour the dressing over and stir until combined. Taste. If needed, add salt. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving. Also can be made hours in advance of serving. Yields about 6 servings.
Laura Gutschke is a general assignment reporter and food columnist and manages online content for the Reporter-News. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com.
Carrot Salad With Apples
This is my favorite variation. The apples add crunch, a little sweetness, and a slightly tart flavor that makes the whole salad pop in your mouth.
First, slice the apples into wedges, then each wedge into thin slices. The trick with this salad is to toss the apple pieces in lemon juice before adding them to the shredded carrots.
Apple turns brown quickly, and tossing it in lemon juice slows the oxidation process, and your salad will look prettier.
You could toss in a handful of raisins to add sweetness to this one.
Read Also: Best To Go Salad Container
How To Shred Carrots
This is one recipe where a knife alone wont do. Youll definitely need a shredding blade of some kind to get the carrots just the right softened texture.
Shredding blades are found on mandolins, box graters and food processors.
- Food Processor: Cut the tops and ends off each carrot and cut into 2-3 inch pieces. Fit your food processor with the shredding blade and pulse until shredded.
- Box Grater or Mandolin: Simply wash, peel and cut the tips off the carrots, but dont cut into pieces. It will be much easier to shred them while they are still whole. Box graters and mandolins have two shredding sizes. Youll want to use the larger one. The finer blade turns the carrot to a messy pulp. Be prepared for a good arm workout!
Shredded carrot salad can be made ahead, and leftovers will keep for about three days in the refrigerator. I wouldnt advise freezing it though as the sour cream can separate and curdle.
But guess what? You can freeze raw shredded carrot! Just place any unused portion into a plastic freezer bag and it will keep for up to four months. Add the shredded carrot to soups, Chicken Stew, casseroles and more!
Ingredients Youll Need For This Carrot Salad Recipe
- Carrots- I prefer to use the bagged grated carrots for my grated carrot salad. I think their thick-cut texture is best in the salad. Shredding the carrots on a box grater or the food processor doesnt produce the same chunky texture. Plus, you get a little time-saving convenience!
- Crushed pineapple adds another layer of flavor along with a textured twist that complements it perfectly. Be sure to drain it well.
- Sugar- I include sugar to round out the flavors in the dish. You can substitute it with honey if youd like.
- Feel free to decrease the amount of sugar, use your favorite sugar substitute, or leave it out altogether.
- Salt Adding just a small amount of salt enhances flavor and sweetness. Plus, it plays well with the lemon juice which is a nice tangy balance for the sweet pineapple.
- Nuts I use nuts for an added layer of flavor and texture. However, if youre not so nuts about nuts, just leave them out. If you want to try some different combinations, pistachios, almonds, or cashews would all be great alternatives!
- Raisins Grandma always used brown raisins, but there are lots of varieties to experiment with. Golden raisins tend to be slightly plumper than their brown cousins.
- Lemon Juice In a pinch, if you dont have fresh lemon juice, you can substitute apple cider vinegar for it.
Recommended Reading: Does Arby’s Have Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Carrot Salad Ingredient Variations & Substitutions
This raisin salad recipe is all about the sweetness, but sometimes people love a recipe but not *all* the ingredients.
You can get creative if you want I always suggest that in the kitchen, and here are a few ways to make this recipe your own.
- Dont love pecans in this side dish? Try walnut pieces, sunflower seeds, or thinly sliced almonds.
- Substitution for sweet pineapple would be drained mandarin oranges or small bits of crunchy green or red apples .
- Instead of regular raisins, try golden raisins or dried cherries.
More Simple Salad Recipes
Or you might enjoy browsing through my entire collection of salad recipes!
If you try this simple shredded carrot raisin salad recipe, Id love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, Id appreciate a recipe card rating below, and tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
Recommended Reading: How Many Carbs In A Chef Salad
Carrots Have Salty Affinity For Peanuts In Simple Salads
All these years, I thought peas and carrots were exclusive culinary soul mates, a match better than two peas in a pod.
Carrots and peas are fine when cooked together, but turns out raw carrots have a salty affinity for peanuts.
I discovered this less familiar paring in an old cookbook recently gifted to me by an aunt. The directly named recipe Carrot and Peanut Salad is in “The Modern Family Cook Book” by nutritionist Meta Given .
My aunt gave me the 1964, 632-page hardback edition, which states “over 1,837,500 copies in print.”
The more than 1,100 recipes in the cookbook are designed to help the home cook plan and prepare nutritious meals that are not only “filling empty stomachs, but building health for your whole family,” Given wrote in the introduction.
One recipe not in the cookbook: peas and carrots.
Food combinations of old that have since fallen out of favor intrigue me. It usually is more of a mental exercise, not one that inspires me to actually make the dish.
