Raw Shredded Carrot Salad With Lemon

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Raw shredded carrot salad with lemon is the perfect light and healthy side dish. This simple recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and comes together in just minutes! Plus, it's loaded with nutrients and delicious flavors - you'll love it! Perfect as a side dish for BBQs and potlucks, or as meal prep for school and work lunches.

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Carrot salad served in a white serving bowl and topped with lemon wedges.

This shredded carrot salad is one of my all-time favorite sides. The carrots are sweet and crunchy and pair perfectly with the tangy lemon juice. It's a great combination and nearly impossible to put your fork down.

It's also super quick and easy to make, perfect for a quick weeknight dinner!

This carrot salad is the perfect side dish for some of my favorite Smoker Recipes, such as Smoked Chuck Roast, Chili Lime Chicken, Smoked Salmon on Pellet Grill, and Smoked Burgers.

This cold carrot salad also goes with any meal, any time of the year, and is a perfect side dish to serve on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.

I also serve it with cozy comfort food like Classic Meatloaf or low-calorie mains like Air Fryer Tuna Patties and Air Fryer Tilapia.

It goes with pretty much anything! It even tastes fantastic on its own! 🙂

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More easy recipes
Why you will love this recipe
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
How to make carrot salad
Variations
Equipment
Storage
How to serve
Top Tips
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
More side dishes
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Why you will love this recipe

This is an easy recipe that only takes 5 minutes to make.
It is one of the healthiest side dishes, as carrots are loaded with nutrients.
It can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until you are ready to serve it.
This grated carrot salad is made with natural ingredients and tastes fantastic! It is so light and refreshing. You will love the simple combo of a shredded carrot with tangy lemon juice.
It goes with anything from weeknight dinners to holiday feasts. It has the perfect amount of crunch.
It is a great side, or can be used as a cold veggie salad in lunches. It is also perfect for meal prep because it stays fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days. I love it served right after it's made and after it's been sitting in the juice for a few days. Either way, it's delicious!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Only three simple ingredients are needed for this raw carrot salad recipe.

Ingredients for carrot salad on a cutting board, freshly grated carrots, lemon juice, and cane sugar

Raw Carrots. (Obviously 😊) Choose the best, freshest carrots you can, preferably organic carrots. We grow enough carrots in our garden to last the entire year. We store them in our root cellar in a bin with sand which keeps them fresh and crisp.
Lemon juice. You can use fresh or bottled lemon juice for this salad.
Cane sugar. I used cane sugar, but feel free to use white sugar, coconut sugar, or your favorite sweetener. Honey would also be a good substitute, but my daughter is allergic, so we never use it. Adjust the sugar to taste.

How to make carrot salad

For exact measurements of ingredients and detailed instructions, see the recipe card below.

I'm not kidding when I say this salad is super easy to make.

First, wash and peel your carrots with a vegetable peeler. Then shred them in your food processor using the shredding blade. You can also use the grating attachment on your KitchenAid mixer or use a box grater and grate them. I used a food processor; it shreds them in about 1 minute. 😊

If grating the carrots by hand, use the large holes of a box grater, not the small holes.

Freshly shredded carrots in the food processor

Next, place shredded carrot or grated carrot in a large bowl, and add sugar.

Add cane sugar to freshly grated carrots in a white bowl

Next, add lemon juice.

Add lemon juice to cane sugar and shredded carrots in white bowl

Toss well until the shredded carrots are covered in lemon juice.

Use a spoon to mix lemon juice, cane sugar, and shredded carrots well

Transfer to a serving bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap or a tight-fitting lid and place the salad in the fridge until ready to serve.

Stir before serving.

Enjoy!

Freshly made carrot salad served in white bowls with wedges of real lemon

Variations

There are so many variations for this simple salad. Some fun ones to try are:

If you want a bit of crunch, add chopped nuts or seeds.
For a bit of color, add chopped green onions, fresh dill, fresh parsley, or fresh cilantro.
For a bit more sweetness, add in raisins or dried cranberries.
Make a more robust salad by adding shredded cabbage or Brussels sprouts.
Try using different dressings or top with feta cheese.
For a different flavor, use lime juice instead of lemon juice.
For a Hawaiian flavor, mix shredded carrots with pineapple juice instead of lemon juice, and add fresh diced pineapple.
Make a Moroccan raw carrot salad by adding extra virgin olive oil, chickpeas, raisins, slivered almonds, chopped garlic, ground cumin, and black pepper.

Equipment

To make this delicious salad, you will need:

Vegetable peeler.
Either a box grater or a food processor
A large mixing bowl
Tongs for mixing, or a wooden spoon

Storage

To store this raw carrot salad so it will stay fresh and crispy, place it in an airtight container. Then, place the salad in the fridge for up to 4 days. Mix before serving.

This salad does not freeze well.

How to serve

This tasty side dish goes well alongside any grilled or barbecued meat, sandwiches, or by itself. It keeps well in a cooler, is perfect for potlucks, and tastes great in school and work lunches. I make a big bowl of this salad and serve it in lunches for the entire week.

Freshly made shredded carrot salad served in 2 small bowls with lemon wedges, with a large serving bowl of carrot salad in the background

Top Tips

Use a food processor to shred the carrots. This will save you time and ensure that the carrots are evenly shredded.
Go easy on the sweetener. Carrots are naturally sweet vegetables, and some varieties of carrots are sweeter. Our carrots are pretty sweet, so I don't need to add much sweetener. Instead, taste as you go; you can always add more sugar later if needed.
Toss everything together until evenly mixed, then taste and adjust the sweetener as necessary.
Let the carrot salad sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld together.
When you are ready to serve, give it a quick stir, making sure to grab some yummy juice that has moved to the bottom of the bowl and add it on top.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do you keep grated carrots from turning brown?

Exposing the grated carrots to air is what can cause them to turn brown. However, because these carrots are tossed in lemon juice, they won't turn brown. Also, keep plastic wrap or a tight-fitting lid on the carrot salad.

How do you shred carrots for a salad?

The easiest method is to use a food processor. If you don't have one, use a box grater. Place the grater on a cutting board and, using a downward motion, move the carrot from the top of the grater to the bottom. Repeat this motion until 1-2 inches of carrot remain. Keep your fingers out of the way!

How many carrots equal a cup?

It takes about 1.25-1.5 large carrots or 2.5-2.75 medium carrots to make 1 cup of grated carrots. I used seven large carrots for this recipe to get 5 cups of shredded carrots.

What are the health benefits of carrots?

Carrots are an excellent source of Vitamin A, which is essential for healthy skin, vision, and immune function. They also improve your thyroid health, help to prevent migraines, and support liver health. Raw carrot fiber also improves metabolic rate, which can help with weight management due to its low calorie and high nutrient density. They also help regulate blood pressure and maintain normal heart function. In addition, carrots contain antioxidants that help to protect cells from damage and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer. Raw carrots also can help to balance hormones and prevent excess estrogen accumulation. This is due to carrots' special fiber that helps bind estrogen and remove it from the body. In summary, carrots are whole food, meaning they contain all the nutrients needed for good health.

Homemade cold carrot salad served in 2 small serving dishes and 1 large serving bowl, all served with lemon wedges

More side dishes

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