I never knew I’d be so excited about a raw carrot salad. Then again, I’m not sure I’ve ever had French carrot salad before! Have you? Carrot salads are ubiquitous in France and we’ve been missing out.
I’m generally a fan of big, bold flavor, but French carrot salad (salade de carottes râpées) is a delicate balance of sweet raw carrot, tangy lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard and herbs. This carrot salad is a lesson in restraint and tastes more complex than it is.
I discovered this carrot salad at French Market in Kansas City. The girls behind the counter always have French accents, so you know the restaurant is legit.
They offer a variety of pre-made salads and sandwiches, and I couldn’t resist the glowing orange carrot salad. Their version includes chickpeas, which offer some protein and bulk.
I was really surprised by how much I loved that fresh, crisp-tender, sweet-and-savory carrot salad, so here we are. French carrot salad is a lovely side dish to offer at picnics, in packed lunches, with sandwiches, and so on.
French Carrot Salad Preparation Tips
The carrots account for this recipe’s predominant flavor and texture. French Market’s carrot salad features tiny, short slivers of carrot that readily absorb dressing but are difficult to achieve at home. David Lebovitz suggests they’re using a discontinued rotary grater by the brand Moulinex, so I gave up on exactly matching their texture.
Here are your options:
- You can achieve a similar texture by using a julienne peeler (affiliate link) in short strokes like I did for these photos, but it’s tedious work.
- You can also run the carrots through your food processor with the grating attachment.
- Or, grate the carrots on the medium-to-large holes of your box grater.
- The smallest option on your spiralizer might work, too—please report back if you try!
Don’t stress about how you grate your carrots. I think you’ll enjoy this salad no matter what.
Watch How to Make French Carrot Salad
Carrot Salad Serving Suggestions
This carrot salad packs up beautifully for lunch, picnics and potlucks. Serve it with sandwiches, creamy dips or soups, or more fresh salads. Here are a few suggestions:
- Caprese Sandwich
- Favorite Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- The Best Hummus
- Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
- Cream of Broccoli Soup
- Pesto Pasta Salad
Please let me know how you like this carrot salad in the comments. I love hearing from you! If you’re interested in another carrot salad option, you must try my Roasted & Raw Carrot Salad with Avocado.
French Carrot Salad
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes (plus 20-minute marinating time)
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: French
This French carrot salad recipe is simple and fresh! You’ll need carrots, olive oil, lemon, honey, cumin, parsley and chives. Chickpeas are optional but recommended. Recipe yields 4 servings.
Ingredients
Carrot salad
- 1 pound carrots, peeled
- 2 tablespoons finely snipped chives or chopped green onion
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- Optional: 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- To prepare the carrots: You can grate them on the large holes of a box grater, or use short strokes with a julienne peeler, or process them in a food processor fitted with a grating attachment. You’ll end up with about 3 cups grated carrots.
- Place the carrots in a medium serving bowl. Add the chives, parsley and optional chickpeas to the bowl.
- To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl until completely blended.
- Pour the dressing over the carrot mixture and stir until the mixture is evenly coated in dressing. For best flavor, allow the salad to marinate for 20 minutes before serving. Toss again before serving. This salad keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 4 days.
Notes
Recipe inspired by French Market in Kansas City.
Make it vegan: Substitute maple syrup for the honey.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
erica
Any recommendations for a non-onion twist? Not a huge fan of chives or scallions…
thanks!
Kate
Hmmm… You could possibly try shallot or even leeks here, but I’m not sure since it doesn’t seem you like the onion family? Sorry I can’t be more help. It’s a key ingredient for this salad.
maurice muinde
I think you can do with corriander instead of parsley
Leola
Erica, I would just put slightly less chives — I don’t find this recipe tasting very chivy.
Kate, I love your recipes! I tend not to go out and buy anything for recipes – I just use what I have on hand and I happen to have all of the ingredients for this recipe. I put slightly less honey because I like the sweet fresh taste of the carrots and don’t feel the need to sweeten much. I love your cookie and kate recipes!
M A
I forget to put in the scallions and chives all the time and it’s still delicious. You can just leave them out.
Maggie
Your recipe mentions that the size of the carrot slices is important. I processed my carrots for this recipe using a mandoline slicer with the julienne blade. Mine is an ancient German model by Borner called ‘original Borner rot gelb’. The spiked safety holder grips the carrot, if you spear it on at an angle you get lovely short (1.5″-2“) cross-cut julienne strips – perfect!
Gayle Cooper
I share your dislike of chives. I often substitute marinated chopped shallots in my recipes. I marinate them because I find the raw version too harsh a taste.
Laura cline
Wonderful of.our salads to complement fish cakes thank you
Kate
You’re welcome, Laura!
Zelda
“…French salads are ubiquitous in France …” I’d say so.
Kate
Thanks!
Gabrielle
I eat carrot sticks almost every day, and this looks like a delicious way to get my stick fix! Thanks!
Kate
You’re welcome, Gabrielle!
corinna
Kate you missed out a most important detail of French Carrot salads…IT IS IN THE FINE SHREDDING ! which gives this totally different taste. The big file shredders won’t do the same AT ALL !!
corinne ( French )
Kate
Thanks for the added tip, Corinna!
Stephanie
What to use for FINE shredding?
thowell
I have a mandoline with a julienne insert. I’ve used it for ages to get julienned carrots to put in green salads. Think I’ll try it on this recipe.
Maggie
Your recipe mentions that the size of the carrot slices is important. I processed my carrots for this recipe using a mandoline slicer with the julienne blade. Mine is an ancient German model by Borner called ‘original Borner rot gelb’. The spiked safety holder grips the carrot, if you spear it on at an angle you get lovely short (1.5″-2“) cross-cut julienne strips – perfect!
lis
Did you post this today?! I have an abundance of shredded carrots left over right now and checked your site this morning for a recipe, only for this one to show up in my inbox this afternoon! Hilarious, and obviously meant to be. I’ll be making this tonight since I have everything on hand :)
Kate
I love when that happens! What did you link, Lis?
lis
Hi Kate – it turned out OK! Turns out I used all my honey making your honey whole wheat banana bread this weekend (oops) so I subbed a touch of maple syrup which was a little weird. I’ll do it again and add in the chick peas and see how it goes. In the past versions of this that I’ve made they’ve always had a vinegar (apple cider or white wine I think) and I think I missed that. I’ll give it another go though, I LOVE a carrot salad :) Another favorite version of mine is with granny smith apples and carrots – I can eat that by the bucket in the summer, yum.
Jeanne
When I click on “nutritional information” there’s nothing there.
Kate
Make sure you have cookies enabled on your browser to allow the plug-in to work. Hope this helps!
Frances
Hello Kate! Arf Cookie! Your carrot salad recipe popped up immediately after I received a message advising me that two friends were in town and would be dropping by around supper time (how subtle, eh?). I had already decided on an easy main course and thought this salad would add some pizzazz to the meal…and besides I had all the ingredients on hand, including fresh chives that I had filched from a friend’s herb garden. I used some delish Moringa honey that I ordered from good old Amazon. I just finished making it and it tastes great, even before all the flavours have fully blended. And YES…julienne peelers make for a little extra elbow grease, but the results were so worth it! Thanks for the inspiration! I know the salad will be will be a big hit! So nutritious too!
Kate
You’re welcome! Thanks for the comment and review. I hope it was a big hit!
Nathalie
Kate, I don’t know if you can hear my French accent ;) – it feels legit to comment on this one!
First, the dressing: olive oil (although ubiquitous in Southern France, near the Mediterranean sea) is not traditional for our Carottes râpées. For it, we usually use some neutral taste oil, typically sunflower oil. No honey in the dressing! Some people use orange juice instead of lemon juice (or wine vinegar) for a sweeter taste.
As regards the grating process: you (and David Lebovitz) are right, many French people own a Moulinex food processor! Anyhow, the crucial point is to FINELY grate the carrots (e.g. with a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, we would select the attachment with the small holes).
Anyway, as you are by far the QUEEN of salads, I have no doubt that your version of our Carottes râpées is delicious, if not authentically French!
Kate
Thank you, Nathalie for sharing your authentic expertise! I really do appreciate it. I try to keep my recipes as authentic as possible, yet attainable to most. These tips are great!
Cynthia G.
Delicious and fresh tasting carrot salad! Made it tonight with dinner and also served with leftover Southwestern Roasted Veggie Salad with Chipotle-Balsamic Dressing. Love them both. Didn’t have the adobo sauce for the Southwester salad but used ancho chile powder I had in my cupboard. Was still delicious. Thanks again Kate.