But I had to try Given’s simple Carrot and Peanut Salad. I have eaten plenty of Thai and other Asian dishes, so I know peanuts and carrots are a compatible pairing.
But, the head-scratcher on the ingredient list was mayonnaise. The thick dressing held the mixture together when it was served “in lettuce cups.”
Turns out the trio of carrots, peanuts and mayo is so good that it will be a regular side dish for summer barbecues and outdoor grilling skipping the lettuce cups. That’s just for presentation.
Ingredient & Substitution Notes
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for French grated carrot salad, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Carrots Grate carrots fresh to a fine consistency for this dish pre-shredded ones still work, but the texture is not as good. You can use a food processor with a grate attachment, large holes of a box grater, or the grating attachment for a stand mixer to get the correct consistency in your vegetables.
- Olive Oil Remember, this is one of those carrot salad recipes without mayonnaise! Olive oil makes up the bulk of the salad dressing instead, so use a high quality extra virgin variety. Some of the oil will also help toast the pine nuts.
- Lemon Juice For the best, brightest flavor, use fresh squeezed juice. Bottled lemon juice works in a pinch, but the flavor is not as good. White or red wine vinegar would make a good substitute.
- Whole Grain Mustard You might also see it called old style mustard its the kind with large granules. You can also use Dijon mustard for a smoother texture in your dressing, but the whole grain kind is a classic for French carrot salad.
- Pine Nuts For extra texture and crunch. You can easily swap these with sunflower seeds or pistachios, if desired.
- Fresh Parsley For a little extra zing, you could add or substitute green onions or chives.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper To season all the fresh vegetables.
Read Also: Salad Chopping Bowl And Knife
How Do You Shred Carrots For Carrot Salad
The easiest and most accessible way to shred carrots for a carrot salad is with a box grater. A food processor is even easier, but I find that its harder to get the perfect medium length shreds when using a food processor.
You can also cut the carrots into julienned carrot strips. If you want to julienne your carrots, heres a video tutorial showing you how.
Simple Healthy Carrot Raisin Salad
Published: by · This post may contain affiliate links
This healthy carrot raisin salad ditches Miracle Whip/Mayo for a lighter, sweet and tangy vinaigrette finish, uses 7 ingredients , and is ready in just 10 minutes! The resulting gluten-free, dairy-free, shredded carrot salad is perfect for picnics, potlucks, gatherings, or even a simple side dish for any day of the week!
This simple shredded carrot raisin salad is a delicious sweet and savory salad packed with flavor and texture with just 7 ingredients. Not only does it take just minutes to prep , but the raw carrot means its packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber too! Luckily, its also delicious enough that its a simple crowd-pleaser for potlucks and gatherings .
You May Like: How Do You Fix Chicken Salad
Old Fashioned Copper Pennies Marinated Carrot Salad
Old fashioned copper pennies carrot salad is a vintage recipe and looks very different from the others on this list. Here the carrots are simply sliced into ¼ inch circles and cooked until barely tender to which thinly sliced onions and bell peppers are added. Then they are covered in a marinade of tomato soup, white vinegar, sugar, oil, Worcestershire sauce and salt for a few hours or even overnight. When serving, simply dish up using a slotted spoon so the marinade is left behind. Lots of substitution options if this is almost what you might like.
Asian flavors are coming through loud and clear in this most unique of our carrot salad recipes! Think bell peppers, peanuts or cashews, cilantro and scallions included in the salad. The dressing is made up of oil, soy sauce or Tamari, lime juice, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Garnish with sesame seeds and this carrot salad is sure to amaze your family or friends!
Carrot Salad Variations To Try
Swapping out the mayonnaiseas suggested abovecan vary this carrot salad recipe. These are some additional variations you can try.
- Add some fresh or drained canned pineapple.
- Add a teaspoon or two of mustard, lemon juice, or vinegar to give the salad more tang.
- Add fresh parsley for a bit of color.
- Use a combination of apple varieties for complexity.
- Swap out the raisins for chopped dates or cried cranberries.
- For savoriness, add garlic, cumin, or chopped onion.
- For crunch, add chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Make it French! A French carrot salad has honey, olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh parsley in place of the mayo and raisins. Some versions also add chickpeas.
Read Also: What Salad Dressing Is Best For Diabetics
The Carrot Raisin Salad Ingredients
- Carrots: I recommend using organic carrots when possible.
- Raisins: use regular raisins, golden raisins, or a mixture of both.
- Walnuts: use unsalted walnuts. Slithered almonds, pecans, and pistachios would also work as the nuts add crunch. Sunflower seeds would work as a nut-free option.
- Mint: while this is technically optional, I love the burst of freshness it adds.
- Dressing: this raisin and carrot salad uses a simple dressing of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper , and lemon juice and/or vinegar. I recommend using a slightly sweeter variety, like apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar.
