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This Carrot Raisin Salad is made with no mayo. Yup! I swapped the creamy dressing for a flavorful vinaigrette made with infused olive oil. In addition to the tasty vinaigrette, this salad is packed with fresh flavors from cilantro and scallions. And to finish, it gets a nutty toppings that adds deep and SO much crunchy texture.
This salad was born out of a desire to revamp the carrot salad I grew up eating as a kid in the Midwest. And as someone who has been developing recipes for more than 10 years, a fried crunchy topping is one of my favorite ways to amp up the flavor and textures of a salad.
The simple method of frying aromatics, spices and nuts works double time. It infuses oil that can be used for a vinaigrette, and it results in a toasty, crunchy topping that adds texture to the salad.
If that wasn’t enough, I added a hearty dose of fresh cilantro (you can use parsley) and scallions, and infused the oil with coriander seeds, orange, bay leaf, and garlic. There is certainly no shortage of flavor here!
Ingredients in Grated Carrot and Raisin Salad
- Carrots: I recommend shredding the carrots by hand or using a food processor because the shreds are thinner and smaller than what you can buy pre-shredded.
- Raisins: I keep it classic with regular raisins. Golden raisins, currants or chopped dates would all be great options to try.
- Scallions: the white and light parts get fried and the greens are added at the end.
- Almonds: use whole, raw almonds.
- Orange: you can also use lemon.
- Garlic: you’ll need one large clove of garlic.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: use something robust in flavor.
- Bay leaves: fresh or dried work here. They’re used to infuse the oil, if you don’t have them, they can easily be skipped altogether.
- Coriander seeds: Be sure to crush them in a mortar and pestle or lightly grind them in a spice grinder. Cumin seeds would be a great option as well.
- White wine vinegar: tarragon, rice or champagne vinegar would also work.
- Dijon mustard: adds tang, savoriness and overall depth to the vinaigrette. Don’t skip this.
- Cilantro: a natural pairing with coriander seeds since cilantro is the fresh herb of the seed! If you don’t like the taste, use parsley.
How to Make Carrot Salad Recipe with Raisins
- Shred the carrots either on a large hole grater or using a food processor.
- Infuse the oil by sizzling the olive oil, orange peels, scallion whites (save those greens for the salad!), bay leaves and garlic together.
- Once the orange peels start to curl and toast, add almonds and cook until golden brown and toasted.
- Remove the pan from heat and add coriander seeds, let toast off heat for 1 minute.
- Strain the oil into a large bowl and transfer nut/seed mixture to a paper towel-lined plate; season with salt.
- Mince the browned garlic clove and one orange peel; transfer to the bowl with oil. Add vinegar, Dijon, and orange juice and whisk to combine (this is the vinaigrette).
- Add the reserved scallion greens, carrots, raisins and cilantro; toss to combine then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and top with the nut/seed mixture, making sure to tuck some into the salad.
Test Kitchen Tips
- Raw or dry-toasted nuts tend to soften over time in a salad like this. If you toast the nuts in oil, they retain crunch much longer. One more reason to make that crunchy topping!
- Grating the carrots by hand or with a food processor results in a smaller, thinner carrot shred that’s superior to pre-shredded carrots. In a pinch you can use pre-shredded carrots, just know the texture will be a bit different and the salad will taste more raw.
Storing Carrot Raisin Salad
This salad is best served immediately and enjoyed within the first couple of days. It will last up to five days stored in the refrigerator in a container with a tight fitting lid.
Do not freeze this salad.
If you want to make this salad ahead of time, store the crunchy topping separately, in an airtight container and at room temperature, until you’re ready to serve.
What to Serve it With
Keep the menu simple! Pair this salad with my Brined Pork Chops and round out the meal with No-Knead Focaccia.
More Popular Salads from ZK
Carrot and Raisin Salad Recipe
Description
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Ingredients
- 1 orange
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 large scallions (1 bunch), thinly sliced, green and white parts separated
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
- ½ cup whole raw almonds, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 6 cups shredded carrots (1 ½ lb.)
- ¾ cup raisins
- ¾ cup chopped cilantro or parsley
- Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel four 3-inch strips of orange peel, making sure to avoid white pith; reserve orange for later. Add orange peels to a small skillet with oil, scallion whites and light green parts, bay leaves, and smashed garlic; stir to combine.
- Heat skillet over medium and cook oil mixture, stirring occasionally, until orange peels start to curl and toast, about 3 minutes. Add almonds and cook, stirring frequently, until almonds are browned, 2–3 minutes. Off heat, stir in coriander seeds and let sit 1 minute.
- Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set in a large bowl; reserve oil. Pour nut mixture onto a paper towel-lined plate, making sure to get all of the coriander seeds; season with salt and let cool.
- Once cool, discard bay leaves and mince garlic cloves and one orange peel. Add minced garlic and orange peel, vinegar and Dijon to large bowl with reserved oil. Juice reserved orange (should measure at least ¼ cup) and add to large bowl; whisk until emulsified.
- Add reserved scallions greens, carrots, raisins, cilantro, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; toss to combine then season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer salad to a serving dish and sprinkle nut-seed mixture over top, making sure to tuck some into the salad.
