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Carrot salad is a simple side with fresh herbs tossed in a light honey-citrus dressing that’s full of flavor and perfect any time of year.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: This carrot ribbon salad is fresh, sweet, and tangy, with a bright, herby crunch.
- Budget Tip: Use dried herbs from the pantry instead of buying fresh herbs. Check our easy guide on how to replace fresh for dry herbs!
- Swaps: Honey can be swapped for maple syrup, and Dijon can be swapped for yellow mustard.
- Prep Note: Marinate for at least an hour or overnight for the best flavor.
Ingredient Tips for Carrot Salad
- Carrots: Use orange carrots, rainbow carrots, or choose a combination of all for a more dramatic-looking dish. Make sure they’re firm for the best flavor. Carrots can be grated or shredded using a box grater or spiralized for a whole new look. Save time and grab a bag of pre-shedded carrots!
- Dressing: Sweet and tangy, the dressing is what makes this carrot salad recipe shine. Oil, vinegar, honey, lemon juice, and a dash of Dijon are the basics. Experiment with different kinds of mustard, vinegar, or swap out the honey for maple syrup.
- Herbs: Fresh parsley and dill add delicate flavors, aromas, and pops of color to carrot salad. Parsley and thyme are another good combination for those who don’t care for dill. If using dried herbs, they should be added to the dressing so they have time to rehydrate.
Fresh Twist!
- A sprinkle of goat cheese or blue cheese crumbles just before serving adds a tart, creamy flavor.
- Olive oil can be used in place of vegetable oil.
- Dried cranberries and pistachios give carrot salad a festive look; raisins and currants can be used as well.
How to Make Carrot Salad
- Whisk dressing ingredients and set aside.
- Peel carrots into ribbons and marinate with the dressing.
- Toss raw carrot salad with freshly minced herbs just before serving.
How to Plate and Preserve
- Carrot salad has a unique flavor, so it pairs well with robust dishes like roasted balsamic chicken or pan-fried fish.
- Store herbed carrot salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Drain and stir before using.
Crisp and Crunchy Salads
Did you love this Carrot Salad? Leave a rating and comment below.
Carrot Salad
Fresh and flavorful carrot salad is crisp and colorful, perfect as a side dish or topped with chicken for a simple entrée.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large carrots about 1 pound
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons honey or to taste
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- To a small bowl, add oil, lemon juice, honey, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, along with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk well and set aside.
- Peel carrots and cut into thin ribbons using the vegetable peeler.
- Toss carrots with the dressing and marinate at least one hour or overnight.
- Toss with fresh parsley and dill just before serving.
Notes
- If using dried herbs, use 1 teaspoon of parsley and 1/2 teaspoon of dried dill and add to the dressing. Dried herbs should be added to the dressing so they can rehydrate.
- This recipe works with spiralizing carrots, too, but we prefer the delicate texture of peeling with a vegetable peeler. Prep carrots a few days ahead of time and store them in cold water in the fridge (they’re fun for snacking too!).
- You can substitute another sweet/tart dressing of your choice.
- You’ll likely have some cores or some bits that are too small to peel. Snack on them or chop them and add them to soups or casseroles.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 92 | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 52mg | Potassium: 187mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 9114IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish
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We had this as a side for the homemade hamburger helper. It was a really great recipe. It was a little on the sweet side for me, but my husband said that’s probably because our carrots were so fresh (they were spraying juice as he peeled them – we just got them from the CSA yesterday). So I might add a little less honey next time if they’re CSA carrots. Anyway, I’m always looking for vegetable recipes that don’t require turning on the oven in the summer (the kitchen gets so hot), and this fits the bill! Thank you!
Those carrots sounds delicious, but that definitely could have been it! I am glad you were still able to enjoy the recipe.
Corrot-licious!!! I love pickled carrots and this brings about a similar taste profile from the fresh dill. I was out of dill so I used dill weed and it was such a bright flavor. I also had lime juice handy and used that.
Wow good tasty recipe, the best carrot salad that I ever came across, and its look good.
For the carrot salad it says cook time 15 minutes but I did see in the instruction how to cook them.
Sorry for the confusion Elizabeth, the 15 minutes is the prep time. This recipe doesn’t require cooking. Enjoy!
Wow – this makes such a beautiful presentation. This makes a lovely dish to serve to guests.
It is equally as delicious and sure to be a hit with guests!