Carrot Salad with Toasted Walnuts and Golden Raisins

5 from 3 votes

Finely grated carrots and thinly sliced red onion bring vibrant color and crunch to this hearty salad that's earthy, tangy, and perfectly sweet.

Prep Time15

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American, French

Servings:

Calories: 311kcal

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion or shallot
1/2 cup golden raisins regular raisins (or currants/chopped dates) work well too
3 cups grated carrots about 9 medium-sized carrots or 1-pound
1/4 cup roughly chopped parsley or cilantro
1/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts see note
salt and pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard and olive oil. Next add the onion and raisins. Let sit for 5 minutes to allow the onions to soften and the raisins to absorb some of the dressing.
Next, add the shredded carrots, parsley, and walnuts to the dressing – toss to coat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Refrigerate before serving (I recommend making this 30 minutes to 1 hour ahead, then tossing again.) Serve chilled or room temperature.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:

Carrots: Dainty, delicate carrots aren’t the best for grating. Instead, look for large, sturdy carrots. Grating carrots can be a bit of a chore but I do think the end result is worth the effort. That being said, the pre-shredded bagged carrots commonly found in most supermarkets will work in a pinch.
Golden Raisins: I specify golden raisins in the recipe because of the color. That being said, regular raisins, or even currants, or chopped dates would be just as nice.
Walnuts: To toast walnuts place them on a baking tray in a 350F oven for 8-10 minutes. Note, even when I've bought pre-toasted nuts or have some on hand from a previous recipes; I like to toast them again just before using. It refreshes them and intensifies the natural nuttiness.

How-To Grate Carrots on a Box Grater:

First wash and peel the carrots. Next, place a box grater on a cutting board. Pick up a carrot by its thick end, and run its tip down the large holes of the grater. Continue this downward shredding motion until about 2 inches of the carrot remain intact. Stop here to avoid cutting your fingers on the holes of the box grater.
How-To Grate Carrots in a Food Processor: First wash and peel your carrots, cut off the ends and chop the carrots into chunks a few inches long. Fit your food processor with the grater disk (this comes in the box of most major food processor models). With the motor running, feed the carrots one by one into the shoot until they are all nicely grated. You may need to use the pusher provided with your food processor to push down any carrots that are not making contact with the shredding disc.

Storing Leftovers: