This 5-Minute Raw Carrot Salad is made with just 4 budget-friendly ingredients. Packed with antioxidants and vitamins, this gut-healthy recipe is the perfect snack or side. It's crunchy, tangy, and slightly sweet, making it an easy and delicious way to get more veggies into your diet.
Plus, this versatile salad is low in calories and high in fiber, making it a great option for those looking to maintain a healthy weight. It leaves you feeling satisfied for hours. Make a big batch ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to four days. This way, when hunger strikes, you are armed with a healthy snack!
This easy budget recipe was inspired by my creamy 6-ingredient Easy Beet Hummus on this site, as well as this 6-ingredient Red Cabbage Salad.
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👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- Carrots are an excellent source if several vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, including vitamin A. The extra-virgin olive oil in the dressing increases the absorption of this fat-soluble vitamin. Regular consumption of carrots may support maintaining a healthy immune system, vision, skin, and digestion. Plus, eating carrots may improve dental health by increasing saliva production, which helps to neutralize harmful bacteria in the mouth.
- Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) add protein, heart healthy fats, and fiber. Plus, they're packed with nutrients and vitamins, including manganese, phosphorus, vitamin K, iron, zinc, and copper.
- Fresh herbs are an easy way to add flavor to meals without adding excess calories or sodium. They can help to enhance the taste of healthy foods and make them more enjoyable to eat. Use herbs you already have on hand to pack in more flavor.
- A good quality extra-virgin olive oil is preferable for the best flavor, but you can use what you have on hand. The oil in this salad is essential for absorbing the vitamin A in the carrots.
- Lemon zest adds a citrusy tang that complements this dish delectably.
See recipe card for quantities.
🥕 Substitutions
- Lemon juice - use apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar instead as needed
- Herbs - Fresh parsley, cilantro, mint, or dill go perfectly, or you can use dried herbs (Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, cilantro, dill or thyme) if you do not have fresh on hand.
- Carrots - make this raw vegetable salad with zucchini, yellow squash, or beets instead
- Pepitas - The pumpkin seeds are optional. Substitute with toasted sesame seeds, pine nuts, or slivered almonds as desired.
Try this high-protein Salad with Asian Dressing for a balanced and satisfying salad main. For more easy and healthy salad recipes, visit my Vegan Salad Recipes page on this site.
📖 Instructions
The pepitas in this recipe are optional. If you would like to add them, I recommend roasting raw pepitas to bring out their best texture and flavor. Or use store-bought roasted pumpkin seeds to save time.
Step 1 (optional): Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Toss the raw pepitas with a drizzle of olive oil, and a dash of salt. Spread them onto a lined baking sheet. Bake them for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown, tossing them halfway through.
Step 2. Combine the carrots, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, fresh herbs, and pepitas (if using) in a medium bowl. Toss to combine until the carrot ribbons are evenly coated in the oil and juice. Season with salt and pepper.
💡 Expert Tips
- Peel the carrots and discard of the skins before grating or peeling the carrots for the salad.
- Either peel the carrots using a Y peeler to create a ribbon-style raw carrot salad, or grate them on the largest holes of a box grater for a French-style grated carrot salad.
- Use a microplane or fine grater to zest the lemon. It is important to only grate the outermost layer of the lemon peel, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath.
- Storage: Make this ahead of time to snack on during the week. Refrigerate any remaining Raw Carrot Salad in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
Carrots are rich in carotenoids such as beta-carotene which are thought to provide health benefits in decreasing the risk of disease, particularly certain cancers and eye disease. They are also rich in vitamin C, and dietary fiber. This includes both insoluble and soluble fibre, which means they are great for gut-health.
Will this salad help to rid the body of excess estrogen? To date, there is no research showing that raw carrot consumption effects estrogen levels in the body. In addition, there is no research or publications to support the claims that there is a unique fiber in raw carrots that balances hormone levels.
Many of the videos on TikTok credit this salad to curing migraines. There’s nothing unique to a raw carrot salad that will curb migraines. However, carrots do contain carotenoids and anthocyanins, and as part of an antioxidant-rich diet, may play a role in reducing oxidative stress which in turn could offer potential benefits for easing migraines.
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📖 Recipe
Raw Carrot Salad Recipe
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Ingredients
- 4 medium carrots peeled, grated with a Y peeler
- Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ lemon zest and juice, or to taste
- ¼ cup chopped parsley or cilantro, basil, or dill
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ⅓ cup roasted pepitas (optional)
Instructions
- Optional: To roast the pepitas, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Toss them with a drizzle of olive oil, and a dash of salt. Spread them onto a lined baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown, tossing them halfway through. Or puchase store-bought roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) to save time.
- Combine the carrots, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, fresh herbs, and pepitas (if using) in a medium bowl. Toss to combine until the carrot ribbons are evenly coated in the oil and juice. Season with salt and pepper.
Notes
-
- Peel the carrots and discard of the skins before grating or peeling the carrots for the salad.
-
- Either peel the carrots using a Y peeler to create a ribbon-style raw carrot salad, or grate them on the largest holes of a box grater for a French-style grated carrot salad.
-
- Use a microplane or fine grater to zest the lemon. It is important to only grate the outermost layer of the lemon peel, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath.
- Storage: Make this ahead of time to snack on during the week. Refrigerate any remaining Raw Carrot Salad in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Heidi G says
I am telling everyone about this salad. I can't believe how good it is when it literally takes less than 5 minutes to make! It's so satisfying with the tang and crunch. Thanks!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
It's amazing that healthy and delicious can happen so fast:) Thank you for letting others know. I appreciate it.
Deb says
I did not expect this salad to be so good! Now I’m obsessed with it; so quick to make( I actually grated the carrots in the food processor) and subbed roasted sunflower seeds and added some olives. Delish!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Using the food processor is a 'grate' idea! I'm always amazed by how delicious these simple ingredients taste together.
Amina says
Refreshing & colourful. Perfect for the summer!
Nisha Melvani says
Yes! I make this one a lot in the summer. Enjoy!