Kate
I’m so happy you have already tried it! You’re welcome, Cynthia. I appreciate the review.
Gaby Dalkin
Such a picture perfect side dish!
Kate
Thank you, Gaby!
LaPtiteLu
So happy to see this recipe on your blog!! (Yes, it’s because I’m French AND vegetarian ^^) I agree, carrot salad is so simple and yet so good. My mom used to add raisin to bring out the sweetness.
Kate
Oh, I will have to try the addition with the raisins!
Anna L Amis
Awesome. Easy. Delish. :)
Kate
Thank you, Anna!
Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite
Raw carrots are seriously one of my top favorite vegetables (I’m 5 years old, I know). But seriously, so excited about the dijon dressing too!!
Kate
Let me know what you think!
Cassie Thuvan Tran
I would love to find a French market near me! But then again, I’d end up stocking up on ALL the baguettes and the vegan croissants instead of the pre-packaged salads. Love how simple and tasty this recipe is–oh yeah, and it’s full of healthy ingredients!
Kate
Thank you!
Isabelle
Hi Kate! As a French woman and avid reader of your blog, I can indeed confirm that grated carrot salads are a staple in every French household. Kids love them, grows-up do too. They’re great as an appetizer or a side, with a cheese platter and so on!
Kate
Thank you, Isabelle! Happy to hear it has your stamp of approval.
Lacey
This looks so simple and so delicious! Printing the recipe to try this at home this week.
Kate
Let me know what you think, Lacey!
Yvette Reaume
I just wanted to let you know how much I loved the French Carrot Salad. It was so easy to make and the salad dressing is just amazing. Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful, healthy recipes!
Kate
You’re welcome! Thank you, Yvette for trying it.
Bec
I wonder if you think a fine spiralizer might work? Or maybe the dressing is better when the grated carrot lies closer together?
Kate
Hey Bec, I think it would work! The carrots shrink down significantly as they marinate so just give it a few extra tosses.
Kate
This salad is best with smaller, finer carrots but don’t worry too much about how the carrots are prepared. It’s a tasty salad either way!
Rylee
I love raw carrot salads, especially with the proper dressing! You should try to fry it for a second in a pan.
Kate
Thank you, Rylee!
Sharma
Looks great – can’t wait to try this right away! Do you think I could use a spiralizer on the carrots though? Thanks!
Kate
Sure! A box grater or food processor would also work. Getting them small or thin is the key. But it will be great no matter how you prepare your carrots!
Diana
I haven’t made this yet but I will. I lived in France for awhile and they would often serve a tricolor salad… grated carrots, grated celery root and grated beets, all with the mustard vinaigrette. Very yummy. Maybe you’ll share a version of that!
Kate
Oh, that sounds delicious!
Alex
Ah, yes – I remember reading about this specialty in David L.’s book :)
I was lucky enough to actually try it IN France at the Paris Buvette. It’s such a lovely side dish.
Kate
How fun, Alex!
Brooke
I added dry roasted peanuts and dried currants to this wonderful salad. It was a hit at a family brunch. Thank you, Kate, for these beautiful flavors.
Kate
You’re welcome, Brooke! Thanks for your comment.
Kelsey Karcher
Simple ingredients, complex flavor–isn’t that always the way with French recipes? This looks great. I can’t wait to give it a whirl!
Kate
Let me know what you think, Kelsey!
John Gregg
This is my carrot salad which is a pallet cleanser.
3-4 carrots (1 lb.) grated
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup walnut pieces
1 Tblspn.red wine vinegar
4 Tblspn.corn or canola oil
1 tsp. salt
Combine ingredients chill in refrigerator for 1 hr. Remove and bring to cool but not cold temperature and serve on lettuce leaves.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, John!
Maureen
Oh my gosh, my husband just had dinner last night at a French bistro (here in the U.S., not France) near our house and they put a saucer with shredded carrots on our table with the bread. I didn’t know what it was, but it was delicious. It must’ve been something similar to your recipe. I am so going to make this soon.
Kate
Let me know what you think, Maureen! Thanks so much.
Melissa
This was so yummy that my 18 month old ate it and LOVED it!
Kate
Wonderful, Melissa!
