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    Home » Recipes » Side Dishes

    Carrot Apple Salad

    Published: Apr 26, 2023 by Tiffany Dahle · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    The photo collage shows the shredded carrot and apple salad on top and a carrot being grated by a box grater below.

    Carrot apple salad is a vinegar based slaw that tastes amazing with savory barbecue dishes like pulled pork or barbecue chicken. This colorful and easy recipe makes a perfect side dish to bring to a potluck!

    Colorful shredded cabbage, carrots, cilantro, and green onions are mixed in a bowl.

    Carrot apple salad is the summer side dish you didn't even know you needed.

    After avoiding traditional mayo-based coleslaws my whole live, I've been absolutely SHOCKED as a grown-up to discover how much I love a vinegar based slaw or salad.

    This sweet and tangy carrot apple salad is filled with crispy fresh vegetables tossed in a sweet mustard-based dressing.

    You can eat it as a simple salad side dish all by itself on the plate but I think it tastes even better spooned onto a barbecue sandwich!

    If you're heading to a potluck, this is a great dish to bring. So bright and colorful and totally filled with flavor. And it's perfectly safe for sitting out on a buffet table even in a bit of heat.

    Jump to:
    • Why This is the Best Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Shred the Vegetables
    • Make the Dressing
    • Easy Prep Tips
    • Serving Suggestions
    • More Vegetable Sides
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Why This is the Best Recipe

    Of all the easy side dishes you could add to your dinner, I think this carrot apple salad is the best recipe because:

    1. Sweet and Tangy: The fresh grated apple adds a sweet burst of fruit juice but plenty of tartness to the crispy salad. The shredded carrot adds plenty of sweet crunch.
    2. No Mayo: If you've avoided mayo-based coleslaws like I have, you'll be pleasantly surprised at just how delicious a vinegar slaw can be!
    3. Easy Prep: The hardest part is just prepping the veggies, actually assembling the salad takes just a minute. You can easily prep this ahead to save time.
    4. Perfect with Savory Meats: This bright and crispy slaw is an amazing partner for savory grilled meats or barbecue.

    Ingredients

    Shredded purple cabbage, shredded carrots, and shredded apples are ready to be made into slaw.

    To make this carrot apple salad, you need just a few fresh veggies and a couple of pantry ingredients for the dressing:

    For the Salad:

    • Green and Red Cabbages: You can buy pre-shredded cabbage at the store or shred your own.
    • Shredded Carrots: You can buy pre-shredded carrot or shred your own.
    • Green Apples
    • Green Onions
    • Fresh Parsley: I strongly encourage fresh parsley instead of dried. It brings a lot of flavor to the dish.

    For the Dressing:

    • Apple Cider Vinegar: This is an excellent choice to pair with the fresh apple. You could also use white vinegar if you prefer.
    • Sugar
    • Dijon Mustard
    • Dried Celery Seed
    • Canola Oil

    Shred the Vegetables

    The only part that takes much time is prepping the vegetables for the salad.

    If you really want to save time, you could buy pre-shredded cabbage in the refrigerated section of the produce aisle.

    Shredding your own cabbage guarantees a super fresh and crispy texture and really isn't that hard.

    Cut the cabbage in half so you can see the stem. Use your knife to slice a "V" into the cabbage to remove the stem.

    Simply shred the remaining part of the cabbage half!

    A head of purple cabbage has been sliced in half to show the core.

    To shred the carrot, I just use my handy box grater.

    If you have a food processor, you could grate the carrot that way but I think this is a quick and easy tool that is much easier to clean.

    I also use the box grater to shred the apple.

    A box grater sits on a cutting board next to a pile of shredded carrots.

    Chop the green onion and parsley and add all the prepped veggies to a large mixing bowl.

    Make the Dressing

    The dressing is so easy to prep.

    Simply add the apple cider vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard and celery seed to a Mason jar with a lid and shake it up.

    Then add the canola oil and salt and pepper and shake it again until well combined.

    Toss with the prepped veggies and you're all set!

    A mason jar with homemade coleslaw dressing sits next to the mixing bowl of shredded vegetables.

    Easy Prep Tips

    This carrot apple salad is best served the day you make it but you can easily prep it ahead to save time.

    You could buy pre-shredded veggies to cut down on chopping time.

