Published March 20, 2024. Last updated March 20, 2024 By Elizabeth Lindemann   /  This post may contain affiliate links.Jump to Recipe – Print
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This easy shredded carrot salad features sweet raw carrots in all their glory tossed in a simple lemon honey dijon vinaigrette with parsley and green onions. A food processor makes easy work of shredding the carrots, but a vegetable peeler or box grater (or buying a bag of pre-shredded!) also works well! This is a delicious French carrot salad, an easy side dish to make, and a unique change from lettuce-based or green salads. And it only takes 10 minutes!
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!
Mix the vinaigrette.
Mix in the carrots, parsley, and green onions.
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
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Shredded Carrot Salad with Herbs and Dijon Vinaigrette
This Shredded Carrot Salad features grated 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, and light side dish – the perfect way to enjoy eating raw healthy carrots!
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Course: SaladCuisine: French
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutesTotal Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 118kcal
Author: Elizabeth Lindemann
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Ingredients1 lb. carrots peeled1 teaspoon Dijon mustard2 tablespoons lemon juice from about 1 lemon, or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar½ teaspoon kosher salt¼ teaspoon black pepper1 teaspoon honey optional, see notes2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions or chives
InstructionsGrate the Carrots: Shred the 1 lb. carrots using the grating attachment of a food processor, a box grater, or use a vegetable peeler to make thin strips. Alternatively, you can buy pre-shredded carrots (see notes for more on this).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 pepper, and 1 teaspoon honey (if using). While whisking, drizzle in the 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, continuing to whisk vigorously until the dressing is well combined 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 parsley, and 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions to the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat. Serve immediately (see notes for make-ahead instructions).
Notes
You can use pre-shredded carrots as a shortcut, however, their texture is a bit different than hand-grated. They tend to be thicker, julienne-cut rather than grated, so they won’t as readily absorb the dressing and may be a bit crunchier. I prefer grating the carrots myself for this salad (my food processor attachment makes easy work of this!).
Adding honey is optional and if your carrots are particularly sweet, you won’t really need it. Use maple syrup or agave for a vegan alternative.
To make ahead, grate the carrots and toss with the parsley and green onions in a large bowl, and cover with plastic wrap, or container with a lid. Mix the dressing in a mason jar or container with a lid. Store both separately in the fridge for up to a week. Then, just before serving, shake up the dressing to combine and toss together (the dressing may solidify in the fridge; just run warm water over it or leave it out at room temperature for a while until it softens).
NutritionCalories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 385mg | Potassium: 395mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 19145IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition Information DisclaimerThe provided nutrition information is my best estimate and does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Very Well Fit Nutrition Information Calculator
