Gluten Free
Shaved Carrot Salad 🥕
Prep
10 minutes
Yield
3 -4
This Shaved Carrot Salad is crisp, vibrant, and tossed in a sesame-lime dressing that softens the carrots while still keeping the crunch. It’s quick to make, vegan, and perfect as a make-ahead side.
This Shaved Carrot Salad is one of those low-effort, high-reward recipes. The recipe is incredibly easy and is so good for you. Carrots are great for so many things like your eye sight, skin, digestion, and more, and they’re incredibly budget-friendly. This salad leans on Asian-inspired with the soy sauce, ginger, and garlic, and can be adjusted to your likes, needs, or whatever you have in your fridge. It also keeps well in the fridge thanks to the hardiness of carrots, making it great as a fresh side, healthy snack, or topper to throw in a salad or bowl.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Shaved Carrot Recipe
- Crunchy but Tender: Shaved carrots (not grated or julienned) soften in the dressing while still keeping that fresh, satisfying bite and crunch. The salt, acid, and a little rest time makes them perfectly crisp and not mushy.
- Big Flavor (but Flexible): This version leans on sesame-lime, Asian-inspired flavors, but it’s easy to switch up with herbs, seeds, healthy salad dressing, or protein like chickpeas, tofu, or leftover chicken to make this salad your own.
- Make-Ahead: This Shaved Carrot Recipe keeps well for days, works as a side, bowl topper, or light lunch, and pairs nicely with proteins or extra add-ins. It’s adaptable to what’s in your fridge and so so good!
Ingredients
Carrots: Shaving the carrots into long ribbons (using a peeler or mandolin) creates the ideal thickness for the perfect bite and texture that softens with salt and acid without having to cook. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene and fiber, supporting eye health, digestion, and your skin. As they sit in the dressing, the carrots mellow and soak up flavor while still keeping their crunch. This is one of my fav healthy salad recipes.
Sesame Oil: A little goes a long way. Sesame oil brings that warm, nutty, Asian-inspired depth that makes this salad so yummy. Sesame oil pairs perfectly with raw vegetables, helping carry flavor while also supporting the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A from the carrots.
How to Make Shaved Carrot Salad
- To a large glass jar or bowl, add the rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, kosher salt, grated ginger, grated garlic and chili flakes. Shake the dressing in the jar to combine or whisk if using a bowl.
- Add the thinly shaved carrots, fresh chopped cilantro and finely diced jalapeno (or sub chili flakes) and give everything a good shake if using a jar or toss to coat the carrots with the dressing if use a bowl.
- Top with sesame seeds and enjoy!Refrigerate the salad in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Tips and Tricks
- Shave the Carrots: Use a vegetable peeler or mandolin to create long carrot ribbons. This thickness is key for texture. They’ll be thin enough to soften quickly, but sturdy enough to keep a satisfying crunch.
- Let the Dressing Marinate: The combo of salt, acid, and time softens the carrots without cooking. If you have an extra 10–15 minutes, let the salad rest before serving for even better flavor.
- Spice Level: Fresh jalapeño gives a clean, bright heat, while chili flakes offer a more subtle, adjustable kick. Start small and build to the spiciness you like.
- Shake It Up: Mixing the dressing in a jar helps emulsify everything evenly and makes coating the carrots super easy.
- Make it Your Own: Add fresh herbs, nuts, seeds, or dried fruit for texture, or bulk it up with chickpeas, lentils, tofu, or chicken to turn it into a well-rounded, easy meal.
- Meal Prep: This salad keeps well in an airtight container for 3–4 days. The carrots will soften slightly over time, making it perfect for make-ahead lunches.
Variations
Like many salad recipes, this Shaved Carrot Salad is incredibly versatile and you can make it your own. Here’s some inspo to get you started:
Flavor Twists
- Citrus: Swap lime for lemon or orange juice and add a little zest for a brighter, fresher flavor.
- Mediterranean-Style: Use lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and oregano, and finish with fresh parsley or even toasted pine nuts for an added crunch.
- Creamy: If you want your Carrot Salad to have a bit of a creaminess, add a spoonful of plain yogurt or tahini to the dressing for that extra texture.
Texture Add-Ins
- Nuts & Seeds: Add toasted peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, or sesame seeds for an extra crunch.
- Fresh Herbs: Cilantro, mint, parsley, or a mix, can add a different flavor profile and texture.
- Sweetness: Dried cranberries, raisins, or chopped dates can add a little sweet to the savory flavor.
Best served with
How to Store Leftovers
The beauty of this Carrot Salad is that due to the hardiness of carrots, it lasts in the fridge for 3-4 days and still stays crunchy while slightly softening and marinating in the flavors from the dressing.
Common Questions
Shaved carrot salad is made with long, thin ribbons of carrot (not grated or finely julienned) tossed in a flavorful dressing. The ribbons soften slightly from salt and acid while still keeping a fresh, crunchy bite.
A simple vegetable peeler is the easiest and most beginner-friendly option, but a mandolin or spiralizer works too.
Yes! It’s actually better after it sits for a bit, as the dressing helps soften the carrots and deepens the flavor.
Stored in an airtight container, it keeps well for about 3–4 days. The carrots will soften slightly over time but won’t go soggy.
Absolutely. Carrots are rich in fiber and beta-carotene which helps with digestion, eye and skin health, while the simple dressing keeps things light and nourishing. It’s naturally vegan and easy to adapt for gluten-free or nut-free.
You can mix in fresh herbs, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or cheese alternatives for extra texture and flavor. For a more filling option, add chickpeas, lentils, tofu, or leftover chicken and serve it as a bowl or side.
Shaved Carrot Salad 🥕
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 lime, juiced
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp grated garlic
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
- 6 large carrots, peeled and thinly shaved
- ⅓ cup fresh chopped cilantro
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- To a large glass jar or bowl, add the rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, kosher salt, grated ginger, grated garlic and chili flakes. Shake the dressing in the jar to combine or whisk if using a bowl.
- Add the thinly shaved carrots, fresh chopped cilantro and finely diced jalapeno (or sub chili flakes) and give everything a good shake if using a jar or toss to coat the carrots with the dressing if use a bowl.
- Top with sesame seeds and enjoy!Refrigerate the salad in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Notes
- Refrigerate the salad in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
- We love to prep this carrot salad to enjoy during the week!
- If you aren’t a fan of spicy flavours, omit the chili flakes if desired.