    You could also chop the vegetables up to 24 hours in advance and keep them stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

    You could also prep the dressing several days in advance. Just be sure to keep it stored separately from the salad or the vegetables will wilt.

    Don't pre-grate the apple until just before you toss the salad together. You don't want it to turn brown as it sits.

    Serving Suggestions

    A big mixing bowl of shredded coleslaw has chopped green onions and fresh cilantro on top.

    This fresh and crispy carrot apple salad is one of my favorite side dishes to add to a barbecue dinner.

    You can enjoy it on the side of your plate but it is also super-tasty used on top of a pulled pork sandwich with BBQ sauce.

    You could also serve it as a fresh condiment if you plan to serve BBQ chicken sliders and let your family add it to their individual sliders at the table.

    It would be a fun vegetable side dish if you're making barbeque chicken pizza for pizza night!

    • A barbecue pulled pork sandwich is on a plate next to potato chips.
      Pulled Pork in the Oven or Slow Cooker
    • A mason jar filled with barbecue sauce has a spoon and is in front of a dish of shredded pork.
      Light and Sweet BBQ Sauce
    • A metal baking pan has 3 rows of baked bbq chicken sliders showing the melted cheese oozing out.
      BBQ Chicken Sliders
    • A baked BBQ chicken pizza has been sliced for serving.
      Barbeque Chicken Pizza

    More Vegetable Sides

    If you want to add a nice dose of vegetables to your dinner plate in the form of a fresh relish, slaw, or salad, you'll also love some of these family favorites.

    I'm currently obsessed with chow chow relish for grilled chicken and pork tenderloin.

    My chunky corn salsa and pineapple salsa both work as a chip dip or as a topping for tacos, rice bowls, or even green salads.

    And my kids absolutely inhale huge bowls of my homemade salsa if there are crispy tortilla chips to go with it!

    • The chow chow has been spooned over a baked chicken breast. Green beans and a couscous side dish are in the background.
      Chow Chow Relish {No Canning Required}
    • A jar of chunky corn salsa has fresh tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro. There's a plastic fork digging in.
      Chunky Corn Salsa
    • A bowl of homemade salsa has a spoon on the right and a pile of restaurant style tortilla chips on the plate around it.
      Easy Homemade Salsa
    • A serving of pineapple salsa has been spooned over a shredded chicken taco.
      Pineapple Salsa

    📖 Recipe

    Colorful shredded cabbage, carrots, cilantro, and green onions are mixed in a bowl.

    Carrot Apple Salad

    5 from 1 vote
    Easy carrot apple salad is a vinegar based slaw that tastes amazing with savory barbecue dishes or grilled meats. Use it to top a pulled pork sandwich or spoon some over spicy barbecue chicken. This is a great side dish to bring to a potluck!
    TOTAL TIME 15 minutes minutes
    PREP TIME 15 minutes minutes
    YIELD 8 servings
    PIN RECIPE FOR LATER PRINT RECIPE NOW

    Ingredients
      

    For the Salad

    • 3 cups finely shredded green cabbage from about ¼ head of cabbage
    • 3 cups finely shredded red cabbage from about ¼ head of cabbage
    • 2 large carrots peeled and shredded
    • 2 green apples peeled and grated
    • 2 green onions minced
    • ¼ cup flat leaf parsley minced

    For the Dressing

    • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
    • 2 tbsp sugar
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • ¼ tsp celery seed
    • 2 tbsp canola oil
    • Sprinkle of salt and fresh cracked pepper

    Instructions

    • Add both shredded cabbages, shredded carrot, grated apple, green onions, and parsley to a large mixing bowl. Stir them together until combined.
    • Add the apple cider vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard and celery seed to a Mason jar with a lid. Shake it until everything is well combined. Add the canola oil, salt, and pepper, and shake again to combine.
    • Drizzle the dressing over the carrot apple salad mixture and use a fork to toss it all together. Serve immediately or store covered in the fridge until ready to serve. Best served the day you prepare it.
    COURSESide Dishes
    CUISINEAmerican
    AUTHORTiffany Dahle

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    The photo collage shows the shredded carrot and apple salad on top and a carrot being grated by a box grater below.

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    Hi, I'm Tiffany!
    I believe a great family recipe is one that makes everyone at the table happy, not just the kids. I'm the author of two bestselling cookbooks for kids that are chock full of recipes everyone in your family will love. I'm also the hostess of the best online book club for moms.

    More about me →

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