This simple shredded carrot raisin salad is a delicious sweet and savory salad packed with flavor and texture with just 7 ingredients. Not only does it take just minutes to prep (especially when using a food processor to grate the carrots in seconds!), but the raw carrot means it’s packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber too! Luckily, it’s also delicious enough that it’s a simple crowd-pleaser for potlucks and gatherings (and can be made ahead especially!).
10-Minute Shredded Carrot Salad With Raisins
I love sweet and savory salad, often adding seasonal fruit to them – like this broccoli apple salad, herby watermelon feta salad, and Waldorf apple salad. I recently even posted a recipe for a winter fruit salad with honey ginger dressing. However, this shredded carrot salad with raisins can be prepared and enjoyed year-round! Carrot raisin salad recipes have been passed down generations, with many iterations along the way. Some versions use a Miracle Whip base, some with mayonnaise, some add sugar, some with marshmallows, some make carrot raisin pineapple salad, etc.; the list goes on. For this lightened-up carrot salad recipe without mayonnaise, I’ve ditched it for a simple (optionally sweetened) lemon-olive oil vinaigrette dressing and fresh mint. The result is fresh and has a delicious sweet-savory-tangy flavor with plenty of crunch. However, I’ve also included several flavor variations below! Want more sweet and savory salad inspiration after enjoying this healthy carrot raisin salad? You might also enjoy this grilled peach burrata salad, fresh pineapple cucumber salad, or Thai green papaya salad (Som Tam Thai)!
The Carrot Raisin Salad Ingredients
Carrots: I recommend using organic carrots when possible. Raisins: use regular raisins, golden raisins, or a mixture of both. Walnuts: use unsalted (raw or toasted) walnuts. Slithered almonds, pecans, and pistachios would also work as the nuts add crunch. Sunflower seeds would work as a nut-free option. Mint: while this is technically optional, I love the burst of freshness it adds. Dressing: this raisin and carrot salad uses a simple dressing of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper (optional), and lemon juice and/or vinegar. I recommend using a slightly sweeter variety, like apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar. Honey/maple syrup: technically optional, but adding honey (or maple for vegan) to the dressing is a popular, delicious addition. Start with 1 tsp and increase to taste – I usually add 2-3 tsp. A sugar-free sweetener would likely also work in this raisin carrot salad recipe.
Other Seasonings & Recipe Variations
There are several ways to enhance and adapt this shredded carrot salad with raisins, including:
Pineapple: carrot raisin pineapple salad is a popular combination. I recommend using 1/3-1/2 cup of fresh finely chopped pineapple. Very well-drained crushed pineapple/tidbits should also work. Apple: a shredded or diced tart apple like Granny Smith will add tang and balance against the sweetness, for a delicious carrot apple salad. Ginger: inspired by a German carrot salad add, a small amount of grated ginger/ginger paste (start with 1/2 tsp and increase to taste) to the dressing. Parsley: I like the added freshness of 2-3 Tbsp of chopped parsley either instead of or alongside the mint in this raisin carrot salad recipe. Other dry fruit: instead of, or alongside, the raisins, you could add chopped dates, craisins (dried cranberries) or other dried fruit. Carrot orange salad: add 1-2 oranges (peeled and halved orange segments). You can also make an orange dressing. Omit the pepper and adda tablespoon or two of orange juice, some honey/maple, and an optional dash of cinnamon. Carrot slaw with raisins: use half shredded cabbage and half carrot for a simple carrot raisin slaw. I also like to use half vinegar, half lemon juice in the dressing. Orange blossom water: add around 2 Tbsp orange blossom water and a pinch of cinnamon to the salad. A small amount of ginger would also work well in this version. Spices: a sprinkle of cinnamon and/or nutmeg works well. Mayonnaise: I specifically made this carrot raisin salad with a lighter dressing, but use mayonnaise (or vegan mayo) if preferred. Yogurt: if you want a creamy dressing without all the fat in mayonnaise, you could use plain/Greek yogurt (about ¼ cup) instead (optionally with a bit of vanilla extract).
How to Make Carrot Raisin Salad?
First, wash and optionally peel the carrots. Save the carrot peels in the freezer to make homemade vegetable stock. Then grate (using a box grater or food processor grating disk) or thinly slice (using a mandoline on the julienne setting) the carrots. Transfer them to a large serving bowl. You could also prepare this as a shaved carrot salad, using a vegetable slicer or mandoline to slice paper-thin carrot ribbons. Then, add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and gently toss. Give the raisin and carrot salad a taste and adjust (seasonings, lemon, honey/maple, etc.) to taste. You can also whisk the salad dressing in a separate bowl if you’d prefer to adjust the flavors separately before adding it to the shredded carrot salad. You can then technically serve the shredded raisin carrot salad at once. Though I recommend allowing it to sit for at least 30-60 minutes to allow all the flavors to meld and marinate. Bring this shredded carrot salad with raisins to potlucks, picnics, and gatherings, as well as serve it at BBQs or simply a quick mid-week side salad!
How to Make Ahead and Store?
Make ahead: I actually recommend making this raisin carrot salad recipe a few hours (or even a night) in advance to give all the flavors time to meld. Store: this shredded carrot salad with raisins is best consumed within 2-3 days. It will start to release water the longer it sits in the refrigerator. Store it wrapped tightly or in an airtight container.
Optionally soak the raisins: this can really help soften and plump them up, which some people definitely prefer. To do so, soak the raisins in hot liquid (water or juice – like apple juice) until plump. It’s best to let it marinate: even for just 30 minutes, though up to overnight even works well to allow all the flavors to meld. For quick prep: use a food processor to shred the carrots in seconds. Sweeten to taste: I’ve made the honey optional in this recipe, but feel free to sweeten to taste (starting with 1 tsp). Do you have to peel the carrots? Not at all, especially when well-scrubbed or using no-peel varieties. However, some people prefer the flavor and look without the peel, so do whichever you prefer. Can I use pre-prepared carrots? I don’t recommend it as they tend to have a different texture (and often flavor) and may not meld as well with the dressing. However, you can in a pinch.
More Simple Salad Recipes
Red Cabbage Salad Raw Cabbage Salad Asian Broccoli Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing Easy Beet and Carrot Salad
Or you might enjoy browsing through my entire collection of salad recipes! If you try this simple shredded carrot raisin salad recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