Tchotchke Squirrel
Dare I say that I never put in cumin, as it’s judt not my cup of tea. I’ve been making this wonderful recipe often; it is just right for sweltering dinner days when I don’t want to cook or to eat anything rich. This is just right. Thank you for sharing. <3
Tchotchke Squirrel
Gotta edit my typos-*just not my cup of tea, *Sweltering summer days
Kate
Thanks for sharing! If you would like to leave a star review, since you like it that would be wonderful.
K
Oh my gosh!!!! Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I spent a summer in Paris in 2006 and fell in love with this salad, which was cheap and vegetarian so it checked all my boxes. I’ve been meaning to recreate it for awhile, and I finally did with your recipe. It was delicious and took me back. Amazing <3
Kate
You are so welcome! Thank you for commenting and your review.
Jacob
Wow, if is not a secret, what kind of camera are you using for taking such beautiful pictures?
Kate
It’s not a secret at all! Check out my blog article about my camera and food photography. :)
Andrew Strom
I have yet to try a carrot salad. You make it sound so good and the pictures make it look like something I’d want to try then and there! It looks really simple yet packed with a lot of good nutrients. Anyone who are fans of carrot sticks would definitely love this one. Thank you so much for sharing!
Kate
You’re welcome, Andrew!
Melanie
Made this on Sunday and have included it in my lunch for work every day this week, it stays fresh for so long and is incredibly tasty!!
Kate
Great! What a nice lunch to look forward to
Keren
Love this! I am a huge carrot lover and am always looking for ways to have them at meal times and not just snack times. I omitted the green onions but the salad still had enough punch for me. This will become a regular for me! Thanks!
leia
This turned out great! I don’t know if i can fairly rate it though since i left out the chives since I was making it for someone who avoids them for dietary reasons, and left out the honey since my carrots were really sweet to start with. It was super tasty though, and perfect as an extra salad on the table for some more color!
Amanda
My husband’s Mimi makes this for family dinners and I’ve loved it at first bite! Thank you for the recipe.
Kate
You’re welcome, Amanda!
Karen G
Oh so delicious! I made a smaller batch because I’m the only person in my family who will eat it. I made the full amount of dressing. It is so tasty, I want to eat it with a spoon! It’s filling too, and just beautiful on the plate.
Thank you for taking such time and care to make all your recipes just right.
Kate
I’m really glad you loved it! Thanks for your feedback, Karen.
Bec
Just made this for one and it was lovely! I put a big sprinkle of cumin seeds on the top which was delicious . Thanks
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Bec!
MonyMony
Made this on Sunday for my meal prep. I like to snack on it alone but now in a wrap. I can’t tell you how many times I have the bagged shredded carrots and it goes to mush in frige.
Kate
I’m glad you found this recipe then!
Lisa Mallahan
Thank you for this! I had bought carrots at farmstand, and wasn’t sure what to do with them, since I’m not a big carrot fan (I had wanted farmstand produce, and there wasn’t much choice, so early in the season). Loved this recipe enough that I went back for more carrots, and am eating my second batch. This will be a staple for me.
Kate
You’re welcome! I love that you bought local, even if they aren’t your favorite. I’m happy you found a way to enjoy them!
Mary
Yum! I love it!! My new go to for pot lucks. Thanks
Kate
You’re welcome, Mary!
GardenBar
Thank you for such a fabulous recipe.
Kate
You’re welcome! Thanks for your review.
Vessa
Definitely one of my favorite salads! This was perfection.
Adrienne
Looking forward to trying this recipe! Spent 10 years in France & LOVED carrot salad. In recent searches for a Moulinex (to get the perfect grate), I learned (1) they no longer make the original all-metal Moulinex but I’m contemplating spending a bit to hopefully find a used one on EBay, & (2) the Moulinexes of today include plastic parts & are not as highly recommended by some.
In the meantime, I bought a Korean Carrot Grater, selling on Amazon for $7.99. It produces a better grate of carrot than the julienne strips from a mandolin (too firm/ thick to absorb dressing well), or a box grater (too thin & limp; produces more of a shred)… but it’s a bit unwieldy to use & watch your knuckles on sharp blades!
Kate
I hope you love the salad and it reminds you of France!
Linda Walsh
It’s a keeper. Just made it for lunch.
Nice light dressing and chickpeas are a great addition.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Linda! I’m happy you loved it.
margaret Titterington
I love your recipes but I can’t stand your website. The endless advertising is soooooo annoying. It gets in the way far too much.
Kate
Hi Margaret, I’m sorry to hear you are frustrated. Is there a particular ad that is frustrating you? In full transparency, I have ads to make a living and be able to create great content and recipes for you. I appreciate you feedback!
