How to make the Perfect Carrot Salad

This easy classic French grated carrot salad recipe lets vibrant carrots take centre stage. Make it the traditional way or be inspired by my twists.  

Carrot Salad 

The French are happy to let single vegetables shine alone on the plate with a confidence that we often lack on this side of the channel. A simple grated carrot salad or carottes râpées is probably one of the top 10 classic French dishes.

In France you will find a classic carrot salad on cafe and bistro menus up and down the land. In delicatessens and charcuteries, it is offered in giant bowls to be sold by weight while supermarkets sell it ready packed in tubs.   

Of course, the secret to a really delicious carrot salad is in the preparation and dressing. I’ll share all my tips for making the perfect carrot salad so that the carrots really sing. 

Why Make Carrot Salad? 

• It is delicious – and easy!
• It is a perfect make-ahead salad, and unlike a green salad it improves with a day in the fridge.  
• A grated carrot salad is robust and easily transported, so it is perfect for picnics, packed lunches and pot lucks. 
• It is an easy way to cram in a generous portion or two of Extra Veg because the finely grated carrot makes it so easy to eat.  
• Carrots are packed with beta carotene which is a precursor to the A vitamins. 
• The salad is adaptable. Once you have the easy basic technique in your culinary repertoire, there are endless variations (see my notes at the end of the post). You need never get bored of this carrot salad recipe.

Make it Perfect 

The French know that the secret of a perfect carrot salad is that it should be très fines – you have to shred the carrot finely. That way the carrot is soft with plenty of surface area to absorb the dressing, and allow the flavour out.   

The second secret is to avoid overdressing the salad. You need enough to gently coat the carrot, but it doesn’t want to swim in vinaigrette. You want to taste the carrot, enhanced, but not overpowered by the dressing.

Don’t be tempted to skip the olive oil, because your body needs a little healthy fat to absorb the beta carotene from the carrots and to make vitamin A. 

You can grate the carrot with a box grater, food processor or mouli. I’m not a fan of the wrist-aching work of grating and I have a supremely useful electric mouli grater. Many French households own a dedicated mouli julienne, which makes quick and easy work of the fine shredding.  

 Carrot Salad Recipe – Step by Step

Step One – Gather your ingredients so that you don’t forget anything!

Step Two – Make the dressing by whisking the ingredients together – olive oil, lemon juice, mustard and honey. I love my mini-whisk for making salad dressing! 

To save on washing up, whisk the dressing up at the bottom of the salad bowl. 

Step Three – Peel and grate the carrots. Finely chop the spring onions (scallions). 

Step Four – Add the vegetables to the dressing in the serving bowl and mix so that the vegetables are well coated. Then leave your salad to absorb the dressing before serving. 

Carrot Salad Recipe Variations 

• Carrots do not have to be orange! Use colourful heritage carrots as the base for the salad if you want to make a splash at a party.
• Mix up the vegetables. Add (or even substitute) parsnip, squash or pumpkin, all finely grated of course. 
• Finely shredded sugar snap peas or blanched French or runner beans make a delicious addition. 
• Add a generous tablespoon of fresh herbs, such as parsley, tarragon, chives, or chervil.
• Make it a bit sweeter with a handful of raisins. 
• Add some chopped gherkins or capers.  
• If you don’t have lemons, substitute white wine vinegar, or even the vinegar from the jar of pickles.  
• Add some crunch with a sprinkling of seeds before serving. I like sunflower or pumpkin but sesame or nigella would work too. 

Carrot and Chickpea Salad  

• Make a more substantial carrot salad by adding in a can of rinsed chickpeas. With the extra protein, the dish becomes a meal in itself. 

Japanese Carrot Salad 

• Add a spoon of miso and a glug of toasted sesame oil to the dressing, and stir through some dried seaweed. Garnish with sesame seeds. Alternatively, go a step further and make my Asian slaw recipe!  

Moroccan Carrot Salad 

• Add half a teaspoon of ground cumin to the dressing and stir through a handful of finely chopped fresh mint leaves. 

Hints & Tips for Carrot Salad  

• I can’t state this enough: grate or shred the carrot finely because it makes a massive difference to the final dish. A simple recipe sometimes only shines if you pay attention to the details. A sharp box grater, food processor or electric mouli is your friend here. 
• Go easy on the dressing. You don’t need as much dressing as you would use for a green salad. Obviously don’t be mean, but you don’t want to drown the flavour of the carrot. 
• Let the salad stand before serving, as leaving the salad for an hour makes a big difference. 
• The salad is best served at room temperature because chilling can diminish the flavours. 
• You can make this in advance and keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 48 hours.  
• Waste not, want not. If your carrots come with the leaves on, make the most of them with a carrot top pesto. 

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Easy Carrot Salad Recipe

Grated carrot salad is an easy French classic. Let the carrot take centre stage with this recipe. It's fresh, vibrant, easy & adaptable!

Servings: 4

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time0 mins

Total Time10 mins

Ingredients

Dressing

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (or vinegar)
• 1 tsp smooth Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp honey (or maple or agave syrup)

Salad

• 450 g carrots
• 2 spring onions (scallions)

Instructions

• Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a salad bowl.
• Peel and grate the carrots. The quickest way is with a food processor. Finely chop the spring onions/scallions
• Add the carrots and spring onions to the dressing mixture. Mix well together to coat the carrot evenly in the dressing. Leave to stand and absorb the dressing before you serve.

Notes

Hints & Tips

• I can't state this enough - but grate or shred the carrot finely! It makes a massive difference to the final dish. A simple recipe sometimes only shines if you pay attention to the details. A sharp box grater, food processor or electric mouli is your friend here. 
• Go easy on the dressing. You don't need as much dressing as you would use for a green salad. Obviously don't be mean but remember that you don't want to drown the carrot. 
• Let the salad stand before serving: leaving it for an hour makes a big difference. 
• The salad is best served at room temperature as chilling can diminish flavour. 
• You can make this in advance and keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 48 hours. Take it out an hour before serving to let it warm to room temperature. 

Variations for Carrot Salad 

• Carrots do not have to be orange! Use colourful heritage carrots as the base for the salad.
• Mix up the vegetables. Add (or even substitute) parsnip, squash or pumpkin, all finely grated of course. 
• Finely shredded sugar snap peas or blanched French or runner beans make a delicious addition. 
• Add a generous tablespoon of fresh herbs such as parsley, tarragon, chives,or chervil.
  Make it a bit sweeter with a handful of raisins. 
• Add some chopped gherkins or capers.  
• If you don't have lemons substitute white wine vinegar, or even the vinegar from the jar of pickles.  
• Add some crunch with a sprinkling of seeds before serving. I like sunflower or pumpkin. 
• Make a more substantial salad by adding in a can of rinsed chickpeas. 
• Japanese Carrot Salad: add a spoon of miso and a glug of toasted sesame oil to the dressing, and stir through some dried seaweed. Garnish with sesame seeds.  
• Moroccan Carrot Salad: Add half a teaspoon of ground cumin to the dressing and stir through a handful of finely chopped fresh mint leaves. 

Nutritional Information

• This recipe is 6 Weight Watchers points per portion 

• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.

Nutrition Facts

Easy Carrot Salad Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 118 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 93mg4%

Potassium 377mg11%

Carbohydrates 13g4%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 18854IU377%

Vitamin C 11mg13%

Calcium 41mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Salad, Side

Cuisine: British, French

Keyword: Carrot salad

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