A dear friend who was visiting from out of town requested that we make our “salad with the carrots” for our last meal together. She remembered having this this side dish eons ago at one of our family barbeques. Our Cranberry Carrot Slaw is another one of those recipes that Kris developed on the fly by experimenting with what we had on hand in the kitchen.
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We have been making it for years and didn’t think much about sharing the recipe because it’s so simple. But that’s what people want. Simple, delicious, whole foods that you can whip up quickly with ingredients that you already have in your fridge and pantry. And it’s great for bringing to a potluck as it’s free of the most common food allergens.
All you need for this cabbage-free slaw is carrot, lemon, dried cranberries and honey. That’s it! Crunchy, sweet and tangy, this side salad is a hit with kids and adults alike. Great for getting some fibre in your diet and kickstarting digestion.
Kitchen gadgets
To make the uniform carrot strings, I use a handheld julienne vegetable peeler. You may want to use gloves to avoid nicking your fingers though (ask me how I know). A mandolin works beautifully as well but in our case the handheld peeler gets more use as it is easier to store in the drawer of our tiny kitchen. And we use it a lot.
Check out our Sesame Carrot and Parsnip Noodles and Moroccan Rice Pilaf dishes. It saves lots of time when you need to julienne or chop ingredients super small.
Making Ahead and Enjoying Later
This Cranberry Carrot Slaw keeps for a couple of days in the refrigerator. Any longer than that and the chopped cranberries tend to get a little soggy. We don’t usually have any left over from a meal. It’s one of those sides that people go back to for seconds or thirds. And if you run out, no worries. It is super easy and quick to make up on the spot.
I love it when friends and family enjoy what we make. And being able to share it makes life all the sweeter. Make it yourself and let us know what you think in the comments!
Cranberry Carrot Slaw
Equipment
- julienne peeler or mandoline
Ingredients
- 3 cups carrots julienned
- 2 tbsp lemon (juice of one large lemon)
- 1 lemon zest
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
Prep the Produce
- Peel the carrots
- Using the julienne peeler, create long strips of carrot.
- Cut the strips into two inch sticks.
- Chop dried cranberries into fine pieces
- Add carrot sticks and chopped cranberries to a bowl.
Prepare the dressing
- Zest the whole lemon with a rasp. Add zest to a small bowl.
- Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice using a reamer or juicer. Pour juice into the bowl.
- Add 3 tbsp honey to the bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Pour the dressing onto the carrot and cranberries and mix thoroughly to combine.
