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Crunchy, sweet, and zippy, this non-mayo Colorful Carrot Salad Recipe will be your new healthy, family-favorite summer side dish!
Do I have a recipe for you, specifically, this Colorful Carrot Salad Recipe. Carrots are the vegetable that are the last to get eaten every week at my house. I buy them regularly, but my children much prefer cucumber, celery or peppers. And if I’m being honest, they are my least favorite vegetable too…unless steamed and coated in copious amounts of butter and maple syrup. SUPER HEALTHY way to eat them.
Well, waaaay back in June, I created this salad made with just carrots as the main ingredient. Why? Because I had a bunch of carrots that were all alone in my crisper drawer that needed to get eaten. So, instead of making the typical carrot salad with grated carrots, pineapple and a mayonnaise-based dressing (ew), I made it a little more interesting by using colorful carrots, lots of toasted almonds, parsley and an oil and vinegar based dressing. Not only is this much more flavorful, but it’s better for those summer picnics.
Let me get on my public health soapbox for a hot minute and say mayonnaise based anything should not be out of the fridge and sitting out at potlucks, summer picnics or gatherings of any kind for longer than 3 hours…and even less time if it’s hot outside! I’m mainly talking about potato salad, coleslaw and the actual bottle of mayonnaise meant for burgers, but any kind of creamy salad also applies. People get sick if that stuff gets consumed after the three-hour mark. So, what is the solution? Place the potato salad on ice to keep it below 40 degrees F. OR, make this kind of carrot salad and not worry about it. (I went to school for this kind of stuff, so I do have some legitimate smarts to back up my preaching, in case you were wondering.)
ANYWAYS, the moral of the story is carrot salad doesn’t have to be boring or gross. It can be good. Really good. You just need the right recipe.
Note that I used a mandoline slicer to cut my carrots extra thin. I own this one and it has been a great addition to my kitchen. It’s small and inexpensive but high quality and has lasted me 5 years thus far.
Also, this is a great salad to make in advance because it tends to taste better after sitting in that tasty dressing for a few hours. If you want to make this in advance, be sure to omit the almonds until you’re ready to serve. I like mine nice and crunchy, and the nuts have a tendency to soften in this recipe after about 3 hours. So just throw those in at the end.
So, scroll down to grab the recipe and be sure to enjoy and distribute as desired. Give it a whirl and let me know what you think!
Have a great day, friends!
Colorful Carrot Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 whole colorful carrots purchased from Trader Joes
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds toasted
- 3 scallions finely sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
for the dressing:
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel and finely slice carrots, using a mandoline slicer. Place into a large bowl. Add in almonds, scallions, and parsley. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together dijon mustard, vinegar, sugar, oil, and salt & pepper. Pour over salad ingredients and toss to coat. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 hours.
- If you'd like to make this in advance and store chilled for longer than 3 hours, omit the almonds and then toss once ready to serve.
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Love your recipes. We love carrots-baked–cold and will try this.
looks wonderful
Hi Lauren,
I bought the same mandolin that you have. What setting did you use to slice your carrots? I love carrot salad and I do one with matchstick carrots and a zesty Italian salad dressing.
Sounds good I’ll have to try it out next week. We are huge carrot eaters – they are my chips when I want something crunchy to eat. I love rainbow carrots they are so pretty! This will be a great – light and healthy option for potlucks and bbq’s that can safely sit out for a little longer than mayo based stuff which to be honest scares me to sit out for any amount of time.
Thanks for sharing – have a great week!
Very interesting, carrots are also not the go to veggie in this household… so I WILL try this…& probably be a hit at the next potluck b/c you are right EVERYONE brings a mayonnaise based salad.
Thank you