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A crisp Raw Carrot Salad that is anything but boring! It’s spicy, tangy, and delicious tossed with chopped cilantro, and thinly sliced serrano peppers. Use a vegetable peeler to create ribbons, then toss the salad with lemon juice, and a few spices!
Raw carrot salads are all the rage right now and rightfully so.
Raw carrots have incredible health benefits. Starting with the fact that they are loaded with vitamins, like vitamin A (beta-carotene) which is great for your skin and eye health. In addition to eliminating excess estrogen, they’re great for gut health, hormonal balance, and so much more.
And it got me thinking. My mom always makes this pickled carrot salad with matchstick shredded carrots, a squeeze of tomato paste, fresh herbs, and a wedge of lemon. It’s so delicious I’ve often thought to turn it into a side dish, and now I have. It’s what I love to eat with a big bowl of homemade Daal and fluffy basmati rice.
So I thought, why not turn that into a raw carrot salad?
The carrot ribbons make it fun to eat! And I don’t think you need me to talk about the flavor again. I use an Indian technique called tempering which uses spices that are simmered in oil and then added to the salad bowl at the end. And the taste is incredible. The fresh coriander seeds make this salad so fragrant and delicious.
And if you don’t believe me, I took this raw carrot salad recipe over to my mom’s and both my mom and sister couldn’t get enough. The tomato gives this recipe umami, the ingredients list is short, the seeds give it texture, it’s naturally vegan-friendly, and all I have left to say is that you are going to love this.
Ingredients for Raw Carrot Salad
- Carrots: My mom typically uses shredded carrots for her pickled crunchy carrot recipe. You can use a box grater if you don’t happen to have matchstick carrots on hand. But for my raw carrot salad, the ribbons just make it more fun! To make them, use a vegetable peeler and drag it through the length of the carrot.
- Kosher or flaked sea salt: any kind of salt will work for this recipe. Just be sure to season the carrot ribbons and let them drain in a sieve. That makes the carrots a little easier to fold and pick up.
- Serrano Pepper: A thinly sliced serrano pepper adds some freshness to the dish. Feel free to leave this out if you’d like to make the salad more milk. I usually thinly sliced the serrano pepper on a mandoline so that it’s wafer thin.
- Tomato Paste: We use this to bind the dressing. Since the oil is used to temper the spices and then add it to the salad, we’ll combine the tomato paste and lemon juice in a small bowl and when the mixture is mixed, we’ll add it to the carrot ribbons.
- Lemon Juice: Or lime juice works too. My mom has always used lemon juice so that’s what I opt for, but even something like apple cider vinegar would do the job.
- Ginger Garlic Paste: It is a Pakistani-inspired recipe after all!
- Kashmiri Chili Powder: This tends to be more mild than cayenne pepper, but you could certainly make that swap if that’s what you have on hand. I suggest starting with 1/8 teaspoon if you do make the swap. Cayenne pepper tends to be a bit hotter.
- Cumin Seeds: you’ll need whole cumin seeds for this recipe. If you don’t want to buy a whole jar of this, look at the bulk section of your grocery store. Most stores now carry spices in that section. You can buy as much or as little as just enough for this recipe if you prefer.
- Coriander Seeds: you’ll need whole coriander seeds. They have an incredible, floral scent. I usually have these ingredients on hand because we use them a ton in traditional recipes. Feel free to look for these in the bulk spice section of your grocery store.
- Avocado Oil: You want to use a high-heat oil like avocado for this recipe. That way the coriander and cumin seeds can bubble away in the oil before we add them to the salad. Avoid using sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil. Coconut oil, olive oil, and vegetable oil would all work though!
Instructions for making Raw Carrot Salad
- Make carrot ribbons. Once you’re done peeling the carrots, continue to run the vegetable down the length of the carrot to create ribbons. This part takes the longest, so put on a good podcast or audiobook and settle in for a good 5-10 minutes!
- Season and let them sit. Place the carrot ribbons in a sieve and season with the salt. Give them a good toss. This will allow the carrots to soften a little bit. Once the carrots release any excess water, transfer them to a bowl without rinsing. Toss in the serrano peppers.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl combine the tomato paste, lemon juice, ginger garlic paste, and chili powder along with another pinch of salt. Whisk the dressing together and give it a taste. This salad works with the natural sweetness of the carrots. It’s more of a salty, tangy type of salad. So we aren’t using any sweetener like maple syrup or honey! Toss the salad with the dressing and allow it to sit for a few minutes while you temper the spices.
- Temper the spices in the oil. Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Once warm, but not hot, add the cumin and coriander seeds. They’ll start to almost fry in the oil. Cook for 15-20 seconds. Then immediately pour the oil and the seeds over the salad. Taste and adjust with more salt as needed. You can serve the salad immediately but we prefer it nice and cold!
Other carrot recipes you might like:
- Golden Brown Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots
- Super Moist and Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins
- Spicy Thai Carrot Soup
- Mexican Quick Pickled Carrots and Jalapenos
- Harissa Roasted Carrots with Whipped Feta
Spicy Raw Carrot Salad
Ingredients
- 1¼ pounds carrots peeled then cut into ribbons
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 serrano pepper thinly sliced or minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1-2 tablespoon chopped cilantro for serving
Instructions
- MAKE RIBBONS: Start by peeling the carrots with a vegetable peeler and continue to make ribbons out of the carrots once the outer peel is removed and discarded.
- SEASON: Transfer the carrot ribbons to a sieve and sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon kosher salt. Place the sieve over a bowl and allow the carrots to marinate in the salt for 10 minutes. Discard the liquid, place the carrots in a medium bowl along with the serrano peppers.
- DRESS: In a small bowl, whisk the tomato paste, lemon juice, ginger garlic paste, and chili powder with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. When combined, pour the dressing over the carrots and toss. Allow the salad to marinate in the dressing while you make the tempering liquid.
- TEMPER: Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin and coriander seeds to the oil and allow it to start to simmer; about 15-20 seconds. Do not let them burn. Remove from the heat and immediately pour the oil over the carrots and toss. The salad can be served immediately or cool it down and serve later. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro before serving (optional.) We like it cold!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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