For a simple side dish that celebrates the flavor and beauty of raw vegetables, make this shredded carrot beet salad! You only need a handful of ingredients, many of which you probably have on hand, to prepare a colorful, nourishing recipe for meal prep, dinner, or even the holidays. Every bite is a treat for the taste buds, thanks to a simple lemon honey dressing, fresh herbs, golden raisins, and walnuts.
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Lizzie’s Notes
Root vegetable season is one of the best times of year in the Veg World! I’m a huge fan of beets but realize they’re not for everyone, so I love creating beet recipes that even the haters will enjoy. This carrot beet salad is my latest experiment!
It’s a little bit like the Beet and Fennel Salad with Citrus Dressing, a reader fav, but uses raw beetroot instead of roasted. This means it’s faster to put together! Plus, the addition of carrots adds a little extra sweetness to balance the earthy beet flavor.
I hope you enjoy this fresh recipe all year long (beets and carrots are available in multiple seasons!), but I think it’s especially beautiful as a Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish. And in the meantime, you can embrace how well root veggies hold up and make it for meal prep to enjoy throughout the week.
Ingredients
- Beets: You can use any kind of beets in this recipe, including red, golden, or Chioggia. I prefer to keep them raw, but some people like roasted beets better. Feel free to sub pre-roasted beets like Love Beets or roast them on your own following my instructions for roasted beets in foil.
- Carrots: Orange, yellow, or purple carrots all work.
- Mint and chives: Fresh herbs add so much flavor to this carrot beet salad! If you don’t have mint and chives, sub parsley, basil, or even tarragon.
- Golden raisins (sultanas): Sub regular raisins, currants, or even dried cranberries if that’s what you have.
- Walnuts: Omit if you want the recipe to be nut-free. Swap in pumpkin seeds, pistachios, or slivered almonds for another option.
- Lemon juice: Use apple cider vinegar or orange juice if you don’t have lemon.
- Honey: Sub maple syrup if needed.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Use avocado oil if preferred.
Instructions
The full recipe card for carrot beet salad is at the bottom of the post. Scroll down to see it. Here’s a preview of the steps.
Prep the vegetables by trimming, peeling, and grating.
Combine the ingredients in a bowl, add the dressing, and stir until coated.
Equipment Tips
I prefer using the julienne blade of my grating set, the Oxo Complete Grate and Slice Set, to shred the beets. This is the best way to grate them into pieces that resemble the kind that you’d see at a restaurant. If you don’t have a julienne blade or peeler, using a box or hand grater is just fine! For the carrots, it’s best to use a box grater with large holes.
Storage
Keep carrot beet salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 5 days. The vegetables hold up well even after adding the dressing.
Serving
This recipe is delicious on its own as a side dish. If you want to turn it into a main dish, add crispy chickpeas, breaded tofu, shredded chicken, or even salmon. Other possible additions include fried halloumi or shredded goat and feta cheese.
Similar Recipes
Love this raw carrot beet salad? Check out these other dishes while you’re here!
📖 Recipe
Carrot Beet Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound carrots - about 3 to 4 large, peeled and trimmed; 4 cups grated
- 1 pound beets - about 3 to 4 medium, peeled and trimmed; 4 cups grated
- 3 tablespoons sliced fresh chives
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- ¾ cup golden raisins - aka sultanas
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup lemon juice - from 1 large lemon
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Scrub the vegetables clean, trim both ends, and remove the skin. Use a box or hand grater with large holes to shred the carrots. If you have a grating set with a julienne blade, use that for the beets. If not, use the same grater you used for the carrots.
- Combine the grated carrots and beets with the herbs, raisins, and walnuts in a mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, honey, and salt.
- Keep whisking continuously while you pour it over the salad ingredients. Toss with tongs until coated.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 5 days.
- Beets can stain your hands and/or cutting board during preparation. Wear gloves if you want to avoid stains or wash your hands often. You can put a piece of parchment paper over your cutting board to prevent stains while trimming or grating the beets, and/or wash the cutting board immediately afterwards.
- Possible additions include goat or feta cheese, chickpeas, or shredded chicken.
- If you need the salad to be strictly vegan, use maple syrup instead of honey.
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