Carrot Salad with Raisins and Pineapple

This shredded carrot salad with raisins and pineapple is the perfect addition to all your summer fun. The delicious crunch of the carrots combined with the sweet pineapple and tartness of the lemon, gives you a recipe that is reminiscent of what grandma used to make.

Looking for other delicious side dish recipes? If you love side dish salads, try Tuna Pasta salad or Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad.

Carrot Raisin Salad

When spring starts to peak its head around winter’s corner, my mind zooms to all the summer picnics and backyard BBQ’s I’ve yet to enjoy. Whether for a light summery barbecue or a picnic with friends, Carrot Salad is my go-to choice for a healthy side all summer long. 

Better still, the kids love carrot raisin salad because of the sweet, and I appreciate knowing there is a decent option we can all agree upon as a perfect side dish recipe.

 

Scroll below for tips on working with carrots and pineapples or scroll to the bottom to print this easy to follow, easy to make, perfect summer salad recipe. 

Shredded Carrots

Yes, I know you can buy carrots already shredded at the grocery store. Its so easy to grab a little bag of pre-done carrots and it works in a pinch for uniformity and ease.

But per pound, they are just WAY more expensive so buy shredded carrots than simply grating them yourself if you are looking for a huge salad. 

• For regular carrot shreds, to do a safe and effective job, you’ll need a box grater with sharp rasps on each side.
• To shred carrots, I like to use the side typically for cheese – it’s the shape and size piece that my family seems to enjoy and matches the store kind pretty well.
• For things like carrot cake or other grated carrot baked goods, I typically use a smaller rasp, so the pieces bake up smoother.
• You can even mix this up by using a spiralizer to create long spiral versions for your Carrot Salad and its so fun to experiment how textures influence flavors.

How to Shred Carrots

1. To begin, peel your carrots and cut the top off.
2. I also like to cut a small part off the bottom (pointed) end, so I have something flat to start against the grater.  If your carrot is really long or really thin, cut it in half crosswise, so you have a stiffer piece to work with.
3. The key to protecting your hands is to first, start slowly until you get the carrot into a groove on the grater and second, go slowly as you get to the end.

 

 

Raw carrots nourish your body

While cooked carrots are sweeter, the best way to get all the health benefits out of your carrots (and your carrot side dish recipes) is to eat them raw.

Raw carrots retain all of their original nutrients, unlike cooked carrots, giving you the most bang for your health buck. This carrot salad is perfect for that as its made with raw carrots!

Carrots offer you a wealth of nutritional benefits that affect nearly every part of your body and its systems – your eyes, heart, digestive system, immune system, oral health, blood sugar regulation, and notably, cancer prevention! Plus, when eaten in combination with other ingredients, like the pecans, pineapple, and raisins in the Carrot Salad, the effects of the carrots can be magnified.

Fresh or Canned Pineapple?

Like any fruit or vegetable that comes in a can, it can be confusing to figure out when you need to spring for a fresh version and when canned is OK.

Canned pineapple is something I always have on hand in the pantry, but I rarely end up with fresh pineapple in my house.

In this particular salad, either is fine – while canned pineapple sometimes has more moisture in it, you can simply adjust the other wet ingredients slightly to keep the salad drier.

A key issue with fresh pineapple is choosing one at the store.   No matter what I do, it feels like a guessing game to figure out whether the pineapple is actually ripe, or just seems ripe. The other part is once I break open that husk, I suddenly have a massive amount of pineapple to eat in a relatively short period.

Let’s tackle the ripeness issue first.

• For a quick guide, focus on three things – the color, the size of the crown, and the weight of the fruit.
• Pineapples are generally green before they are ripe, like bananas, but mellow to a light golden color at peak ripeness.
• If your pineapple is mostly green, it should be golden around the eyes, at the very least or you should consider it not ready to eat yet.
• The crown should be in good condition – at least four inches tall, but not longer than twice the height of the fruit.
• Lastly, the pineapple should feel heavy for its size.
• This can be the hardest to determine, but more weight indicates more liquid which generally means a sweeter, juicier pineapple.
• If you end up with a not-quite-ripe pineapple, you’ll have to let it sit on the counter for a few days.  If yours is ripe, cut and serve that day.

 

As for the, “oh man, there is a lot of pineapple here to eat” issue – start with this Carrot Salad Recipe of course but also add grilled slices to burgers, mix in yogurt, eat it with a fork right out of the container!

Leave me a comment, a rating, or tag me on social media #SaltySideDish so I can see your version! You can also check out more vegetable side dish recipe ideas here.

Carrot Salad with Raisins & Pecans

Yield: 4 people

Prep Time: 10 minutes

fridge for: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Carrot Salad with raisins and Pecans is a perfect side dish. Slightly sweet mayo and lemon mix and a crunch from crispy carrots and pecans, you will be delighted with the Raisins, making this the perfect BBQ or Picnic Side Dish at your next party.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 package, 10 oz, matchstick carrots
• 1 can, 20 oz, pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup pecans
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Mix carrots, pineapple, raisins and pecans together in a bowl and mix well.
2. Sprinkle with sugar and salt and mix.
3. Add mayonnaise and lemon juice and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Do not lose this recipe!

Pin for later by clicking here so you have it for your next event.

 

Other Carrot Recipe Options you May Love

1. Roasted Carrots
2. Honey Glazed Rainbow Carrots