22 Quick and Easy Recipes in 30 Minutes (or less) + 5 Chef Secrets To Make You A Better Cook!

Carrot Slaw with Cranberries, Toasted Walnuts & Citrus Vinaigrette

Tested & Perfected Recipes

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.

An autumn spin on the classic grated carrot salad, this carrot slaw is dotted with dried cranberries and toasted walnuts.

Bowl of carrot slaw with cranberries, toasted walnuts, and citrus vinaigrette.

I’ve always loved the classic French grated carrot salad, and this carrot slaw 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.

What you’ll need to make carrot slaw with Citrus Vinaigrette

Slaw ingredients including walnut oil, honey, and lemon.

If you have carrots in your vegetable bin to use up, you can quickly shred them in your food processor. Otherwise, just buy the bagged pre-shredded 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.

Lemon zest with a lemon and a microplane grater.

How to make carrot slaw with Citrus Vinaigrette

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

Walnuts on a lined baking sheet.

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

Bowl of unmixed slaw ingredients.

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.

Bowl of carrot slaw with cranberries, toasted walnuts, and citrus vinaigrette.

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

You may also like

Carrot Slaw with Cranberries, Toasted Walnuts & Citrus Vinaigrette

An autumn spin on the classic grated carrot salad, this carrot slaw is dotted with dried cranberries and toasted walnuts.

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

  • ½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • 1 pound shredded carrots, or 1⅓ pounds carrots, peeled and shredded
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or walnut oil
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, from 1 lemon
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, from 1 orange
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • 3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon 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.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (5 servings)
  • Calories: 184
  • Fat: 9 g
  • Saturated fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 28 g
  • Sugar: 20 g
  • Fiber: 4 g
  • Protein: 1 g
  • Sodium: 183 mg
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Gluten-Free Adaptable Note

To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.

See more recipes:

Comments

  • Interesting spin on slaw. I think I will enjoy this!

  • Absolutely delish!! crunch of the nuts, the sweetness of the berries & of course the nutritious value of the carrots. What a great salad. we loved it & will surely have it often in the hot weather of summer. Thank you for this recipe.

  • Love the addition of cranberries. I am making this for dinner tonight.

  • I was looking for a slaw without mayo. Great idea for the cranberries instead of raisins.

  • Ahh, I have everything for making this delicious looking salad! Looking forward to all the crunch!

  • I love this! It is light and fresh and great year around.

  • Love all these ingredients! Will be trying this one!

  • I just made this dish and it is delicious. Besides being delicious, carrots are good for your health.

    • — Magdalena Gallagher
    • Reply
  • A very colorful, delicious salad.

  • yummy! but not being a walnut lover toasted pine nuts added crunch

    • — susie dyksinski
    • Reply
  • Carrot salads are a fresh, crisp addition to any meal and I love the cranberries, walnuts and citrus viniagrette in this recipe. Yum!

  • The salad is extra ordinary and special with simple ingredients.

  • yet another recipe of yours that i had everything in the house to make. i love your recipes! my daughter loved this salad as well.

    • — teri pastorino
    • Reply
  • I too love raw slaws that dont require a bunch of creamy mayo. Such an easy way to get lots of good raw veggies in.

  • Do you think this dressing would work for cabbage (blanched maybe?). I need an easy recipe for a head of cabbage I rec’d from my CSA this week.

  • I will definitely be trying this! Looks great!

  • Have been looking for a good raw carrot salad. This one is very colorful and the vinaigrette is perfect for it.

  • This recipe sounds delicious.

  • This looks like a ” keeper ” !!

  • This looks fantastic! I am not a fan of regular slaw but I do love carrots.

  • Nice twist on an old recipe.

    • — judith cumming
    • Reply
  • Love the crunch and the blend of ingredients!!!! Also, love the color it adds to a buffet ….

  • Can not wait to try this dish. I’m new to your blog and find myself lingering all through my lunch break just dreaming of the opportunity to make your recipes!

  • I want color and vegetables on our dinner plates every night, but I must confess that I have been going with the basic green salad for the past month. I am now inspired by this delicious and colorful salad. Thank you for the vision and flavor.

  • Good way to eat lighter

  • What a great, refreshing dish. Nice alternative slaw.

  • Trying to eat healthy, I will be making this.

  • Loved the salad I am on weight watchers and iy fit right in

  • This is a very satisfying dish. It has the perfect crunch to it. It is also very beautiful and adds just the right amount of color to any dish. It is great to serve any season, and is worth the effort!

  • This makes a beautiul and delicious dish to serve company and I love using cranberries instead of raisins.

    • — LaDonna Hopkins
    • Reply
  • This looks just like the kind of salad I am looking for. Healthy, protein, and looks yummy. I’m going to add carrots to my shopping list and try this right away.

    • — Cindy Armstrong
    • Reply
  • Great change of pace salad. I had some dried cranberries in the pantry (but what to do with them) and always have carrots so this was a great opportunity to whip this up. It was tasty and I think pretty lo cal for those of us always looking for the healthy choice. Thanks-delicious. Ps. I had the leftovers for lunch the next day.

  • I love carrot salads and have a similar recipe, but with the cranberries replacing the usual raisins, and addition of the walnuts and lemon zest, this one is a real winner!

  • It looks so colorful!!!!
    Can’t wait to try this recipe!

  • A beautiful dish that hits all the buttons of tasty, crunchy, sweet and satisfying. Yummo!

  • I made this recipe the day that it was posted; it looked so good! And it was delicious. The citrus and cranberries are the prevailing flavors — not the carrots. It is easy to prepare and makes a beautiful side. We loved it.

  • Can’t wait to try this!! It looks so good!

  • This looks delicious! Would be a great side for Chicken burgers I am making this weekend!

  • This looks beautiful. Cannot wait to try it.

  • Looks like a great, filling side dish with the fresh taste of orange and honey. Putting this on my list and Pinterest!

    • — Lisa Waldschmidt
    • Reply
  • This sounds fabulous, I have been looking for a salad to serve as an appetizer for some vegan friends this weekend and I might just have to give this a try – I’m pretty sure I already have all the ingredients!

    • Ashlie (and others looking for vegan dishes),
      It’s been a couple of years since your original post, but I thought it’d still be worth pointing out that strict vegans don’t eat honey. The good news is that there are many readily-available plant-based syrups (agave, maple, and the much maligned corn, for example) and sweeteners (cane or beet sugar, stevia, molasses) that could be subbed in this recipe so it adheres to a vegan diet. I commend you for being mindful of your friends’ choices and needs.

  • This looks awesome! Exactly the kind of thing I’m looking for to take for lunch. Thanks!

  • This was great! Love all the recipes from you I have tried.

  • Made this for my family as part of our “get thinner” plan. It was delicious and loved my all. It may have to become a staple in my fridge. Great for a pick me up snack, too!

  • The lemon zest gave this carrot slaw a fresh citrusy flavor. This recipe was delish! Thanks!

  • Sooo good and so easy! I love that it’s healthy and light with ingredients I already had in my kitchen!

  • Can’t wait to try this recipe!

  • How do I print just the recipe?

    • Hi Bobby, To the right of the recipe title at the bottom of the post there is a print button.

  • I have Walnut Oil and haven’t much occasion to use it. I made this today…it was exactly what I needed in this dry, snowy weather. Thank you!

  • I love slaws that don’t use mayo or creamy ingreidents! I made something bery similar last summer.

    • — Blog is the New Black
    • Reply

Add a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.