An Incredibly Easy Carrot Salad

I know we’ve all seen this salad out there.  Maybe it’s better called a slaw… I don’t know.  But the gist is carrots and raisins, sometimes I’ve seen sunflower seeds in there too.  I think normally it’s got some kind of mayo-based dressing, but not this time.  My carrot salad is so easy, it’s almost embarrassing, but boy, is it tasty, and a really welcome change of pace every once in a while!

The first thing to do is peel and shred some carrots.  We have a big 15 pound bag we’re eating out of that we’d gotten at the farmstand a few weeks back.  They’re on the smaller side, so I want to say it took about 8 carrots for our family, plus a little leftover.  I peeled them, lopped off the yucky ends, and shredded them in the food processor.  A box grater also works very well and makes quick work of shredding carrots.

The carrots then went into a bowl with about 3/4 cup of craisins.  My kids really prefer craisins to raisins, and the tart dried fruit makes an excellent counterpart to the sweet carrots.   I added a few grinds of black pepper, a pinch of salt, and a handful of fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley.  The parsley totally makes the dish- but I only used it because I had it on hand.  I would make the salad without the parsley if I didn’t have it.   Finally, I added a little dressing.  For my dressing I used a couple tablespoons of purchased Honey-Dijon Salad Dressing.  Mmmm, it was perfect.  You could certainly make your own dressing using a teaspoon of dijon, a tablespoon of honey, adding a drizzle of white wine or cider vinegar, and then some olive oil.  Cracking open a bottle was convenient this time though.

The result was a delightful salad to accompany our chicken dinner.  The kids loved it, the grown-ups loved it, and I honestly would serve it to company.  The best part is that it can be totally made ahead, so it can be made before company stops in, giving you more time to visit.  Use as many carrots as you’d like, and swap out the craisins for whatever dried fruit your family prefers.   This really easy and delicious salad is one I need to remember to make more often, because it’s a hit every single time.