Crunchy Apple Carrot Salad (Print Page)
Bright apple and carrot ribbons with walnuts, raisins and a creamy citrus dressing—crisp, zesty, ready in 20 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Salad
01 - 2 medium apples, cored and julienned (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp preferred)
02 - 2 large carrots, peeled and julienned
03 - 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
04 - 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
05 - 1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
→ Creamy Citrus Dressing
07 - 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt or plant-based alternative
08 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
09 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
10 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
11 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
12 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
13 - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
14 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
# Directions:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, toss together the apples, carrots, celery, walnuts, raisins, and parsley until well mixed.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, orange juice, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
03 - Pour the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients and toss thoroughly to coat all components evenly.
04 - Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or platter. Garnish with additional nuts and parsley if desired. Serve immediately for optimal crunch, or refrigerate up to 1 hour before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The way apples and carrots crunch together under a luscious citrusy dressing feels like a bite of sunshine you weren’t expecting.
- Every time I bring this salad to a lunch, people come back for seconds—there are never leftovers.
02 -
- Once, I let this salad sit too long in the fridge, and everything turned soggy—so now I toss it together right before we dig in.
- Switching to maple syrup made the dressing unexpectedly caramel-like and quickly became my favorite version.
03 -
- If you own a julienne peeler, now is the time to use it for perfect strips.
- I’ve found letting the orange juice and yogurt sit together for a few minutes softens the tang and blends flavors beautifully.