This Healthy Carrot Raisin Salad is made with sweet, crunchy carrots and topped with raisins and a spicy lemon-orange dressing. Bonus, this carrot salad recipe is also vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
I have been making grated carrot salad for years, I am French, and French carrot salad is one of my childhood food memory that my kids love. But since I discovered the combination of shredded carrots and raisins, I couldn’t go back.
The family loves the mix of sweet, moist golden raisins and crunchy sweet carrots so much! It’s a great alternative to Pasta Salad with Balsamic Dressing, Vegan Couscous Salad, or Vegan Soba Noodle Salad.
Ingredients and Substitutions
All you need to make this flavorsome vegan salad are:
- Carrots – You need fresh carrots for this.
- Golden Raisins – Or any other type of raisin.
- Nuts and Seeds – I used a combination of pumpkin seeds, pecan, and sliced almonds but feel free to use the one you love the most.
- Olive Oil – I prefer extra-virgin olive oil.
- Lemon Juice – Fresh or bottled.
- Orange Juice – or more lemon juice, but the mix of lemon and orange brings out the carrot flavor even more.
- Dijon Mustard – You can also use American mustard, but Dijon mustard tastes better for this recipe.
- Maple Syrup or any liquid sweetener you love or even a pinch of sugar.
- Spices – I used a blend of spices: cumin, curry powder, and turmeric to make this simple carrot salad absolutely decadent. Of course, feel free to omit any spices you don’t have or don’t like.
- Fresh Parsley or fresh coriander both taste good with carrots.
- Salt and Pepper – to season.
How To Make Healthy Carrot Raisin Salad
So let me tell you how to make this easy, healthy carrot raisin salad in 15 minutes.
- First, prepare the toppings. I know that most classic carrot raisin salads only use golden raisins and herbs as an add-on. But here, I really want to suggest adding some crunch by adding toasted nuts and seeds to the blend. It’s also a nice way to add plant-based protein and healthy fat to the salad. Toast the nuts and seeds on medium heat in a non-stick pan. Then, cool down in a bowl.
- First, make sure you use fresh carrots, trim the ends, and peel them off.
- Next, use the small or large grating attachment of your food processor to create about 4 cups of shredded carrots. Personally, I think the fine grating attachment is the best for carrot salad, but some people prefer coarser shreds, so choose your favorite.
- Next, place the shredded carrots in a large bowl and refrigerate them to keep them fresh.
Lemon Orange Olive Oil Dressing
Make the salad dressing. While most carrot salads use mayo, this is a carrot raisin salad without mayo to decrease the saturated fat.
Instead, I am using healthy fats from olive oil, adding the most delicious Mediterranean flavor to the salad.
Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl, whisk until well combined, and set aside.
Assembling The Salad
To assemble the carrot salad, top the bowl containing the grated carrot with:
- Fresh chopped herbs
- Golden raisins
- Toasted nuts and seeds
- Salad dressing
Toss everything together to coat the carrots evenly with the salad dressing. You can also make my Miso Tahini Dressing for a different taste. Serve as a side dish to tempeh falafel or any meal you love.
Variations
You can use this vegan carrot salad recipe to create a variety of flavors. For example, you can add a sweet fruit to the salad that marries very well with the sweet flavor of carrots.
- Carrot Raisin Apple Salad – Carrot-apple is a classic combination in cooking, but choose the apple wisely! Green apples are tangy, less mushy, and less sweet and go perfectly well with carrots compared to over varieties. Add about 1 cup of fine cubes or grated green apple to the salad.
- Carrot Raisin Pineapple Salad – make this salad with pineapple cubes, fresh or canned, for a refreshing summer carrot salad.
Storage Instructions
This carrot salad stores much longer in the fridge if you don’t toss the dressing in the salad. Without the dressing, the salad lasts up to 4 days in an airtight container. But, with dressing, the salad keeps its best flavor for only 2 days. After that time, the carrots soften and lose their crunch.
More Side Dish Recipes
Below I listed more salad recipe ideas for you to try:
Did You Like This Recipe?
Leave a comment below or head to our Facebook page for tips, our Instagram page for inspiration, our Pinterest for saving recipes, and Flipboard to get all the new ones!
Carrot Raisin Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound Grated Carrots - trimmed, peeled equivalent to 4 cups, 10 medium carrots
- ½ cup Golden Dried Raisins
- 6 tablespoons Toasted Nuts And Seeds - I used 2 Tbsp of each: pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds, and chopped pecans.
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley - finely chopped
Lemon Orange Spicy dressing
- ¼ cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Orange Juice
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Maple Syrup
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
Spices – optional
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Curry Powder
Instructions
- First, add the nuts and seeds in a non-stick frypan and toast for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Season with salt. Remove from heat and cool down in a bowl.
- Trim, peel carrots – I use about 10 small carrots for this recipe.
- Grate on the small grater attachment of your food processor or hand grater.
- Place the grated carrot in a large salad bowl. Set aside in the fridge.
- Make the salad dressing: add all the salad dressing ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside at room temperature.
- To assemble the salad, top the grated carrots with dried raisins, chopped fresh parsley, toasted seeds, and nuts and add the dressing all over. Stir to evenly blend flavors.
- Refrigerate an hour to increase flavor or serve immediately.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I’ve finally found a salad I love! Thank you!!!!
Thank you