Margaret
I do realise that you make your income from advertising. However, there’s a point where it just becomes intrusive . Even if I click “jump to recipe “ the adverts are still there ….. just too much of it and not even related to food / healthy eating/ cooking.
Sorry , but that’s just my point of view
mia
Simple, delicious, healthy and adds beauty to any table! Thank you for your work. I so appreciate relying on you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Mia! I’m glad you love this one.
Steve
My advice, leave the salt out. I thought it ruined my salad, so I doubled the carrots to mask it.
Kate
Hi Steve, I’m sorry you didn’t love this one. Thank you for your feedback!
Shaaryn
Your French Carrot Salad recipe is fabulous. It’s going to be a staple here from now on.
Kate
Wonderful to hear, Sharryn!
Emily
Love the dressing for this recipe! I didn’t have chives or green onions so used red onions instead and also threw in some yellow pepper, cucumber and tomato. A simple and delicious way to use up lots of veggies in your fridge!
patty
this was fantastic! and just as good a few days later. the amount of dressing was exactly perfect for the amount of salad. the chickpeas were key and love the different textures. i used green onion and upped the cumin just a bit. thank you!
Agnelo Correa
What a brilliant salad. So healthy and refreshing. Its so simple to make.
Geri
Great salad and the dressing was a perfect match. Thanks.
Kate
You’re welcome, Geri! Thank you for your review.
Connie Garrett
I was short one ingredient, honey. I substituted orange marmalade. The salad was absolutely delicious. I did my carrots with my Pampered Chef spiralizer and they were perfect. I’ll be making it again this weekend.
Kate
I think that is a great idea, Connie! Thank you for sharing.
Candy
M&S used to do a version of this with almond flakes and sultanas. A friend made some at a bbq on Saturday and I had to find a recipe. I have tried over the years to make but never got the dressing right. This works really well with the fruit and nut rather than chick peas – no chives as we have an allergy in the family. Taste and texture delicious. Thank you for my new favourite summer salad :)
Kate
Yes! A new favorite. Thank you for sharing, Candy!
Martha
Didn’t have chives or parsley, but it is just delicious. Nice to get a recipe from my old stomping grounds, Kansas City!
Steph
This French carrot salad is a huge hit in our carrot-loving family! I left out the chives/onion (not a fan) and it was still delicious. One reviewer says this salad complements fish cakes, so we’ll be having that for dinner soon. I’m working my way through the ’29 epic salads’ page.
Kate
I love it! Thank you for sharing, Steph. What a great idea to work through one of the round ups. Keep letting me know what you think!
Nadine
Needed a quick side dish to some yummy crispy halibut and found this. The addition of the chick peas added a nice layer and counterpart to the carrots. The dressing was really delicious and emulsified so super creamy. Will do this again since everyone had seconds and thirds.
Sarasara
I adore this salad. I make it all the time and have had no desire to look at any other carrot salad recipes. Just noticed the comment about trying to make long strings and maybe that would be professional and French but have no idea how to do that and it tastes just fine put through the grating disc of the food processor
NANCY RADKE
I made this recipe as I was on a quest to use up 5-lbs of carrots my husband bought at the wholesale club. It’s awesome! I loved the crunch of the chickpeas and deep flavor of the cumin. I’ve made it a couple times now and it keeps very well in the fridge. I admit I did add a bit more honey (1 T). Very light and tasty salad/slaw. Thank you.
Kate
I love it! Thank you for sharing, Nancy.
DZ
This tastes way better without cumin. I found out by accident when I didn’t have any. 5 stars without cumin, 3 stars with.
Sharon
Lovely and refreshing salad! I left out the chick pease (husband is not a fan) and increased the cumin. Nice alternative to mayo based salad
Barb
I like to add a grated apple, some mint and raisins. especially the mint makes this super tasty!
Jeanette
Thanks for this recipe, I’ve made it more times than i care to count. It’s absolutely delicious.
Kate
I’m excited you liked it, Jeanette! Thank you for your review.
Carol Clayton
Hello and thanks for your recipes. I tried the French Carrot Salad. I followed the recipe exactly. Even went and bought expensive honey. While this recipe may be perfect in France (lol), in Canada it went directly from the table to the food recycle bin. Absolutely no one at the table liked it.
