The Best Carrots for Carrot Salad
The trick is to start with the best carrots you can find. Here is where buying organic or from a farmer’s market really makes a difference in taste. Carrots, being root vegetables, are not only tastier when they are grown in compost-rich soil, but they are more nutrient-rich as well.
A Flexible Recipe
The proportions of this recipe are flexible, depending on what you have on hand. Many traditional carrot salad recipes also call for crushed pineapple, but I think with the apples, raisins, and carrots, it’s sweet enough. By the way, you can often find carrots of different colors at the market—deep red, purple, bright orange, and bold yellow. The taste differences are subtle (they’re all delicious!). The main difference is in their mix of nutrients. For example, while orange carrots have lots of beta-carotene, red carrots have lycopene—the nutrient in tomatoes.
Make-Ahead Salad
This salad—a cousin to coleslaw—can be served right away, but also keeps well in the fridge for an hour or two if you want to get your dinner side dish prepped and crossed off the list. If you want to make it further ahead, grate the carrots and prep the apples, then toss them with a bit of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to prevent browning. Wait to combine with the mayo until closer to serving.
Don’t Like Mayo? Try This!
Several readers have tried mayo-free versions of this recipe over the years and shared their success with us in the comments. Here are a few of their ideas:
Greek yogurt with a bit of honeyLemon juice and honeySplash of fresh-squeezed orange juiceSalad dressing, like thousand island or poppyseedVinaigrette with red wine vinegar and olive oil
Add some fresh or drained canned pineapple.Add a teaspoon or two of mustard, lemon juice, or vinegar to give the salad more tang.Add fresh parsley for a bit of color.Use a combination of apple varieties for complexity.Swap out the raisins for chopped dates or cried cranberries.For savoriness, add garlic, cumin, or chopped onion.For crunch, add chopped pecans or walnuts.Make it French! A French carrot salad has honey, olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh parsley in place of the mayo and raisins. Some versions also add chickpeas.
Storing Carrot Salad
Refrigerate carrot salad, tightly covered, for 3 to 4 days. The salad may become watery after a day or so, as the salt in the mayonnaise brings out the water in the carrots and apples.
More Carrot Salad Recipes
Moroccan Grated Carrot and Beet Salad Jeweled Carrot Salad with Apple and Pomegranate Orange-Blossom Carrot Salad Autumn Tabbouleh with Cauliflower, Carrots, and Golden Beets Winter Root Vegetable Slaw
