With just a handful of ingredients, this Carrot Apple Salad is quick to throw together and perfect for when you’re craving something fresh, crunchy, and light.
It’s sweet, lightly spiced, deliciously refreshing, and works beautifully as a side dish or light lunch. Even if you're hand-peeling your whole carrots and crisp apples, it all comes together in about 15 minutes.
This raw carrot salad is an oldie in my recipe repertoire. It’s easy, healthy, and surprisingly fun to eat.
A sweet apple and large, crunchy carrots are ribboned or thinly shaved and then tossed into a creamy, spiced yogurt sauce, sweetened with some honey. It's so good.
Like this Cucumber Salad, Cabbage and Arugula Salad, or Mango Avocado Salad, it has simple ingredients, a bold flavor, and a satisfying texture. Let’s make it!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick & Easy: Peel, ribbon, toss—done in minutes.
- Flavorful: An apple and sweet carrots pair nicely with a sweet, earthy dressing.
- Versatile: This light, fresh salad can be easily customized with just a few swaps of ingredients.
Ingredients & Notes
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
To make this simple carrot apple salad, you'll need:
- Whole Carrots: Choose sweet, crunchy carrots, yellow or orange, and slice them thinly. Extras can go straight into this Carrot Orange Soup.
- Sweet Apple: Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp work best for this salad.
- Greek Yogurt: For a creamy base. Use leftovers for this Low-Carb Coffee Cake or Gluten-Free Baked Cinnamon Donuts.
- Mild Curry Powder: Adds an earthy, warm touch without too much spice.
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper: Balances the sweet and creamy notes.
- Honey: You need a little bit to complement the curry powder and bring out the natural sweetness.
How To Make It
See the full recipe with measurements in the recipe card.
Step One (Picture 1 above) — Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, seasoning, and honey. Set aside.
Step Two (Picture 2 above) — Peel Carrots Into Ribbons: Use a vegetable peeler to make long, thin ribbons from medium-sized carrots until you can’t peel anymore.
Step Three (Picture 3 above) — Peel the Apple: Peel the apple and create thin strips, moving the peeler from top to bottom until only the core is left. You’ll be left with beautiful, thin shavings.
Step Four (Picture 4 above) — Mix: Toss the carrot-apple slaw in a serving or large mixing bowl, gently folding in the dressing until well coated.
Top Tips
- Dressing: At first, it may seem like there’s not enough dressing, but keep mixing.
- Room Temperature: Allow the carrot-apple salad to rest at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
- Leftovers: Save leftover apple and carrot bits for my Carrot Orange Ginger Juice, green salads, or add to your next chicken salad.
Variations & Substitutions
- Mayonnaise: For a richer salad dressing, swap Greek yogurt with mayo.
- Maple Syrup: Use instead of honey for a vegan-friendly option.
- Box Grater: No peeler? Use the large holes of a grater for a coarser texture.
- Raisins: For a sweeter touch, toss in regular or golden raisins.
- Nuts & Seeds: Add chopped walnuts and/or sunflower seeds for crunchy texture, protein, and healthy fats.
- Lemon Juice: A splash adds a bright zing.
- Pinch of Salt: If preferred to enhance flavor.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days.
- If you've made extra salad dressing or want to store it separately, seal it in a small airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Recommended Serving Suggestions
This versatile salad is a delicious side dish for:
Or enjoy it as a healthy snack or light lunch, especially topped with nuts and seeds for a protein boost.
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📖 Recipe
Carrot Apple Salad With Seasoned Greek Yogurt
Mariska RamondinoEquipment
- 1 peeler or box grater
- 1 small bowl or ramekin to make the dressing
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt 55 grams
- ½ teaspoon mild curry powder
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or more to taste
- 5 large carrots about 460 grams
- 1 large sweet apple 300 grams
Instructions
- Whisk yogurt, curry powder, honey, and black pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.¼ cup Greek yogurt, ½ teaspoon mild curry powder, 1 teaspoon honey, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Peel the carrots and cut into thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler. (Hold a carrot in one hand, while with a peeler in the other hand, you create ribbons peeling from top to bottom. Rotate the carrot regularly or after every three peels until you only have a small stick left. Repeat with other carrots.5 large carrots
- Peel the apple and cut short, thin shavings. (Hold the apple in one hand, while with the other you peel thin shavings of the apple from the top all the way to the bottom with a vegetable peeler. Rotate the apple regularly until you only have the core left.1 large sweet apple
- Toss the carrot ribbons and apple shavings gently into a serving bowl and combine with the dressing. I like to use a fork to combine and fluff in the dressing.
- Note: At first, it will look like you don’t have enough dressing, but continue to gently coat everything lightly. The flavors will melt together.
- Serve immediately. If preferred, season with extra freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
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- Dressing: At first, it may seem like there’s not enough dressing, but keep mixing.
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- Room temperature: Allow the carrot-apple salad to rest at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
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- Leftovers: Save leftover apple and carrot bits for my Carrot Orange Ginger Juice, green salads, or add to your next chicken salad.
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- Storage:
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- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days.
-
- If you've made extra salad dressing or want to store it separately, seal it in a small airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
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- Storage:
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Nutrition (% Daily value)
Disclaimer: This nutritional data is calculated using third party tools and is only intended as a reference.
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