Kate
Hi Carol, I’m sorry you didn’t like this salad. I appreciate your feedback. Sounds like this one just wasn’t for you.
Sadye
My green onions went bad and I was too lazy to even wash/chop the herbs I did have (cilantro), so I swapped in finely-chopped red onion and skipped herbs altogether but did have chickpeas ready. It’s perfect in its simplicity — would be a great clean-feeling alternative to coleslaw, IMO!
Janice Short
Awesome, Kate. Love the flavors and especially a new way to eat more carrots. I gave away my expensive Kuhn Rikon julienner due to arthritis in my hands and wrists. Bought an OXO julienner that’s soooo much easier to use. Fat comfy handle, very sharp teeth and blade, with a safety cover that flips on and off. On Amazon for a very reasonable price.
I also made your tahini sauce today — OMG so yummy — will leave a comment on that page later.
So happy I found your blog. You always enrich my life with your great work!
Kate
Thank you for sharing! I do like the OXO products I have. I appreciate your review!
Alain Louise Howard
Hi Kate, I’ve seen this recipe with currants added into it and it’s just delicious. Love your recipes as do our whole family xx Happy Easter
Pam
Deliciousness!! Made carrot salad as per your recipe. Loved it.
Will make it again tomorrow as a side to my Easter lunch of roast chicken +++
Thank you Pam
Kate
I’m glad you loved it! I like this for a holiday side dish.
Violet R.
I am going to try this today, very excited! It strikes me that this would make a good filling for wraps, spring rolls, and bahn mi, or to add crunch to a taco. Thank you to Corinne and Nathalie for the French-person insight!
Violet R.
I am eating this now! So simple and so good! I went with canola oil instead of olive, as per one of the commenters, and I used my julienne peeler to get the shreds. The taste is subtle, restrained, very mildly sweet – this will become a regular in our household. I think this is a dish even kids would like, as it is quite mild. Thanks Kate!
Nicky
Look up Russian Carrot salad – it’s a raw carrot salad as well, but uses coriander not cumin. There is nothing from the onion family in it
Prisha
This was a lovely salad. Super quick and easy!
Kate
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Prisha! Thank you for your review.
Nicole
This dressing is lovely! I skipped the chickpeas, and didn’t have chives or green onions and so went with some finely diced red onion. I also added in a handful each of golden raisins and pan-toasted pepitas.
Mary McC
Making this for the first time, wanted more green so I added sliced snow peas for a peas n carrot salad. Delicious!
Kate
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Mary! Thank you for your review.
susan eastman
my mother made something similar, but with currants or raisins and orange juice added to the shredded carrots.
a variation to try if you dont like alliums.
Viva
Very cool! I’ve been making spiralized carrot salad for a few years. Spiralizing works GREAT for this. I generally just use olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt. Occasionally I add sweet onion.
I’m going to try your version, the herb and dressing combo sounds excellent.
I remember disgusting carrot salad popular in the 1970s, loaded with sugar, mayo, raisins, pineapple. Just…too sweet and a bad combo of flavours. Salads have come a long way since then LOL.
Lisa B
Had lots of carrots to use from CSA box – soooo glad to have found this. Just delicious! I veganized by using maple syrup. YUM. Love your recipes.
Beverley
I’ve just made this to go with our quiche this evening. I finely grated the carrots with my Magimix grater attachment. Have no spring onions or parsley but have added chopped fresh coriander. Have also added a small handful of walnut pieces. The dressing is perfectly balanced. Lovely!
Ewa
Excellent! What a beautiful salad! Thank you Kate ☺️
It is perfectly balanced and not tasting of chives at all. I think it could be worth trying with hazelnut oil as it usually goes well with carrots.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Ewa!
Daniel Beck
If I grate the carrots ahead of time (one day before I serve the salad), should I store the grated carrots/chives with the dressing already mixed in, or should I mix in the dressing a little before serving the next day. Will the carrots keep while in the fridge? I’d hate for my carrots to turn dark. I didn’t see any comment addressing making the salad ahead of time. Thanks. My French mother used to make carrot salad effortlessly all the time.
Kate
Hi Daniel, this recipe makes great leftovers. You can assemble and store for later.
mangomama
Delicious! We put our salad (with the chickpeas) in a whole wheat wrap with fresh spinach…fun, easy supper. Thank you!
