Asian Carrot Salad, plus Ginger Peanut Dressing

This Asian Carrot Salad is the answer to every 'what can we serve as a side dish' question. It's crunchy, tangy, slightly spicy, and completely addictive.

Sometimes we need recipes that don't require turning on the oven. We created this salad because we wanted something refreshing to cut through rich meats at our Sunday BBQs. a reliable part? Even our son, who usually dodges vegetables, went back for seconds because of that peanut dressing. It's low-carb, ready in 15 minutes, and tastes even better the next day!

What stands out

The Texture: Unlike grated carrots which can get mushy, peeling them into ribbons keeps them crisp and holds the dressing perfectly.

The Flavor Balance: We hit all the notes here, sweet (sugar), salty (soy), sour (lime/lemon), and heat (chili). It's that classic Thai/Vietnamese flavor profile.

Meal Prep Friendly: The carrots stay crunchy in the fridge, making this good for lunchboxes.

Ingredients

• Lime, Lemon Zest and Chili The dressing is where the magic happens. We use a mix of lemon AND lime juice becasue lemon provides the tartness, while lime adds that floral citrus note essential for Asian cuisine.
• Grated Ginger We love ginger, we use it in our fresh fish ceviche and in this recipe because it adds a spicy, warmth that cuts through the sweetness of the carrots. It's that background heat that makes you want another bite. Please don't use ground ginger, which is great for baking, but in a fresh raw salad like this, it tastes dusty and won't blend well with the lime juice.
• Sugar This helps balance out the acidity from the citrus.
• Sesame Oil Just a bit, enough to add some nutty flavour.

Note: Find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the Recipe Card.

Substitutions

• Grated Ginger We know some of our friends don't like ginger and find the flavor of ginger is too strong, here are a reliable swaps that won't ruin the Asian profile:
  • Lemongrass Paste: Use 1 teaspoon of lemongrass paste. It gives you that beautiful citrusy aroma without the spicy heat of ginger.
  • Galangal: If you can find it (usually in Asian grocers), it looks like ginger but tastes more citrusy and pine-like. It's actually more traditional in Thai cooking like our easy Thai coconut soup!
  • Extra Garlic: Just skip the ginger entirely and add one extra clove of garlic. The lime and chili carry enough flavor that you won't miss it too much.
• Sugar We like to use Natvia (which is mostly Erythritol) however it does not dissolve well in cold liquids like lime juice or soy sauce and it your salad will taste gritty. You will need to dissolve it first. In a small bowl add the lemon and lime juice and the 1:1 ratio of Natvia instead of sugar, microwave it for 10-15 seconds until just warm and whisk until fully dissolved. then add the cold ingredients (oil, soy etc) Natvia has a slight “cooling” effect on the tongue. In this salad, the chili and ginger actually mask that perfectly, so it works much better here than in a plain vinaigrette.

Ribbon, Curls or Grated cut?

We know ribbon cutting can be tedious, but if you want to make it more fun use the Karoto carrot sharpener and vegetable peeler. It's in the shape of a pencil sharpener and can make fun curls as well as ribbons. Both curls or ribbon cuts are ideal in this salad to retain the carrot crunch. It keeps the moisture inside the carrot. Using an ordinary vegetable peeler works just as well to make ribbon cuts watch our video to see how its done.

We don't recommend grating carrots. It releases a lot of water, which dilutes your flavorful dressing and makes the salad soggy within minutes and your salad will not be the same.

On the stove

1. Peel carrots and slice into thin ribbons using a peeler or mandoline.

1. In a bowl, whisk sugar with lemon and lime juice, mirin seasoning, mustard, sesame oil, and soy sauce until sugar dissolves.

1. Add chopped chili, lemon and lime zest, garlic, ginger, and coriander. Mix well.

1. Toss carrot ribbons in dressing until evenly coated.

1. Plate and sprinkle with peanuts and green onion.

1. Serve immediately or chill slightly.

Serving suggestions

Carrot Salad is good as either a main or side dish, with that in mind our favourite pairings are:

Easy Baked Scallops Gratin French Shepherds Pie Best Beef Milanesaour Roast Beef Tenderloin or even our Honey Sesame Salmon in Foil for something lighter but just as satisfying.

Salad always needs a good protein partner. My best tip is to serve it with roasted Asian glazed chicken thighs.

Other refreshing salad options similar in vibe to this salad is our feta and watermelon salad .

Recipe FAQ's

Absolutely! You can shred the carrots prepping them a few days in advance. You'll need to be sure to store them in an airtight container in the fridge

No, we definitely wouldn't freeze this. It's a liquidy recipe and thawing it will be a nightmare, and won't be the same.

a reliable way to store this is in an airtight container in the fridge for upto 2 days. If you've prepared the carrots in advance though we'd serve this immediately.

Watch It Being Made

What you need

• 7 Carrots medium, peeled
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar Natvia is recommended as a substitute but see notes below for further steps
• 1 lemon zest and juiced
• 1 lime zest and juiced
• 3 tbsp mirin seasoning
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 red chili finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 2 tsp ginger grated
• 1 tbsp coriander chopped
• 1 green onion finely chopped
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts chopped

Method

1. peel carrots and slice into thin ribbons using a peeler or mandoline.
2. in a bowl, whisk sugar with lemon and lime juice, mirin seasoning, mustard, sesame oil, and soy sauce until sugar dissolves.
3. add chopped chili, lemon and lime zest, garlic, ginger, and coriander. Mix well.
4. toss carrot ribbons in dressing until evenly coated.
5. plate and sprinkle with peanuts and green onion.
6. serve immediately or chill slightly.