Carrot Apple Salad

A very German side, this carrot apple salad is a cold-weather staple salad in northern and eastern Europe. With mustard, honey, and lemon.

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Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings: 4

Calories: 177

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Apples: ideally you want an apple that’s a good sweet-tart balance, like boskoop. When in doubt, go for a sweeter eating apple with a thin skin.
Mustard: use a good Dijon mustard, or something equivalently spicy. Do not use yellow hotdog mustard.
Lemon: fresh lemon juice is best. If you want more zip, you can add a splash of apple cider vinegar.
Honey: substitute maple syrup if necessary.
Onion: this is optional and makes for a much punchier salad. I add it about half the time but note that it makes the salad much less sweet and more pungent.
No need to peel: not only is it a waste of time to peel the apples and carrots, it’s a waste of good food, too! You certainly won’t notice the peel when everything is shredded up. Give the carrots a good scrub.
Adjust the vinaigrette: if you know you like a more acidic salad, either increase the lemon juice or add a splash of vinegar. You can adjust the amounts of mustard and honey to suit your taste but keep in mind that the salad ingredients are sweet, so you don’t want too much honey.
Must love mustard: the mustard is a key flavour element here and if you don’t like Dijon mustard you won’t like this salad.

Ingredients

▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil
▢ 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice usually one lemon
▢ 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
▢ 1-2 teaspoons honey to taste
▢ ¼ teaspoon sea salt to taste
▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
▢ 3 medium carrots about 350g (12 oz)
▢ 2 medium apples about 200g (7 oz)
▢ 1 small onion optional, about 80g (3 oz)

Instructions

Add the oil, lemon juice, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Whisk well to combine and set aside.3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1-2 teaspoons honey, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Grate the carrots, apples, and onion (optional) with the large side of a box grater and add to the bowl with the vinaigrette.3 medium carrots, 2 medium apples, 1 small onion
Mix very well. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. The salad can be served immediately but tastes best after resting for about 30 minutes at room temperature. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Method

Add the oil, lemon juice, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Whisk well to combine and set aside.
Grate the carrots, apples, and onion (optional) with the large side of a box grater and add to the bowl with the vinaigrette.
Mix very well. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. The salad can be served immediately but tastes best after resting for about 30 minutes at room temperature. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Nutrition

Calories: 177kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 1gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 209mgFiber: 4gSugar: 14g

Notes

The key culinary technique in this recipe is shredding the carrots and apples rather than chopping them. This method increases the surface area, allowing the vibrant flavors of the vinaigrette to penetrate each bite, resulting in a harmonious blend of sweet, tart, and tangy that makes every forkful irresistible.

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