Meredith
This salad is perfect. I have a thing for orange food, so carrots are at the top of my list! I make this every couple of weeks, sometimes just serving it over arugula for dinner after an indulgent day. Love your recipes, Kate!
Aly
Added two cloves of grated garlic, a dash of white wine vinegar, maple syrup Becuase I ran out of honey, and white pepper, dried parsley, and adobo. It was fabulous
Kate
Thank you for sharing how you made it, Aly!
Sue
Just made this! Used hot honey that I made yesterday, and subbed ground ginger for cumin because I was out. Also, used rainbow carrots from the farmers market, not that orange carrots aren’t pretty enough. Great recipe! Thanks!
Kate
Thank you for sharing how you made it, Sue! I appreciate your review.
Danielle Speroni
Absolutely love this! We try to make it a few times every month. When we are out of onions we’ll double or triple the amount of parsley.
Kate
I’m glad you enjoy it, Danielle! Thank you for your review.
Tracy
This was SOOO good! I followed the recipe with no substitutions and included the chickpeas, which really added so much to the dish. Cannot wait to try the leftovers tomorrow! A commenter mentioned putting toasted pepitas on top and I might try that next time (there will definitely be a next time!) Glad I found this recipe in lieu of the regular carrot-raisin salad I’ve made that has mayo dressing :^)
David
Like all of your interesting recipes, this one sparkled!
The cumin was a great touch.
Thank you Kate.
Kate
You’re welcome, David! thank you for your review.
Jessica Machetta
Amazing! This recipe makes me happy on several levels: first of all, I’ve been trying to replicate the French staple since spending a semester of college there two decades ago. Second, it gave me a great reason to break out and break in my new shredder attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer. And third, I just discovered The French Market in Kansas City is only three miles from my dear cousin’s house, where I always stay when traveling through. Your recipe site is always a go-to for me; I haven’t been let down yet! Thank you!
Lynda
I got my carrot salad recipe from a Japanese chef friend. It is, quite simply grated young carrot, grated beetroot tossed, hand in hand with a very little little light garlic oil (not Olive, that overwhelms the delicacy). I do this in a plastic bag for convenience. Add a tiny squeeze of lemon and toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds and toss again just before putting in the serving dish. Fresh, sweet, crispy with a lovely toasty crunch from the seeds.
Perfect for summer or with a hot and spicy main dish.
I’ve subscribed and look forward to reading more.
PS: the three stars are no reflection on the recipe, just my dislike of Olive oil (why is it so popular suddenly? There ae much nicer, fresher oils) and although this recipe doesn’t use it, I hate fresh cilantro/coriander as well and it seems to be in every darned thing!
Yani Silvana
I made this last night – less than half the carrots with the same amount of dressing – perfect! I added currants and whole pistachios, left out the chickpeas and parsley as I didn’t have them, and used spring onions instead of chives.
Kate
I’m glad you were able to enjoy it, Yani! I appreciate your review.
Cindy
Would packaged shredded carrots work? I have those on hand but not full size carrots.
Kate
Sure! I hope you love it, Cindy.
Alice
J’adore! Wow, this salad is scrumptious (c’est du ciel!). I’m embarrassed to admit how many times I bought the ingreds but didn’t get around to making it. I was out of cumin so had to omit that. I’m sure it would’ve given it a nice depth. Can’t wait til it’s done marinating for a bit so I can gobble it up!
Lou
I love all the recipes I ve tried here. My 4 year old gobbled this up and asked for more!
Kate
Hooray! That’s great to hear, Lou. Thank you for sharing.
Catherine
Loved it!!
I made it as a Thanksgiving side instead of roasted carrots. I wanted to have a lighter side amidst heavy potatoe/stuffing dishes.
I didn’t use honey and instead added some cranberries to sweeten it up for the Thanksgiving theme. Also our sweet potatoe dish is very sweet so wanted different. I also bought the red and yellow organic carrots to add to the orange color to make it festive. I did use chickpeas too and that was great for vegetarians
Will be making this frequently as a weekly dish
Gene M. Barrie
Gene;
I’m the cook for my wife who has Parkinson’s. This recipe is a hit for both of us.
I usually go to your website first to look up new recipes, and have never been disappointed.
Thank you.
Kate
I love to hear that, Gene! Thank you for sharing.
Jane
Refreshing, delicious. It was a perfect side with a black bean burger. Once again you’ve provided a wonderful recipe that I will make over and over again!