Carrot Apple Walnut Salad
Last updated on January 29th, 2026
I swear, I am continuously finding myself with a whole bunch of carrots leftover from some recipe and then I need to think of something awesome to do with them! It’s highkey really fun! This Carrot Apple Walnut Salad was bursting with flavor and freshness! There was so much going on in this! It was tangy, it was crunchy, it was zesty! Those toasted walnuts, the crunchy apple, that little punch from the cilantro and green onion, that dressing?! It was unreal! This could be a side dish, an appetizer, a snack – it can be anything you want it to be! I made this and my family demolished it by itself – like, instantly! This dish would be perfect for the Super Bowl coming up or an Easter party! It would definitely have some jaws dropping!
This post may contain affiliate links
Where does the idea for a raw carrot salad come from?
This carrot salad is inspired by a garlicky, vinegary Russian-style version an old friend used to make many years ago! I wanted to put my own spin on it while keeping the bold nostalgic flavors that made it unforgettable for me!
Raw carrot salads have been around a long time though, and there are a ton of different recipes out there which all differ depending on what cuisine the recipe is inspired by! My recipe is sort of like an American harvest fusion situation! But carrot salad likely blew up in popularity due to the French inspired version which dates back to the early 20th century! From there, I mean the rest is history! Different versions would pop up in Mediterranean cookbooks, American cookbooks, versions with raisins, versions with mayo, nuts, and herbs! By 2023 TikTok creators were making these “hormone balancing carrot salads” which originally went viral all thanks to @balancebypaige!
Did you know?
Walnuts were once used as natural scrubbers! Back before abrasive sponges were a thing, ground walnut shells were used to clean surfaces, polish metal, even exfoliate skin! Isn’t that interesting!?
Carrots – they are ridiculously high in Vitamin A. Like, they’re really good for you! They don’t give you super vision or anything like that, but they are very nutrient dense!
And apples are just as cool! There are over 7,500 varieties of apples, and just one single tree can live over 100 years! The Honeycrisp apple, which is one of the most profitable apples in the world, was actually almost CANCELLED because the University of Minnesota said it was too difficult to grow! Pretty cool stuff!
What ingredients do I need to make this Carrot Apple Walnut Salad?
For the honey citrus dressing:
Orange
Lime
Olive Oil
Honey
Dijon
Salt
Black Pepper
Nutmeg
Crushed Red Pepper
For the carrot apple walnut salad:
Carrots
Apple
Red Onion
Green Onion
Garlic
Cilantro
Dried Cranberries
Walnuts
What equipment do I need to make this?
- Cutting Board
- Chef Knife
- Vegetable Peeler
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Cheese Grater
- Juicer
- Zester
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Small Skillet
- Spatula
- Wooden Spoon
How do I make it?
To get started on this recipe, the first thing we’ll want to do is make the honey citrus dressing! That way it can chill while we make the carrot salad!
To make the honey citrus dressing:
Wash the orange and lime, then juice and zest the orange into a bowl. Slice the lime in half and juice half of it into the same bowl. Next add all other dressing ingredients and whisk to combine. Once emulsified, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. That’s it! So easy!
Now, let’s toast our walnuts and make our salad!
To toast the walnuts:
Chop the walnuts up roughly and toast them in a small skillet over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir or toss the pan occasionally just to ensure they don’t burn.
Once they smell toasty and appear slightly darker in color, remove from heat and set aside to cool until ready to use.
To make the carrot apple walnut salad:
Scrub the carrots, peel them, and shred them. Wash the herbs and peel the onion. Mince up the cilantro, garlic, and red onion. Next, thinly slice the green onion, but only the green parts. Wash and dice the apple.
Add everything to a large bowl, reserving half of the cranberry, toasted walnuts, green onion, and cilantro for garnish.
Drizzle the honey citrus dressing all over the salad, using a wooden spoon or tongs to toss and coat.
Move to a serving dish and top with remaining cranberry, toasted walnuts, and herbs! Serve immediately. If desired, you can chill it for several minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Tips:
- This carrot apple walnut salad will keep for 3-4 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator! It gets more flavorful as it sits, but due to the fresh veggies and herbs, it will start to water down fairly quickly. If you want to make this ahead of time, I recommend only doing so a couple of hours before you plan to eat it.
- If you don’t have walnuts, you could use pecan, almond, even cashews would be really nice in this salad!
Looking for more ways to use up a bunch of carrots? Check these recipes out!
Looking for some more flavorful chilled salad recipes?
Carrot Apple Walnut Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
For the honey citrus dressing:
- Juice and Zest from One Orange
- Juice from Half a Lime
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 1 tsp Dijon
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg
- ¼ tsp Crushed Red Pepper
For the carrot apple walnut salad:
- 7 Medium Carrots peeled and shredded
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 Honeycrisp Apple diced
- 1 Green Onion green part only, thinly sliced and divided
- ½ cup Dried Cranberries divided
- ½ cup Walnuts roughly chopped, divided
- ¼ cup Red Onion minced
- ¼ cup Cilantro minced, divided
Instructions
To make the honey citrus dressing:
- Add all dressing ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Once emulsified, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. That's it! So easy!
To toast the walnuts:
- In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the walnuts for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don't burn.
- Once they smell toasty and appear slightly darker in color, remove from heat and set aside to cool until ready to use.
To make the carrot apple walnut salad:
- Add all of the ingredients for the salad besides half of the walnuts, green onion, cranberry, and cilantro to a large bowl.
- Drizzle the honey citrus dressing all over the salad, using a wooden spoon or tongs to toss and coat.
- Top with reserved toasted walnuts, cranberry, and remaining herbs!
- Serve immediately. If desired, you can chill it for 10-15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Please be aware that nutritional values are approximate and intended as a helpful guide
Discover more from The Wholesome Spoon
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
This recipe looks totally delicious! These ingredients go do well together.
I’m so glad you like it! Thank you for sharing!
Wow! This tasted amazing!! Love how simple it was!
I’m so happy to hear Lainey, thanks for sharing!
Lex never misses! And this salad is no exception. It’s so good!
Awh, thank you so much! I really appreciate it 🙂
I loved this salad! It was so flavorful with the additions of the cilantro and green onions. The dressing was delicious too. I’ll be using it on other salads as well.
That makes me so happy! Thank you for sharing!
My new favorite salad! Love how the simplicity of the dressing lets all the natural flavors shine through
I love this! Thanks for sharing with me!
Sounds great! I end up with tons of carrots. Now i have another option. Thanks.
I love that! I’ve got lots more carrot recipes too! Enjoy ❤️
Making this salad for lunch today for me and my hubby.
Just omitting the cilantro because we both think it tastes like soap! LOL.
I am thinking of adding some parsley instead or some dill.
What do you think would pair better?
I think both would be lovely! You could always just up the green onion too!