- Honey/maple syrup: technically optional, but adding honey to the dressing is a popular, delicious addition. Start with 1 teaspoon and increase to taste I usually add 2-3 tsp. A sugar-free sweetener would likely also work in this raisin carrot salad recipe.
Carrot Salad With Honey Mustard Dressing
This Carrot Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing is fresh, full of flavour and easy to throw together in just a few minutes. Shredded carrots are tossed in a creamy honey mustard dressing and topped with crunchy sunflower seeds, shallots and parsley.
This is the perfect salad for summer, its fresh tasting, fuss free and goes with everything! Grated carrots are tossed with crunchy sunflower seeds, chopped parsley and finely diced shallots which are all coated in a honey mustard dressing. The dressing has a mayo base, but isnt overly thick and creamy like some mayo based carrot salads can be. The mayonnaise is combined with a touch of honey for sweetness and dijon mustard to give it a nice kick of spice. You can prepare the salad and dressing in advance and store them separately, or toss them all together, either way it will last for a few days in the fridge.
You May Like: Trader Joes Vegan Salad Dressing
Why You Are Going To Love This Carrot Salad With Honey Mustard Dressing:
- Its fast and easy to make: this entire salad can be prepared in less than 15 minutes! It really couldnt be anymore foolproof and easy to make.
- You can easy adapt the recipe depending on your diet: for Vegans, use vegan mayonnaise and maple syrup in place of honey. For Whole30 replace the honey with 2 medjool dates soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes and blend them with the mustard and mayonnaise in a blender until smooth.
- It really is so tasty: I love the combination of crunchy carrots, diced shallots, sunflowers seeds and the creamy honey mustard dressing that is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. This salad is so simple but has a lot of great flavour and texture.
- It will last 2-3 days in the fridge: unlike lettuce based salads, leftovers doesnt get mushy and will still taste delicious up to 3 days after being prepared.
- You can prepare it in advance: this is a great salad to prepare a few hours or up to a day in advance to serve at a BBQ or potluck.
Outstanding Carrot Salad Recipes You Will Really Like
Are you looking for carrot salad recipes? Weve rounded up 13 of our favorite grated carrot salads that you can make at home. When considering a side salad option, I find that I typically gravitate towards something with lettuce or greens. Although I do know fruit salad is by definition, well, a salad. Or is it? Wait a minute! What about potato salad? An online dictionary defined salad as, a cold dish of various mixtures of raw or cooked vegetables, usually seasoned with oil, vinegar, or other dressing and sometimes accompanied by meat, fish, or other ingredients. Whew! Thats a mouthful! I guess those are both salads, the first due to its dressing and the second due to the raw vegetables. So, perhaps that line of thinking applies as well to the topic we are looking at today, carrot salad recipes. No idea really, but I would guess that most of us have been served a carrot salad at some point in time in our lives. Carrot salad recipes will sometimes call for the carrots to be grated and sometimes shredded. The difference between the two is that shredding results in thin strips which grating cuts the carrots into tiny pieces. Some have raisins, others pineapple, some mayo, others yogurt or sour cream. Lets launch into thirteen carrot salad recipes and see how they stack up in the salad world!
Also Check: Does Sizzler Have A Salad Bar
Carrot And Chickpea Salad
Carrot and chickpea salad has a Mediterranean twist thanks to the chickpeas. For this one, we use a 15-oz can of chickpeas, a couple of tablespoons of toasted shaved almonds, and a handful of raisins.
We love to have this as a quick and healthy lunch or even for abrunch buffet with our tofu scramble and avocado spread with some crusty focacciabread.
Carrot And Peanut Salad
2 cups grated carrots
1/3 cup salted peanuts, rough chopped
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Optional: salt
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, combine the carrots, peanuts and mayonnaise. Taste. If needed, add salt.
2. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving. Also can be made hours in advance of serving. Yields 4 servings.
Recommended Reading: Wendy’s Strawberry Fields Salad
How To Make Ahead And Store
Make ahead: I actually recommend making this raisin carrot salad recipe a few hours in advance to give all the flavors time to meld.
Store: this shredded carrot salad with raisins is best consumed within 2-3 days. It will start to release water the longer it sits in the refrigerator. Store it wrapped tightly or in an airtight container.
How To Make Carrot Salad
This is a simple dish to make, especially if you have a food processor! If you dont have a food processor, a cheese grater works just fine!
This recipe is as easy as can be:
Ingredients in carrot salad include raisins, sour cream, mayonnaise, pineapple and a hint of vinegar. We use canned pineapple but if you have fresh on hand, chop it finely and use that! A delightful and exotic variation is Moroccan carrot salad! In this version, you would use lemon juice instead of vinegar, a clove of minced garlic, and cumin and cinnamon spices.
Recommended Reading: Where To Buy Creamy Garlic Salad Dressing