Fresh and flavorful, this carrot salad recipe is infused with Indian flavor! Studded with toasted cashews and raisins, fresh grated carrots are tossed in a delicious Indian curry dressing. Easy, healthy, vegan, and perfect for gatherings!
Why you’ll love this Carrot Salad
As a chef, I love creating recipes that elevate humble ingredients, like in this case, the underappreciated carrot. Here’s an easy carrot salad recipe that really brings out the best in carrots! Indian spices come together to create the flavorful curry dressing, and the carrot salad is generously dotted with cashews and raisins, providing the best texure.
The best part is that this carrot salad gets even better with time! Make it ahead for the busy week and enjoy a nutritious salad throughout the week. Rich in vitamin A and many other nutrients, carrots are not only delcious, they are healthy and full of many health benefits.
Carrot Salad Recipe Ingredients
- Fresh Grated Carrots– the star of the recipe! or use store-bought matchstick carrots.
- Garlic and ginger- for a kick of punchy flavor.
- Raisins– golden raisins or regular raisins.
- Toasted Cashews– or slivered almonds
- Herbs: scallions, cilantro (or Italian parsley)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Orange and lime juice (or sub apple cider vinegar)
- Maple syrup– or sub honey, agave, or alternative sweetener
- Spices: salt, pepper , yellow curry powder, turmeric and cayenne
Carrot Salad Variations
- add toasted coconut flakes!
- add chickpeas for extra protein!
How to make Carrot Salad
Step one: Grate the carrots! If you scrub them, there is no need to peel them. You’ll need 4-5 cups.
Step 2: Place the grated carrots in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients, and toss to combine. Adjust salt to taste.
Storing Your Carrot Salad
This carrot salad gets even better with time and will keep up to 4-5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Serving suggestions
Serve with Crispy Tofu, or Baked chicken, alongside a sandwich, or wrap!
I really hope you enjoy this cartto salad! It’s one of those salads that will make you happy knowing it is in the fridge waiting for you- especially during hunger emergencies. xoxo Sylvia
More Carrot recipes you may like:
- 40 Must-Try Vegan Salads
- Carrot Salad with Quinoa and Almonds
- Moroccan Lentil Salad
- Celery Salad with Lentils, Dates and Almonds
- North African Carrot Soup with Chermoula
Indian Carrot Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 15
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 cups
- Category: Salad, vegan, Make-ahead, gluten free
- Method: Tossed
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Carrot Salad is studded with cashews and tossed in the most flavorful Indian curry dressing. Simple to make, healthy vegan, this carrot salad recipe is so addicting!
Ingredients
- 10-12 ounces carrots, grated or matchstick (about 4- 5 cups, feel free to use store-bought matchsticks)
- 1 tablespoon lime or orange zest (or some of both)
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced ( use a garlic press)
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely minced ( or use ginger paste)
- 1/3 cup raisins ( golden or regular)
- 1/2 cup toasted cashews ( or slivered almonds)
- 3 scallions
- 1/2 cup cilantro or italian parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (or sub apple cider vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons, maple syrup, honey or agave or alternative sweetener
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric ( or use 1-2 teaspoons fresh grated)
- 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne ( optional, and/ or more to taste)
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a bowl and toss well. Taste. Adjust salt, acid and sweetness to taste.
This will keep up to 4 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 251
- Sugar: 18.8 g
- Sodium: 307.3 mg
- Fat: 15.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 29.1 g
- Fiber: 3.8 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I’ve made this three times now. It is our new favorite salad. I keep forgetting to buy turmeric so I’ve just used more curry. One of these days I’ll make it with turmeric and see if it’s different. So far, so delicious!
So happy you are enjoying!
So good, I can’t stop making this salad. It’s been a hit at family gatherings and a meal prep recipe on repeat. I love adding in torn kale leaves, too.
Kale sounds great! So happy you are loving this. 🙂
Cheating and using matchstick carrots makes this so fast and easy and it’s so delicious. Def do toasted coconut and cashews. Thank you, we loooove it! Tastes even better the next day too!
Love the short cut- do what works! Happy you are enjoying this salad!
Very tasty! This one is a keeper.
Awesome!
Help! I found this recipe on your site (which I use ALL THE TIME) when I googled “curried carrot cashew spread” to look for a recipe to recreate a delish spread I had once a long time ago. I will definitely make this salad! But for a spread I want to make for a gathering next weekend, I wonder if this combo of ingredients sans cilantro and raisins, adjusted for a thick spread consistency (more cashews? less liquid?), be pulsed in a food processor and work? Please let me know what you think. I have 100% trust in your instincts! Thank you, Team FAH.
Sounds like a fun experiment! I would add minced cilantro after pulsed. If you do cashews, maybe soak them first so they blend up cream. A scoop of vegan mayo or greek yogurt might be nice. Let us know what you try!
Excellent flavors. Easy recipe and quick to put together.
Great to hear Debbie!
Another outstanding recipe! The secret is the not-too-sweet, extra savory dressing. I added some chickpeas (about half a can) for extra heft.
Sounds great! Glad you enjoyed.
Another recipe that hits it out of the ballpark! Thank you!
Great to hear Renee!
Made this salad last night to accompany butter chicken.
It was a perfect match, providing freshness with the curry. I will definitely make again.
Great to hear this Kate!