I love the taste of raw carrots but you know what? I’m not a fan of all the chewing. Sometimes you don’t want to work so hard, you know? Enter: shredded carrot salad. A classic French recipe, these carrots are grated small and thin, and when tossed with a simple vinaigrette dressing (no mayonnaise here!), they soften quite a bit to the perfect texture. It reminds me of coleslaw. The other day I was putzing around in my veggie garden area to start prepping for spring and found a bunch of carrots that had survived the winter! I knew I had to make something special with them, and I didn’t want to cook them to smithereens since I knew they would be extra sweet from the cold weather. This grated carrot salad was the perfect way to feature them. You can enjoy this salad as a side dish as you would any side salad. It would also be delicious in a veggie wrap sandwich or pita sandwich. It couldn’t be easier to make!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Carrots – you’ll need to peel and grate them. As an alternative, you can buy pre-shredded carrots, however, these tend to be thicker (more julienne-cut than grated) so the texture of the salad will be a bit crunchier. Parsley Green onions – or chives Dijon Mustard Lemon juice – or half the amount of apple cider vinegar Honey – this is optional, especially if your carrots are particularly sweet. For a vegan alternative you can use maple syrup or agave. Olive oil Salt and Pepper
How to make Shredded Carrot Salad
First, you’ll need to peel and grate the carrots. I like using my food processor grating attachment when I’m grating a lot of things in bulk – it’s so quick and easy! Or you can use a box grater, or even use a vegetable peeler to make thin slivers of the carrots rather than grating them. In a medium or large bowl, mix the dressing. I like to do this in the bowl I’m going to mix everything into, rather than using a smaller bowl (fewer dishes!). Whisk together Dijon mustard, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper. Then drizzle in olive oil while whisking until it’s all emulsified and the salt has completely dissolved. Then, add the carrots, as well as parsley and green onions, to the bowl with the vinaigrette dressing. Toss to combine and serve!
Can I make carrot salad ahead of time?
Yes! Just keep the dressing separate until you are ready to serve. Otherwise, it gets a bit soggy (though that didn’t stop me from eating the leftovers the next day!). As a bonus, you can mix the dressing as well as grate the carrots/chop the herbs up to a week in advance! I like to mix the dressing in a mason jar if I make it in advance. The dressing may solidify in the fridge because of the olive oil. Just keep it out at room temperature to warm up for a little while or run warm water over the jar to soften it, then shake to combine.
Carrot Salad Variations
Try another kind of dressing! This carrot salad has a mayo-free dressing, but it would be great with a more creamy-based dressing with mayo, too. Or use a store-bought dressing… I won’t tell! Add other herbs Add toasted slivered almonds or pistachios or something crunchy. Spice it up – add a diced jalapeño Make it sweeter – add shredded apple to the mix and/or dried cranberries or raisins.
Play around with this carrot salad recipe – it’s a delicious simple recipe on its own but can absolutely be built upon for other kinds of flavors and textures!
Do you have to peel the carrots?
Technically, no. A good scrub with a vegetable brush is fine. But the peels can have a bitter flavor, which is more pronounced when eaten raw and the carrots are the star of the show. I prefer peeling the carrots for this carrot salad recipe. However, when I cook them in a stew, I usually don’t bother.
Other lettuce-free salad recipes
Zucchini Ribbon Salad Quinoa Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad Beet and Cucumber Salad with Feta Panzanella Salad
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