This Carrot Raisin Salad is not overly sweet or drenched in mayo! It's creamy and sweet with a little crunch from walnuts and is ready in under 15 minutes. Terrific for summer gatherings!
Carrot salad uses freshly grated carrots as the main ingredient, like in Thai carrot soup. It is a simple and refreshing salad with slightly sweet, creamy, and earthy notes.
When selecting carrots, choose ones that feel firm to the touch, with a smooth texture and have a bright, vibrant orange color. Avoid ones that feel soft or wilted and not overly thin because it might be hard to grate. Organic or locally grown carrots are often fresher, have fewer pesticides, and may offer enhanced flavor.
In many traditional recipes, crushed pineapple is often included. However, considering the presence of apples, raisins, and carrots, the natural sweetness is already abundant, and the ingredients required for this recipe are readily available in your kitchen whenever the craving arises.
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Why you'll love it?
- No pineapple!
- Apples add a refreshing fruitiness, a contrast in color, and a mild crunch.
- Lemon juice keeps the apples from turning brown.
- Sweet, refreshing with a hint of tartness.
- Satisfying texture contrast
- Perfect as a BBQ side dish.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Carrots - Unlike my almond flour carrot muffins recipe, store-bought pre-shredded carrots will work well in this salad. However, they tend to be slightly dried than the ones grated freshly at home.
- Apple - Any sweet or tart apple variety, such as Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, or Jonagold will work.
- Raisins - Although dark brown raisins are traditional, I like to use golden raisins for their plump texture.
- Walnuts - It adds a layer of flavor and texture, however, if you’re not so nuts about nuts, skip it or use pecans.
Ingredients for carrot raisin salad dressing
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Mayo - I use a modest amount of mayonnaise to help bind all the ingredients together.
- Lemon juice - Freshly squeezed lemon juice keeps the apples from turning brown and balances the sweetness in the fruits.
- Sugar - Accentuates the sweetness and elevates the taste.
Variations
- Add freshly chopped or drained canned pineapple.
- Use a combination of different colored carrots or apples for a color and flavor variation.
- Swap out the golden raisins for dark raisins or dried cranberries as we did in the roasted sweet potato and kale salad.
- Swap walnuts with toasted pecans.
- Use honey instead of sugar.
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
Tip: Short on time? Use packaged pre-shredded carrots.
Step 5 - Add grated carrots, apples, golden raisins, and chopped walnuts into a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing.
Pro tip: To cut an apple into matchsticks, remove the core, then slice the apple into thin, rectangular strips about ¼ inch in width, and continue cutting across the slices to create matchstick-shaped pieces.
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Step 6 - Toss with the dressing until evenly combined.
How to serve?
This carrot salad with rasins can be served immediately, but it's best to refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours to help the apples soften, and the flavors come together. So, it makes a great make-ahead dish that can be prepped and crossed off the list like the spicy Asian cucumber salad.
How to store leftovers?
Refrigerate, tightly covered, for up to 2 days, but it tastes best when served after a couple of hours of chilling in the fridge.
Helpful tips
- To make ahead, make the dressing and refrigerate it in a small container for up to 2 days. Store grated carrots in a sealed bag for up to a day. Assemble one or two hours before serving.
- Use store-bought pre-shredded instead.
- Feel free to adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use different types of carrots in this recipe. Carrots come in various colors, such as orange, purple, yellow, and white, with each variety may have slight differences in taste and texture. Feel free to mix and match different types to add visual interest.
Plain Greek yogurt can be a great substitute for mayonnaise, with its creamy texture and tangy flavor. I'd recommend increasing the quantity of sugar and reducing the lemon juice to help balance the tanginess in yogurt.
More salads
Carrot Raisin Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded carrots
- 1 apple, chopped into matchsticks
- ⅔ cups golden raisins
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sugar, white
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Wash and peel the skins of carrots and grate them on the coarse side of your box grater.Tip: Short on time? Use packaged pre-shredded carrots.
- Add grated carrots, chopped apple, raisins and walnuts into a large bowl . Add dressing and toss to combine.Tip: To cut an apple into matchsticks, remove the core, then slice the apple into thin, rectangular strips about ¼ inch in width, and continue cutting across the slices to create matchstick-shaped pieces.
- To make dressing, whisk all dressing ingredients in a medium bowl, until sugar is disslved .
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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