From savory to sweet, carrots add such deliciousness to recipes. They provide flavor, texture and nutrition. Some of our favorite recipes with carrots are Carrot Soup, Carrot Cake Roll and these wonderful classic Glazed Carrots.

Carrot Salad Recipe

Looking for a light, bright dish that goes with everything? Give this carrot salad a try! It’s made with simple, nourishing ingredients and it’s fantastic for springtime, but it’s actually great to enjoy all year round. It only takes 20 minutes to prepare, and it’s also really tasty chilled, making it perfect to prep ahead of time! It’s my go-to for bringing to any potluck or get-together! Trust me when I say that you’ve got to make this recipe! It’s a crowd-pleaser that will make everyone ask for a second helping. It’s also versatile enough to pair with so many main dishes! Try it as a side dish paired with honey-glazed ham, air fried chicken or even salmon.

What’s in a Carrot Salad?

This carrot salad recipe comes together with wholesome, fresh ingredients that taste great! The dressing is the perfect finishing touch to really make this dish shine! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

Carrots: Look for carrots that are firm and free of cracks or splits. Use multicolored or tricolored for a gorgeous presentation! Walnuts: Adds a nutty crunch! Craisins: The sweet, chewy dried fruit is a great complement to the earthy, crisp carrots.

Dressing

Lemon Juice: Zesty and fresh, lemon juice adds the right amount of citrus to this salad. Apple Cider Vinegar: Helps to brighten the salad and give it a nice little tang. Olive Oil: Gives the dressing the perfect consistency. Honey: 1 tbsp for just a hint of sweetness. Dijon Mustard: For some zippy flavor! It also binds to the oil and vinegar to keep the vinaigrette emulsified (mixed), so the oil and vinegar don’t separate. Thyme: Adds a nice herby flavor. Salt & Pepper: 1 tsp of each to enhance the flavor.

How to Make Carrot Salad

Julienning the carrots is the most time-consuming part of throwing this together. It’s really quite simple, though, and so worth it.

Change Up the Ingredients: You can substitute the craisins for raisins or dried cranberries or leave them out altogether. Similarly with the walnuts, you can substitute them for pecans, pistachios, or sunflower seeds. Herbs: You can use fresh or dried thyme in this recipe. If using dried thyme, you’ll need about 1/4 tsp. Also, feel free to use another favorite herb like oregano. Type of Carrots: Plain orange carrots work perfectly fine for this recipe, I like the tricolor option purely for presentation. Toast the nuts: We love toasting the walnuts to really bring out the nutty flavor. Add them to a small dry skillet over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re fragrant, about 1 minute.

You can julienne the carrots with a julienne peeler or a knife. Julienne peelers are cheap and efficient, you can prep a whole bunch of carrots in just minutes! If using a knife, cut peeled carrots into chunks and cut lengthwise into thin matchsticks. 

Make Ahead: Carrot salad is great to make the night before you plan to serve it. All of the flavors intensify and become even more delicious! Storing Leftovers: Place any leftover salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Broccoli Apple Salad

20 mins

Creamy Grape Salad Recipe

5 mins

Roasted Beet, Quinoa, and Carrot Salad

30 mins

Chilled Cucumber Tomato Salad

1 hr 15 mins

Carrot Salad - 75Carrot Salad - 98Carrot Salad - 9Carrot Salad - 26Carrot Salad - 17Carrot Salad - 72Carrot Salad - 17Carrot Salad - 97Carrot Salad - 37Carrot Salad - 76Carrot Salad - 32