Raw Carrot Salad

For a fresh take on a side dish or salad, try this colorful bowl of raw carrots, golden raisins, shallots and herbs coated with a honey & cumin apple cider vinegar dressing.

Ingredients in Raw Carrot Salad:

• large carrots
• shallot
• golden raisins
• fresh herbs-flat leaf parsley, mint and dill
• olive oil
• honey
• apple cider vinegar
• salt, pepper and cumin

How to make this salad:

Slice the raw carrots into coins. Soften the shallot in the vinegar. Drain the shallots reserving the vinegar. Place carrots in a bowl with the shallots, golden raisins, fresh herbs. Create a vinaigrette with the olive oil, vinegar, warm honey, cumin, salt & pepper. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight.

Tips for a great Raw Carrot Salad:

• Use multicolored carrots- found typically in the organic section, for a colorful salad.
• This salad can be made three days in advance. Just do not add the herbs until ready to serve. It gets better every day.
• If you don’t like raw carrots, see my step on steaming the carrots. Just cool off in an ice bath and pat dry before adding the dressing.
• For a VEGAN version, just add agave to the vinaigrette instead of carrots.
• Try toasted pistachios, goat or Manchego cheese, fresh thyme leaves or white wine vinegar for variations to the recipe.
• If you cut the carrots in advance, keep them in a bowl filled with ice water in your fridge.

Equipment and utensils needed for this recipe:

Chef’s notes about this raw carrot salad:

This delicious crisp vegetable dish is one of those sweet and sour salads that I crave all the time. I have a ferocious sweet tooth and am always looking for ways to cut back on my sugar intake. A salad like this with sweet organic carrots, shallots softened in a briny apple cider vinegar, golden raisins and tons of herbs satisfies every kind of craving. The crunch of the carrots is so good and when the dressing hits your palate- oh my. I could eat bowls and bowls of this.

If you do not like the raw carrots, just soften up the carrots in a quick little steam, add shallots to a bowl of vinegar while you chop up the rest and throw in a ton of herbs: parsley, mint, dill, thyme – almost anything would work.

On day two this dish is even better. Make a big batch and have it throughout the week.

Nutritional information: based on 6 servings

Calories: 275

Total fat- 18.4 grams, sat fat:2.6 grams, sodium: 460.8 mg, total carbs: 27 grams, fiber: 4 grams, sugar: 20.4 grams, protein: 1.9 grams, calcium: 7.7%, iron: 13.8%, potassium: 482 mg, vitamin A: 1023.9%, vitamin C: 14.5%

Other side dishes to try:

• broccoli salad with honey-yogurt dressing
• pan blistered shishito peppers
• kale with mushrooms, garlic and lemon
• kale & sugar snap pea skillet
• green beans with herbs & pine nuts

Raw Carrot Salad

Recipe by Meggen Arthur Wilson

Course: Side ShowCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

0

minutes

Calories

275

kcal

Total time

5

hours 

30

minutes

A crisp sweet and sour salad made with raw carrots, golden sweet raisins, shallots and fresh herbs tossed in a bright apple cider vinaigrette. RESTING TIME OF 4 HOURS

Ingredients

• 5 large carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds

• 1/4 cup sliced shallots

• 1/2 cup golden raisins

• 1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, stems removed, washed and patted dry

• 1/4 cup mint leaves, washed and patted dry

• 1 TBSP fresh dill

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 2 TBSP warm honey

• 1/4 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

• Place carrots in a large bowl. If not steaming, proceed to step number 3.
• For steamed carrots:
• Fill a large bowl with ice water. Set aside.
• In a shallow saucepan, steam the prepared carrots for 5 minutes. Place the steamed carrots into the ice bath for 10-15 seconds to cool and then immediately drain. Pat dry. Set aside to cool.
• To Assemble the Salad:
• Place the sliced shallots into a small bowl with the apple cider vinegar to soften the shallots.
• After 10 minutes, drain the shallots, reserving the vinegar.
• In a large salad bowl, toss the carrots together with the shallots, raisins and fresh herbs.
• Whisk together the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, warm honey, cumin, salt and pepper. Pour over carrot mixtures and toss gently. Chill for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours before serving.