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Home » Recipes » Salad Recipes

French Carrot Salad

Published: Nov 7, 2019 · Modified: May 4, 2025 by Brooke Fajcz · As an Amazon Influencer, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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French carrot salad is a widely popular side dish in France. Trust me, once you try this French version, you won't want to go back to the American kind!

Want more salad recipe options? Try our refreshing Bell Pepper Salad and Greek Salad.

person holding a spoonful of French carrot salad
Jump to:
  • About
  • Ingredients
  • Variations
  • How to Make French Carrot Salad
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Serve
  • Expert Tips
  • Other Salad Recipes You'll Love
  • Recipe
  • Comments

About

This tastes bright and slightly sweet, due to the zippy lemon mustard vinaigrette.  This recipe uses fresh ingredients, and tastes light and refreshing.  As you make this, keep tasting and adjusting the flavors to customize it to your tastebuds; add a bit more lemon, sugar, or salt as you like.

Ingredients

glass bowls of ingredients for French carrot salad

This is easy to throw together because it doesn't have a lot of ingredients.  The basic recipe is made of the following components:

  • Freshly grated carrots
  • Vinaigrette (olive oil, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, sugar and Dijon)
  • Fresh chopped parsley

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

  • Don't want to use lemon juice?  Replace it with the juice of one orange, champagne vinegar, or white wine vinegar.
  • Want other fresh herbs?  Try thyme, dill, or oregano.
  • Want to use a different sweetener?  Try honey or maple syrup.
  • Want to add another vegetable?  Try shallots, spring onion, fennel or radish.
  • Don't want to use olive oil?  Use walnut oil instead.
  • Want more substance?  Add cooked white beans.

How to Make French Carrot Salad

person assembling and whisking the dressing
  1. Place all the vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl. You'll need freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, and sugar. (image 1)
  2. Whisk the dressing ingredients together until blended. (image 2)
person tossing the grated carrots in the dressing
  1. Add the lemon vinaigrette to the grated carrot mixture. (image 3)
  2. Stir in the vinaigrette until it is thoroughly mixed. If you prefer, you can use your hands instead of a spoon. (image 4)
adding parsley and seasonings to the carrot salad
  1. Add the chopped parsley. (image 5)
  2. To achieve the best carrot salad, adjust the seasonings as you go. Overall, the flavors are subtle, so be careful not to be heavy handed with the Dijon or the oil. For this recipe, I added extra lemon juice, 2 tablespoons and a bit more sugar. (image 6)
person stirring and serving the carrot salad
  1. Toss to make sure everything is well mixed. For best flavor, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. (image 7)
  2. Place in a serving bowl and enjoy! (image 8)

Recipe FAQs

What is the secret to French carrot salad?

The secret is finely grating the carrots yourself.  Don't bother using the pre-grated carrots from the grocery store, because they are often dried out and are cut too thickly.  Your goal is to use freshly grated carrots, since they will give off some juice and should be sweeter.

How do you shred carrots?

Use a moulinex grater, if you have one.  This is the traditional method used in France. However, you can also use the grater attachment to a Kitchenaid, a box grater, or a food processor.

How do you prepare the carrots?

Wash and peel the carrots.
Cut off ½ inch from the top and bottom of each carrot to remove the green tops and the roots.
Place the large end of the carrot on the smallest size holes of the box grater.
Using a downward motion, grate the carrot, being careful not to cut your fingers. 
Eat or compost the carrot piece that is too small to grate.

How do I store French carrot salad?

The grated carrots can be grated in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Once the salad is made, it will keep for up to 3 or 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. The appeal of this recipe is it's freshness, so it's best not to freeze it.

Serve

This recipe is a versatile side dish, and like mashed potatoes, it goes with almost anything.  Serve with a main meat, sandwich, or soup and you'll have a fantastic lunch or supper.

white bowl of French carrot salad with a black fork and gray fabric.

Expert Tips

  • Use room temperature lemons, as they are easier to squeeze and yield more juice.
  • Spice tip:  Add the salt a little at a time.  Taste before serving, and adjust any spices as needed.
  • Don't be tempted to buy the pre-grated carrots, since freshly grated carrots make this taste much better.

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Recipe

person holding a spoonful of French carrot salad

French Carrot Salad

French carrot salad is an easy vegan recipe that is simple, healthy, and economical.  Grated carrots and fresh parsley are tossed with a lemon vinaigrette to create this light, refreshing salad.
5 from 3 votes
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Course: Salad
Cuisine: French
Diet: Vegan
Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 86kcal
Author: Brooke & Emma

Ingredients
 

For the Salad

  • 4 cups finely grated carrot, from 6 large carrots
  • ¾ cup flatleaf parsley, chopped

For the Lemon Vinaigrette

  • ½ cup lemon juice, from 4 room-temperature lemons (reserve 2 tablespoons)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, reserve ¼ teaspoon for the end
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Keep your screen on while you work!

Instructions

  • Wash and peel 6 large carrots, then cut off their tops and ends.  Finely grate them with a box grater to get 4 cups (444g), then place the grated carrot in a mixing bowl.
  • Cut four room-temperature lemons in half, then squeeze their juice until you have ½ cup (120 ml).  Reserve two tablespoons (30 ml) of lemon juice to use later.
  • Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and sugar to make the lemon vinaigrette.
  • Pour over the carrots and mix together with a spoon or toss with your hands.  The carrot salad should be moist, but not overly juicy.
  • Sprinkle on the fresh parsley and gently toss to combine.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  I added the reserved lemon juice and sugar at this step.
  • Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to serve.  Check the seasonings before serving.

Video

Notes

  • Use room temperature lemons, as they are easier to squeeze and yield more juice.
  • Spice tip:  Add the salt a little at a time.  Taste before serving, and adjust any spices as needed.
  • Don't be tempted to buy the pre-grated carrots, since freshly grated carrots make this taste much better.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 86kcal (4%)Carbohydrates: 10g (3%)Protein: 1g (2%)Fat: 5g (8%)Saturated Fat: 1g (6%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 262mg (11%)Potassium: 337mg (10%)Fiber: 3g (13%)Sugar: 5g (6%)Vitamin A: 14889IU (298%)Vitamin C: 23mg (28%)Calcium: 40mg (4%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jules

    August 17, 2022 at 3:54 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks for this simple but moorish carrot salad, so refreshing , tasty and healthy 🙂 reminds me of France.

    Reply
    • Emma

      August 19, 2022 at 6:21 am

      Thank you, Jules! We are thrilled that you like our carrot salad recipe.

      Reply
  2. Alex

    November 07, 2019 at 7:01 am

    5 stars
    The lemon brings out the flavor of the grated carrot. I like the flat leaf parsley, too; it adds additional flavor. The lemon is sour, but this salad is good!

    Reply
    • Emma

      November 07, 2019 at 7:03 am

      I love how lemony this salad is, Alex! The parsley and carrot is such a simple combination, but really tasty and refreshing. Thanks for commenting!

      Reply
  3. Beth

    November 07, 2019 at 7:00 am

    5 stars
    The carrots and parsley compliment each other. The lemon is really good in this salad, because it gives the salad a tangy taste. I like how you can tweak the recipe to reflect your personal tastes.

    Reply
    • Emma

      November 07, 2019 at 7:03 am

      It is nice to have a recipe that you can easily change up, depending on how you like it. I'm glad that you enjoyed this carrot salad, Beth!

      Reply

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