This easy chopped carrot salad features sweet raw carrots in all their glory tossed in a simple honey-lemon Dijon vinaigrette with parsley and green onions. A food processor makes the job of shredding carrots easier, but a vegetable peeler or grater (or by purchasing a bag of pre-shredded ones!) it works well too! This is a delicious French carrot salad easy outline to prepare and a unique change from lettuce-based or green salads. Stop 10 minutes!
I love the taste of raw carrots but you know what? I’m not a fan of any of this to chew. Sometimes you don’t want to work that hard, you know? Enter: chopped carrot salad. A classic French recipe, these carrots are grated small and thin and when dressed with a simple vinaigrette (no mayonnaise here!), they soften a little until they obtain a perfect consistency. It reminds me of coleslaw.
I was poking around my veggie patch the other day to start getting ready for spring and found a bunch of carrots that had survived the winter! I knew I had to create something special with them, and I didn’t want to cook them to pieces because I knew they would be even sweeter due to the cold. This grated carrot salad was the perfect way to present them.
You can enjoy this salad as a side dish as you would any side salad. It would also be delicious in a veggie sandwich or pita sandwich. It couldn’t be easier to make!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Carrots – you will have to peel and grate them. Alternatively, you can buy pre-chopped carrots, but they tend to be thicker (more julienned than grated) this way the consistency of the salad will be a little 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 chopped carrot salad
First you will need to peel and grate the carrots. I like to use mine accessory for grating the food processor when we grate a lot of things in bulk – it’s so quick and easy! Or you can use a box grateror even use a potato peeler make thin slivers of the carrots instead of grating them.
In a medium or large bowl, mix the seasoning. I like to do this in the bowl I’ll be mixing everything in, instead of using a smaller bowl (less dishes!). Whisk together the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper. Then drizzle in the olive oil and continue whisking until everything is emulsified and the salt is completely dissolved.
Then add the carrots, parsley and green onions to the bowl with the vinaigrette dressing. Stir to combine and serve!
Can I prepare the carrot salad in advance?
YES! Keep the dressing separate until you are ready to serve. Otherwise it gets a little soggy (although that didn’t stop me from eating leftovers the next day!). As a bonus, you can mix the dressing and grate the carrots/chop the herbs up to a week ahead!
I like to mix the dressing in a mason jar if I make it ahead of time. The dressing may solidify in the refrigerator due to the olive oil. Keep it at room temperature to warm it up for a while, or run hot water over the jar to soften it, then shake to combine.
Carrot salad variations
- Try another type of seasoning! This carrot salad has a mayo-free dressing, but would also be great with a creamier mayo dressing. Or use a store-bought dressing… I won’t tell you!
- Add more herbs
- Add the toasted flaked almonds or pistachios or something crunchy.
- Make it more interesting – add a diced jalapeño
- Make it sweeter – add grated apple to the mix and/or dried cranberries or raisins.
Play around with this carrot salad recipe – it’s a simple and delicious recipe on its own, but it can absolutely be developed for other types of flavors and textures!
Do you have to peel carrots?
Technically no. A good scrubbing with a vegetable brush is fine. But the peels can have a bitter taste, more pronounced if eaten raw and carrots are the protagonists. I prefer to peel the carrots for this carrot salad recipe. However, when I stew them, I usually don’t bother.
More salad recipes without lettuce
Did you know that commenting and rating recipes is one of the best ways to support your favorite food bloggers? If you made this recipe or have a question, click the stars below to comment and Rate this recipe and/or share photos on social media using the hashtag #bowlofdelicious or tagging @bowlofdelicious!
Grated carrot salad with herbs and Dijon vinaigrette
This Shredded Carrot Salad features shredded carrots tossed with a light and flavorful French Dijon lemon vinaigrette, parsley and green onions. It’s a delicious lettuce-free salad and a refreshing, flavorful, light side dish – the perfect way to enjoy the pleasure of eating healthy, raw carrots!
Press
Pin
Evaluate
Portions: 4 portions
Calories: 118kcal
Prevents the screen from going dark
ingredients
- 1 lb. carrots bald
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 spoons lemon juice from about 1 lemon or 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Honey optional, see notes
- 2 spoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 spoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 spoons thinly sliced green onions or chives
Instructions
-
Grating the carrots: Destroy the 1 pound carrots using the grating attachment of a food processor, a box grater, or use a potato peeler to make thin strips. Alternatively, you can purchase pre-chopped carrots (see notes for more information).
-
Make the vinaigrette dressing: In the bottom of a medium or large bowl, whisk together the 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepperAND 1 teaspoon honey (if in use). While whisking, add the 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, continuing to whisk vigorously until the seasoning is well blended and all the salt has dissolved; about 30-60 seconds. Taste and adjust as needed.
-
Mix the salad: add the grated carrots, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsleyAND 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions into the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat. Serve immediately (see notes for starting instructions).
Notes
- You can use already chopped carrots as a shortcut, however, their texture is slightly different than hand-grated. They tend to be thicker, julienned rather than grated, so they won’t absorb the seasoning as easily and may be a little crunchier. I prefer to grate the carrots myself for this salad (My accessory for food processor makes the job easier!).
- Adding honey is optional and if your carrots are particularly sweet, you really don’t need them. Use maple syrup or agave for a vegan alternative.
- To move forward, grate the carrots and season with the parsley and green onions into a large bowl and cover with cling film or a container with a lid. Mix the dressing in a glass jar or container with a lid. Store both separately in the refrigerator for up to a week. Then, just before serving, shake the dressing to combine and mix it together (the sauce may solidify in the refrigerator; just run hot water over it or leave it at room temperature for a while until it softens).
Nutrition
Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 13G | Protein: 1G | Fat: 7G | Saturated fats: 1G | Polyunsaturated fats: 1G | Monounsaturated fat: 5G | Sodium: 385mg | Potassium: 395mg | Fiber: 3G | Sugar: 7G | Vitamin A: 19145UI | C vitamin: 13mg | Soccer: 44mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information disclaimer
The nutritional information provided is my best estimate and does not include added sodium from flavoring seasoning, any optional ingredients, and does not take into account brands. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
