This Lemon Dijon Carrot Salad is a fun and elegant way to serve a delicious and nutritious carrot side dish. For this side, we combine julienned carrots, chives, pineapple, walnuts, and raisins with a subtle but flavorful lemon dijon dressing. While I love serving my glazed carrots in the colder months, this dish is wonderful when the weather begins to warm up.
One thing I love about this salad is that it is so flexible. If you are not a fan of a certain ingredient, feel free to leave it out or make substitutions. Don’t love walnuts? Maybe use almonds or remove the nuts entirely. If you prefer a softer raisin, use golden instead of brown. If you do not have chives, you can use a little bit of minced yellow onion instead.
Lemon Dijon Carrot Salad Key Ingredients
Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients that make up this delicious dish.
Carrots
I love using fresh carrots from our garden if available. However, if not, I typically will buy carrots already peeled to save time.
Chives
Chives are excellent in this dish but you can also use green or yellow onions.
Pineapple
Crushed pineapple adds a bit of sweetness to the recipe and brightens it up along with the lemon. Be sure to drain the pineapple before adding to the dish.
Walnuts
I love walnuts but if you prefer a different kind of nut, feel free to use whatever you would like. You can remove the nuts entirely as well.
Raisins
Brown or golden raisins taste delicious in this dish. You may also omit them entirely if you’d prefer not to use them!
Parsley
Parsley and carrots are from the same family and both contain Petroselinic Acid, a fatty acid found naturally in some animal and vegetable oils. The marriage of these two ingredients works to enhance the natural essence of carrots while also providing a slightly different flavor profile that compliments the dish nicely.
Lemon Dijon Dressing
The lemon dijon dressing consists of olive oil, lemon juice, honey, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. You may use either freshly squeezed lemon juice or bottled.
How do I Julienne carrots?
To julienne carrots means to cut into thin strips. There are several ways of accomplishing this for this recipe. More often than not, I am in a hurry and use the quickest method: the food processor! However, below are three methods that work. (Be sure to wash, dry, and peel carrots before beginning.)
- Knife – Using a sharp knife, cut off the stems and roots of the carrots. Then, cut carrots into 2-inch sections and trim off one side of each. This will give you a flat surface for each carrot. Using the flat sides, slice the carrots into planks. When you have several planks, stack them on top of each other and cut into thin sticks.
- Peeler -Using a julienne peeler, peel carrots into strips.
- Food Processor – A food processor makes shredding carrots super quick and painless. Simply use the shredding disc and you will be done in a few minutes!
How to Select and Store Fresh Carrots
When shopping for carrots, be sure that they are firm and do not bend. Carrots that bend are beginning to lose structure and will not be super fresh. Fresh carrots should last several weeks in a vegetable crisper.
Can I make Lemon Dijon Carrot Salad in advance?
Yes! This dish is excellent for preparing ahead of time and benefits from marinating in the refrigerator. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Before serving, give it a quick stir.
Tips
- Julienned carrots – Try to keep your cuts as uniform as possible for best presentation.
- Make ahead – This dish can easily be made ahead of time. Covered lemon dijon carrot salad will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- Freshen up – If salad appears dry after a day or two in the refrigerator, sprinkle a bit of lemon juice on top and stir to freshen up.
My Preferred Tools
You may already have many of these items in your kitchen. I recommend the following for this recipe:
- Peeler – to peel carrots
- Sharp knife set – to julienne carrots
- Cutting board – to julienne carrots
- Food Processor – to shred carrots
- Julienne peeler – to julienne carrots
If you enjoyed this recipe, try our
Lemon Dijon Carrot Salad
This Lemon Dijon Carrot Salad combines julienned carrots, chives, pineapple, walnuts, and raisins with a flavorful lemon dijon dressing.
Ingredients
- 1 lb carrots, julienned
- 2 Tbsp chives, minced
- 8 oz (1 can) crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
- ½ cup raisins
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- Dressing:
- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2-3 tsp honey
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp salt
- Pepper to taste
Directions
- Step 1 Shred the carrots in a food processor, with a julienne peeler, or with a knife. Place julienned carrots into a large bowl and add chives, crushed pineapple, walnuts, raisins, and parsley. Set aside.
- Step 2 In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the dressing.
- Step 3 Pour the dressing over the carrot mixture and mix well. Cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator prior to serving. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Give a quick stir before serving.
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