Raw Carrot Salad

Carrots never tasted this good.

This shaved raw carrot salad could possibly be the easiest and quickest vegetable side dish you make all week. With just a handful of ingredients (and I mean a handful) and 10 minutes, you’ll have a boldly flavorful salad that I guarantee will become a repeat favorite.

I spent the majority of my life hating raw carrots, and to some extent I still do. I grew up in a salad household, and for as long as I could remember I was on salad duty. While most nights the salad had your usual suspects on occasion carrots made an appearance, and it was my job to grate or shred the carrots into the salad. Those darn carrots would cause my hands to swell up or break out in a rash every single time. Of course no one believed me and so my initial dislike for this orange vegetable started. Not to mention raw carrots need a really good sauce or dressing to taste good.

If you’re like me and this root vegetable is at the bottom of your list, then you need to try this salad. After spending years avoiding them once my salad duties were over, I now can’t seem to get enough.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

Great Single Serving Recipe – This recipe yields enough salad to serve 2-3 people, with approximately 3 very large carrots. However, it’s super easy to scale down if you’re cooking just for yourself. In fact, I love making this for myself for a bright and nutritious solo lunch, when I am short on time and don’t want to eat something heavy.

Healthy / Low Carb -It is just carrots (and a little olive oil). If you are pushing to get more vegetables in your diet this is the salad to try.

Packed with Vitamins – I could delve into all the hormonal benefits of eating raw carrots and how they play a significant role in liver, gut, and skin health, but let’s be real, you’re not here for that. The important thing to know is that carrots are packed with vitamins A, B, and C.

Quick, and Easy – Making this shaved raw carrot salad takes almost no effort and is done in under 10 minutes, 5 if you are a speedy peeler.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR THIS RAW CARROT SALAD

• Carrots – Large, chunky carrots are ideal for getting those long, wide ribbons; however, any carrot will work for this recipe.
• Soy Sauce
• Rice Vinegar – This recipe calls for seasoned rice vinegar, which provides a perfect balance of sweetness to complement the spice of the chili crisp and the umami from the soy sauce. I don’t recommend swapping this out for regular rice vinegar. While the carrots will still taste great, it really does need a hint of sweetness to come together.
• Chili Crisp – Open my fridge and you will find 3-4 chili crisps opened at once. Over the past few years, chili crisp has gone from being a product you needed to go to a specialty market for to overpopulating the shelves of your favorite chain supermarket. For this recipe, avoid a chili crisp with Sichuan peppers. While I love these varieties, I found the Sichuan flavor overpowered the carrots. Instead, opt for one in which garlic and onions are at the forefront of the sauce, such as the Momofuku Chili Crunch or even the Trader Joe’s Chili Onion Crunch.
• Sesame Seeds – Optional, but they do add a great texture to the ribbons.
• Oil – You need a neutral tasting oil for this recipe. Avocado oil or vegetable oil are great options. If all you have is olive you can use it if it is mild in flavor. No EVOO.

TOOLS NEEDED

The beauty of this dish is that it takes minutes to come together. The only preparation required is cutting the carrots thinly or small enough for the salad. Below are a few tools you could use to prep the carrots.

• Y Shaped Peeler – The quickest method is using a Y shaped peeler like this OXO Good Grips one. This peeler will allow you to get those long, thin ribbons in mere minutes.
• Mandoline – I typically avoid mandolines like the plague. I’ve only ever nicked my hand once or twice, but the cleanup is a pain. If you’re a fan of this gadget, don’t let me stop you; feel free to use it.
• Grater – The salad that is currently going viral now actually grates the carrots into small pieces instead of long smooth strips. This method works for this recipe as well.

HOW TO MAKE THIS RAW CARROT SALAD

Prep the Carrots – Break down and cut the carrots into the desired shape and size, using one of the recommended tools above. Place the cut carrots into a bowl to be dressed.

Make the Dressing – In a separate bowl, mix together olive oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili crisp. Feel free to adjust the amount of chili crisp to your liking and spice tolerance. This amount of dressing can comfortably dress 3 very large chunky carrots. If you are making this for a bigger crowd make sure you scale up the dressing.

Dress the Carrots – Pour the desired amount of dressing over the carrots and give it a toss. Top with sesame seeds and enjoy!

STORING/REHEATING

This raw carrot salad is best enjoyed fresh. Once the carrots are coated in the dressing, they will start to soften up from the rice vinegar and lose their wonderful crunchiness. If you like them a bit more soggy, almost like a pickle, you can store the carrots in the fridge for up to 2 days. The dressing can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

Need more Asian-inspired vegetable side dishes? Check out the below recipes.

Spicy Garlic Green Beans