Carrot Slaw with Cranberries, Walnuts & Citrus Vinaigrette
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An autumn spin on the classic grated carrot salad, this carrot slaw is dotted with dried cranberries and toasted walnuts.
I’ve always loved the classic French grated carrot salad, and this carrot slaw is a tasty twist on it. With dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, and scallions tossed in a citrus vinaigrette, it’s crunchy, tangy, and just the right amount of sweet. Perfect with a warm crusty baguette for lunch or as a healthy side to sandwiches or burgers.
What You’ll Need To Make Carrot Slaw With Citrus Vinaigrette
- Walnuts: Coarsely chopped and toasted for added crunch and a nutty, aromatic flavor.
- Shredded carrots: The base of the slaw, providing a fresh, crunchy texture. If you have carrots to use up, you can quickly shred them in a food processor. Otherwise, pre-shredded carrots from the produce section work just as well.
- Walnut oil or Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Adds richness and depth to the citrus vinaigrette. If you have walnut oil on hand, it’s wonderful, but it’s pricey—so not worth purchasing just for this salad. Use whichever you prefer.
- Lemon zest and juice: Brings bright, tangy acidity that balances the sweetness of the dish.
- Fresh orange juice: Adds sweetness and a softer citrus note that complements the lemon.
- Honey: Adds natural sweetness, balancing the tartness of the citrus and cranberries.
- Dried cranberries: Chewy and tart-sweet, they contrast nicely with the crunch of the carrots and nuts.
- Scallions: Adds a mild onion flavor for a bit of freshness.Fresh Italian parsley: Chopped for a bright, herbaceous finish.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, toast the walnuts in the oven until fragrant to enhance their flavor.
Next, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.
Toss to combine. If possible, let the salad sit for at least 15 minutes to give the carrots a chance to soak up the dressing.
Before serving, toss in the walnuts.
Enjoy!
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Carrot Slaw with Cranberries, Toasted Walnuts & Citrus Vinaigrette
An autumn spin on the classic grated carrot salad, this carrot slaw is dotted with dried cranberries and toasted walnuts.
Ingredients
- ½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1 pound shredded carrots, or 1⅓ pounds carrots, peeled and shredded
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or walnut oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, from 1 orange
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Set oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Place walnuts on baking sheet and bake until toasted and fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Combine all remaining ingredients in a large bowl and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Season to taste with salt, pepper, honey or more citrus. Toss in walnuts and serve.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (5 servings)
- Calories: 184
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Sugar: 20 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Sodium: 183 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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This recipe is just amazing. It’s light refreshing n has a nice balance between acidic and sweet. Will definitely be keeping this recipe.
Excellent!!
This was very light and tasty, perfect to bring to a summer barbeque.
Hi Jenn,
I plan to bring this salad to a large family gathering and I will use olive oil instead of the walnut oil as the hostess is allergic to nuts. Do you have a suggestion for a substitute for the walnuts or do you suggest I just omit the walnuts altogether? I haven’t yet tried this salad but never hesitate to bring any of your recipes to gatherings, whether I’ve tried them or not.They are always a huge success!
Hi Barb, You can just omit them — will still be delicious 🙂
This salad is beautiful and comes together very easily. I used multi-colored carrots and a blood orange olive oil from the Temecula Olive Oil Company. Simply smashing!
This carrot slaw was a winner! I prefer purple onion over green, so that is what I used. Everyone came back for seconds (or thirds.) It was also good leftover. Once I made this and burned the walnuts, so do watch them closely.
Very delicious, flavors work great together.
What a lovely refreshing salad. I reconstitute my cranberries with a little boiling water first though.
Made this with pomegranate seeds instead of dried cranberries. Wicked wonderful. Thank you.
Just made the carrot and walnut salad. This is probably the best carrot salad I have eaten in my life! Bright, fresh, delicious. The lemon zest and the green onions make it delicious.