Feb

27

2012

Carrot Slaw with Cranberries, Toasted Walnuts & Citrus Vinaigrette

Salads  Posted by / 78 comments
carrot-slaw-cranberries-walnuts

I’ve always loved the classic French grated carrot salad, and this is a delicious spin on it.  With dried cranberries, toasted walnuts and scallions in a citrus vinaigrette, it’s crunchy, tart and sweet. Perfect with a warm crusty baguette for lunch, or as a healthy side to sandwiches or burgers.

If you have carrots in your vegetable bin to use up, you can quickly grate them in your food processor. Otherwise, just buy the bagged pre-grated carrots from the produce department — they work just as well. Also, as you can see, I used walnut oil for the dressing. If you have some in your pantry already, great, but definitely don’t go out and buy it just for this recipe. It’s expensive and extra virgin olive oil works just as well.

To begin, toast the walnuts in the oven until fragrant to enhance their flavor.

Next, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.

Toss to combine. If possible, let the salad sit for at least 15 minutes to give the carrots a chance to soak up the dressing.

That’s all there is to it — simple and satisfying. Enjoy!

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Carrot Slaw with Cranberries, Toasted Walnuts & Citrus Vinaigrette

Serving Size: 4-6

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • 1 pound grated carrots, or 1-1/3 pounds carrots, peeled and grated
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or walnut oil
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, from one lemon
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, from one orange
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • Heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Set oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place walnuts on baking sheet and bake until toasted and fragrant, 7-10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  2. Combine all remaining ingredients in a large bowl and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Season to taste with salt, pepper, honey or more citrus. Toss in walnuts and serve.