This carrot apple salad recipe is simple to make and delivers a fresh taste thanks to a creamy dressing made with yoghurt, crème fraîche, lemon and a touch of maple syrup. Not only is this salad made with carrots and apples, but there is also golden beetroot added to the mix. The result is a tangy “coleslaw” (rohkostsalat) that’s packed with naturally sweet flavours and good for your nutrients. One that makes the perfect accompaniment to any evening “Brotzeit”. And I’m willing to bet it would be a great accompaniment with a burger — even my sweet potato burger. Or even classic fish and chips.
Inspiration for this delicious carrot-apple-beet salad
I can thank my friend Corrina for inspiring me to make this salad. This deliciously simple salad recipe is based on one she makes often. I’m not entirely sure my version is at all the same, but nonetheless it is based on the same core ingredients — apples, carrots, yoghurt, lemon, crème fraîche, and maple syrup — plus beetroot which I think she also includes from time to time. At least that’s what she did when she made this salad for me.
It’s such a deliciously welcome change from carrot slaw as I know it in Canada. I’m even convinced this version resembles childhood memories of a Creamsicle, which is course nonsense. My favourite Schwabe on the other hand says it tastes like a cumber salad. Whatever memories it may stir up, they are definitely delicious ones.
How grate ingredients for this salad
There are three main methods for grating fruit and vegetables. One takes a little muscle power and the other two let the machine do the work. Depending on how energetic I am feeling determines my method of choice. I often use my box grater, which of course, is the manual way, the method I grew up with. But, when I am looking to save energy, I pull out my food processor and use the grating disc attachment. And newly, I have been taking advantage of the nifty attachments for my Kitchenaid. One that has completely overlooked how fantastic it is, is the vegetable cutter attachment. Practical, quick and easy to clean. Perfect for a grating marathon. Or a carrot salad.
An easy to adapt carrot apple salad
The fantastic thing about this salad recipe is that you can play with the proportions. It’s flexible enough that you can add more of one thing and less of another, depending on what you have on hand. And you can play up the color of the salad, by adding earthy red beets instead of golden, or candy-cane striped beets (called Chioggia) which are both sweeter and milder in taste. Or try heirloom carrots. By using a mix of orange and purple carrots you will also get a peachy-pink salad. In this version I used pale yellow heirloom carrots and yellow beets, which gave the salad a pale orange color.
Looking for even more ways to adapt this salad?
- How about trying a mix of carrots, apple and shredded kohlrabi, thinly sliced celery sticks, or shaved fennel.
- Add a little crunch with chopped, toasted walnuts or hazelnuts
- Add a sprinkle of poppyseeds or pistachio nuts
- Reduce the amount of crème fraîche and replace with more probiotic yoghurt
Looking for more raw salad inspiration?
Try one of these delicious recipes:
- Asian Coleslaw
- Red Cabbage Mango Slaw
- Shredded Cabbage Salad with Tahini-Lemon Dressing
- Oxheart Cabbage Coleslaw with Apple and Mango
Carrot Apple Salad with Yoghurt Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
- 1 apple, peeled and grated
- 1 yellow beet, peeled and grated
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (from an organic lemon)
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons Greek yoghurt
- 100 g crème fraîche
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
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In a medium serving bowl, add the grated carrots, apple and beetroot. Add the dressing ingredients and toss until well combined.
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Serve right away or cover and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
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Enjoy!
Notes
- I like to use sweet-tart apples, such as Wellant or Braeburn for this type of salad.
- Golden beets are mild and sweet compared to red beets. Choose one that is the same size as the apple.
- If desired, garnish with a little chopped parsley and / or black cumin seeds (Nigella) before serving.
- This salad also stores well overnight. Though depending on what color of carrots and beets you may have used, the color may change slightly. Nonetheless, leftovers taste delicious.
For a relaxing atmosphere in the kitchen I recommend my personal Elle Republic: Chilled Out Kitchen Tunes or Lounge Kitchen Tunes Playlist on Spotify.
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