Looking for a delicious carrot salad with no mayonnaise? Then try Karottensalat (German Carrot Salad). Crunchy and refreshing, it’s excellent with grilled, roasted, or fried meat and fish — yum!
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Tart and sweet — those are the two main flavors from this dish that’s also (sometimes) called ‘carrot apple salad.’
The trick is to use apples that are more tart than sweet; then the sweetness comes from the grated carrots — and a bit of sugar if needed.
Expect karottensalat to give freshness and lightness to any meal, all year-round.
IF YOU WANT MORE TRADITIONAL GERMAN RECIPES, THEN YOU WOULD LOVE THESE POSTS!
Ingredients
- Carrots – rinsed and peeled.
- Apples – green apples are excellent for karottensalat because of their tartness.
- Lemon – you would only be using lemon juice for this carrot apple salad.
- Orange – same as the lemon, you would only be using the juice from the orange.
- Olive oil – as always, extra virgin olive oil is the best one to use for preparing karottensalat, and go for the mild (or fruity) ones as well.
- Sugar – you just need regular white sugar; in case you need to add some sweetness to your karottensalat.
- Salt and pepper – for seasoning.
Preparation
Start making your karottensalat by grating both carrots and apples coarsely (photo 1).
Combine grated apples and carrots in a medium-sized bowl.
Pour both orange and lemon juice (photo 2).
Add olive oil, sugar, salt, and pepper (photo 3).
Mix everything, making sure it’s combined evenly (photo 4).
Cover the bowl with plastic.
Place your karottensalat in the refrigerator for at least fifteen minutes to chill.
Transfer into plates and serve (with some almonds and parsley, if desired).
Helpful tips
- Make sure you grate both carrots and apples coarsely.
Grating it too fine is not advisable because it affects the crunch of the finished karottensalat.
- Do not add all the lemon and orange juice at once.
It’s easier to add and adjust once you have tasted everything.
- If you think there’s too much liquid left, do not hesitate to drain some of them before serving.
Recipe variation
- Raisins. Some add raisins to provide that additional ‘burst’ of sweetness in karottensalat.
- Ginger. A small amount of minced ginger will amp up that freshness.
Plus, we already know ginger and carrots are a great combination. So if you love ginger, give it a try.
So easy, right? So give this carrot salad recipe a try one of these days and let me know!
German Carrot Salad Recipe (Karottensalat)
Ingredients
- 2 small green apples, peeled and cored
- 1/2 kg carrots, about 4 cups when grated, peeled
- 4 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- pinch sugar
- salt and pepper, to season
- walnuts (for serving, optional)
- parsley (for serving, optional)
Instructions
- Grate both carrots and apples coarsely and combine them in a medium-sized bowl.
- Pour lemon and orange juice.
- Add olive oil, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Mix everything to combine all the ingredients evenly.
- Cover the bowl with plastic and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
- Transfer karottensalat into plates, leaving some liquid in the bowl (if there's too much).
- Serve with some almonds and parsley, if preferred.
Notes
- Cook’s Tip #1: Make sure you grate both carrots and apples coarsely — too fine is not advisable because it affects the crunch of the finished carrot salad.
- Cook’s Tip #2: Do not add all the lemon and orange juice at once. It’s easier to add and adjust once you have tasted everything.
- Cook’s Tip #3: If you think there’s too much liquid left, do not hesitate to drain some of them before serving your karottensalat.
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