This bright, fresh, zingy carrot salad is perfect in a Buddha bowl, as a quick side dish or stuffed in a baguette with lashings of creamy hummus for lunch.
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Carrot Season
Did you know that carrots are the UK’s major root veg crop and that they are harvested for almost 12 months of the year?
This means that I make this salad one way or another once a week or so, all year round.
I love the fresh flavour, the crisp crunch and the vibrance of it.
Carrots bring colour to every seasonal plate, shining their light on even the darkest of winter days.
They are packed full of fibre, vitamins and the supernutrient beta carotene. For more carrot facts check out Great British Carrots – I spent more time than is seemly reading about this delicious root once I found them!
Ingredients
For this recipe you will need:
- 4 medium carrots – I used three orange carrots and one purple because I had one in my veg drawer and it looks so pretty!
- 1 small red onion
- cider vinegar
- olive oil
- pumpkin seeds
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Variations
You might also like to add one or more of these extras:
- raisins, sultanas or dried cranberries
- chopped herbs – parsley, thyme, coriander (cilantro) or mint
- nuts – almonds, cashews. raw peanuts and walnuts all work well
- a drizzle of maple syrup or tahini
- grated raw beetroot
How To Make Carrot Salad – Tips
This carrot salad is super easy to make. These tips should make it even simpler!
Simply peel the onion, cut it in half and slice very thinly into half moons.
Peel and grate the carrots. A food mixer with a grater attachment will achieve this in a matter of seconds but a box grater will work just as well.
Gently fry the pumpkin seeds in the olive oil to crisp them up a bit. Turn the heat off as soon as they start popping. Let them cool.
If you want to make this salad oil free simply toast the seeds for a minute or two in a dry frying pan.
Combine all the ingredients and any extras in a large bowl and season to taste.
Serving Suggestions
A simple carrot salad complements so many dishes and is a useful addition to so many meals. It is fabulous with my Leek Tart or:
- as a side with my Pesto Pasta Bake with Hidden Veg
- in a burger bun with my Green Lentil Burgers
- with my Vegan Fish Pie
- or my Lentil Bake
Or just stuff it in a baguette with lashings of store-bought or homemade hummus!
Storage
Store leftover salad in an airtight container.
It will keep for 2 or 3 days in the fridge.
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Quick Carrot Salad
Ingredients
- 4 medium carrots
- 1 small red onion
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 2 tsp cider vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel and grate the carrots using the grater attachment in your food processor or a handheld box grater.
- Peel and halve the onion. Slice thinly.
- Heat the oil in a small pan and gently fry the seeds for a minute or two. Remove from heat.
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.
- Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.
