Healthy Carrot Raisin Salad Vegan Gluten Free

I have been making grated carrot salad for years, I am French, and French carrot salad is one of my childhood food memory that my kids love. But since I discovered the combination of shredded carrots and raisins, I couldn’t go back. The family loves the mix of sweet, moist golden raisins and crunchy sweet carrots so much! It’s a great alternative to Pasta Salad with Balsamic Dressing, Vegan Couscous Salad, or Vegan Soba Noodle Salad.

Ingredients and Substitutions

All you need to make this flavorsome vegan salad are:

Carrots – You need fresh carrots for this. Golden Raisins – Or any other type of raisin. Nuts and Seeds – I used a combination of pumpkin seeds, pecan, and sliced almonds but feel free to use the one you love the most. Olive Oil – I prefer extra-virgin olive oil. Lemon Juice – Fresh or bottled. Orange Juice – or more lemon juice, but the mix of lemon and orange brings out the carrot flavor even more. Dijon Mustard – You can also use American mustard, but Dijon mustard tastes better for this recipe. Maple Syrup or any liquid sweetener you love or even a pinch of sugar. Spices – I used a blend of spices: cumin, curry powder, and turmeric to make this simple carrot salad absolutely decadent. Of course, feel free to omit any spices you don’t have or don’t like. Fresh Parsley or fresh coriander both taste good with carrots. Salt and Pepper – to season.

How To Make Healthy Carrot Raisin Salad

So let me tell you how to make this easy, healthy carrot raisin salad in 15 minutes.

Lemon Orange Olive Oil Dressing

Make the salad dressing. While most carrot salads use mayo, this is a carrot raisin salad without mayo to decrease the saturated fat. Instead, I am using healthy fats from olive oil, adding the most delicious Mediterranean flavor to the salad. Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl, whisk until well combined, and set aside.

Assembling The Salad

To assemble the carrot salad, top the bowl containing the grated carrot with:

Fresh chopped herbs Golden raisins Toasted nuts and seeds Salad dressing

Toss everything together to coat the carrots evenly with the salad dressing. You can also make my Miso Tahini Dressing for a different taste. Serve as a side dish to tempeh falafel or any meal you love.

Variations

You can use this vegan carrot salad recipe to create a variety of flavors. For example, you can add a sweet fruit to the salad that marries very well with the sweet flavor of carrots.

Carrot Raisin Apple Salad – Carrot-apple is a classic combination in cooking, but choose the apple wisely! Green apples are tangy, less mushy, and less sweet and go perfectly well with carrots compared to over varieties. Add about 1 cup of fine cubes or grated green apple to the salad. Carrot Raisin Pineapple Salad – make this salad with pineapple cubes, fresh or canned, for a refreshing summer carrot salad.

Storage Instructions

This carrot salad stores much longer in the fridge if you don’t toss the dressing in the salad. Without the dressing, the salad lasts up to 4 days in an airtight container. But, with dressing, the salad keeps its best flavor for only 2 days. After that time, the carrots soften and lose their crunch.