Carrot Slaw with Cranberries, Walnuts & Citrus Vinaigrette
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Bright, fresh, and endlessly versatile, this carrot slaw adds color and crunch to any meal. Perfect for a potluck or picnic.
I’ve always loved the classic French grated carrot salad, and this carrot slaw recipe is a fresh, modern take on it. With dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, and scallions tossed in a citrus vinaigrette, it’s crunchy, tangy, and just the right amount of sweet. It’s a great way to add more veggies to your table, whether you’re serving it with a crusty baguette or alongside sandwiches, burgers, or heartier main dishes.
“Made this so many times and never had a single person not like it…I’m not a carrot fan, never have been, but this salad is to die for!”
What You’ll Need To Make Carrot Slaw With Citrus Vinaigrette
- Walnuts:Â Toasted and chopped for crunch and a rich, nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with the carrots and vinaigrette. Pecans or almonds would also work well.
- Shredded carrots: The crunchy base of the slaw. If you have carrots to use up, you can peel and then quickly shred them in a food processor. Otherwise, pre-shredded carrots from the produce section work just as well.
- Walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest and juice, orange juice & honey:Â These come together to make a simple citrus vinaigrette. The walnut oil adds great flavor if you have it, but olive oil works just fine too. Lemon and orange juice keep things bright and fresh, while a touch of honey adds sweetness, balancing the tartness of the citrus and cranberries. (Remember to zest your lemon before juicing; it’s nearly impossible after it’s juiced.)
- Dried cranberries: Chewy and tart-sweet, they contrast nicely with the crunch of the carrots and nuts. Tart cherries or golden raisins would also work nicely.
- Scallions & fresh parsley:Â Add a mild onion bite, as well as color and freshness.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Toast the walnuts. Toast the walnuts in a 350°F oven until fragrant—this brings out their flavor and adds crunch.
Pro Tip: If you don’t feel like turning on the oven, you can toast the nuts in a dry skillet. Use a medium heat and stir frequently; remove from the skillet as soon as they’re golden and fragrant.
Step 2. Combine the slaw. In a large bowl, combine the carrots, cranberries, toasted walnuts, and citrus vinaigrette until evenly coated.
Step 3. Toss and let it mellow. Give the slaw about 15 minutes to sit, so the carrots absorb the dressing and the flavors meld before serving.
Pro Tip: After letting it sit, taste again. You might find you want a splash more citrus or a pinch more salt.
Step 4. Add walnuts and serve. Enjoy!
More Fresh & Flavor-Packed Salads to Try
Carrot Slaw with Cranberries, Toasted Walnuts & Citrus Vinaigrette
This light, fresh carrot slaw holds its own with everything from grilled chicken to hearty sandwiches.
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
- Set oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Place walnuts on baking sheet and bake until toasted and fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- 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
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- 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.
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Jenn, just a silly question. How many ounces is the bag of shredded carrots should be, please. I am sometimes confused when the instructions state cups.
You’ll need a 16 ounce bag of shredded carrots. Hope you enjoy the slaw!
This is a fabulous idea. Great ingredients. And it’s so pretty!
My grocery store had shredded carrots on sale so I got some and looked for a recipe. Jenn always has the best recipes and I had the ingredients, so it was my choice!
I knew my one substitution would be orange zest for lemon zest (I had a fresh orange but only bottled lemon juice).
Ok, so I was wrong. Found I had no walnut oil left, and I burned the last 1/2 cup of walnuts I had while toasting them. No cranberries either. I had a crisp apple so I julienned it to replace the crunch. Something was missing so I found and added golden raisins.
Long story short, you can make some subs but there are some good basic combos here in the original recipe. Love that Jenn suggested testing for balanced taste at the end because I added extra salt, lemon and honey.
I’ll want to make this again because it’s a great taste even with variations.
Made this so many times and never had a single person not like it. Like someone else said in the comments, I did substitute the raisins for craisins and used pine nuts along with walnuts, a little less honey and i only had green onions the first time I made it, but it’s wonderful. I’m not a carrot fan, never have been, but this salad is to die for! Great recipe to say the least.
This was a simply great, simple salad. It was so fresh – love the pop of citrus with the sweet cranberries – and so colourful alongside our (Canadian : ) Thanksgiving Dinner. Everyone loved it! Thanks Chef!
Hi Jenn,
I was wondering if this could be made a day or two ahead of time and the best way to store if so? Thank you!
Hi Rachel, I wouldn’t push it more than 1 day ahead. And if you do make it ahead, I suggest using coarsely grated carrots (as shown in the pics); otherwise it will get a bit soggy. (And I’d store it in the fridge.)