This post may contain affiliate links.
This delicious raw Carrot Salad recipe gives you loads of nutrition, colour, crunch and flavour. With a zesty, herby dressing and the addition of toasted hazelnuts and garlic, this takes your vegan main or side up a notch while still keeping things simple.
With just a few ingredients, this irresistible Carrot Salad is so fresh tasting and high on the crunch-factor – it’s a really moreish salad that’s anything but boring.
Carrots are often found in the bottom of the fridge, and can be uninspiring if all you can think of to do with them is boil them up.
Throw this together in about 10-15 minutes for something a little different. It’s perfect any time of the year!
Why you’ll love this Easy Carrot Salad recipe
⭐️ Crunchy, zesty, nutty and SO yummy
⭐️ Perfect as a packed lunch, side dish or main course
⭐️ Ideal for using up leftover carrots!
How to slice the carrots
I like to make carrot ribbons for this salad. You don’t need any fancy machinery. I just use a regular peeler down the length of the carrot, rotating the vegetable as necessary, until it’s too thin to peel any more.
Voila! Raw carrot ribbons that are substantial enough for sticking your fork into.
Carrot Salad Ingredients
- Raw carrots – Any kind you like, but fresh as possible tastes better
- Parsley – Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped up
- Lemon – We’re using the zest and juice for the dressing
- Garlic – Just one clove, crushed for extra flavour
- Oil – A little olive oil is best here
- Honey – One teaspoon offers a little sweetness
- Hazelnuts – Take a few minutes to toast and roughly chop them up – it honestly makes such a difference to the flavour!
How to make Carrot Salad
1. Toast the hazelnuts in a pan.
2. Mix the dressing ingredients together in a bowl.
3. Peel the carrots into ribbons.
4. Mix all of the ingredients together and serve.
Storing
This Carrot Salad is the perfect make-ahead recipe.
You can make the dressing up beforehand and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. (In fact, it’s always good to let the flavours develop a little.)
I would grate the carrots and toast the hazelnuts just before serving for maximum bite.
You can keep this in the fridge for up to 3 days, although it won’t be at its crunchy best if not fresh.
I wouldn’t recommend freezing this dish.
How to toast hazelnuts
It takes about 5 minutes to toast hazelnuts over a low heat. You just need to keep stirring them or shaking the pan to stop them from sticking.
A heavy frying pan is best if possible – the wider surface area spreads the heat more evenly around the pan, stopping hot spots and burning.
More Salad Recipes…
Side Dishes
Easy Greek Salad
Under 15 minutes
Mexican Style Salad {with Zesty Lime Dressing}
Side Dishes
Crunchy Cabbage Salad {with Peanut Dressing}
Side Dishes
Cucumber Salad {with Yoghurt Dressing}
FAQs
You could add grilled chicken or halloumi to this salad to make this a more substantial main meal.
Or, you could serve it as a barbecue side dish, or alongside something like Slow Cooker Ham, Mackerel Pate or Air Fryer Chicken Breast.
Yes! Try out my Honey Roasted Carrots & Parsnips for a roast or Carrot & Lentil Soup for a warming light meal.
Yes, all the ingredients should be gluten free naturally, but always check the labels.
Some would say a classic Carrot Salad would have raisins and apple in, sometimes pineapple, so go for it if you fancy any of these additions.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Carrot Salad {with Simple Zesty Dressing}
Ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz) Carrots
- 15 g (1 oz) Fresh flat leaf parsley, Chopped
- 1 (1 oz) Lemon, Zest and juice
- 1 (1 oz) Garlic clove, Crushed
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 tsp Honey
- 50 g Hazelnuts
Instructions
- Toast the hazelnuts in a wide-based pan, for around 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Once toasted, chop them roughly.
- Finely chop the parsley and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Add in the lemon zest and juice, the crushed garlic clove, oil and honey. Season with salt and pepper then whisk everything together.
- Peel your carrots as normal and then use your peeler to peel the carrots into ribbons.
- Put the carrots into a bowl with your dressing and mix until well coated then stir through most of the hazelnuts.
- Serve and top with the remaining hazelnuts.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published on November 29, 2018 and updated later to make improvements.
