Description

Carrot Apple Salad with Cranberries and Mandarin Oranges offers a fresh and vibrant mix of crisp carrots, sweet and tart apples, juicy mandarin segments, and tangy cranberries. This nutritious and colorful salad requires no cooking, making it a quick, easy, and versatile dish perfect as a refreshing side, light snack, or elegant topping for various meals. Enhanced with lemon juice and natural sweeteners, plus optional nuts and herbs for texture and flavor, it’s a delightful way to brighten up any table.

Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients

2 cups grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
2 medium firm apples, cored and diced (preferably Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
1 cup mandarin orange segments, peeled and pith removed (fresh or canned, drained)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or fresh cranberries if preferred)

Dressing and Optional Additions

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1–2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (maple syrup for vegan option)
1/4 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans; optional)
2 tablespoons fresh herbs (mint or parsley, chopped; optional)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Prepare Your Produce: Peel and grate the carrots into thin, bite-sized shreds. Core and dice the apples into small chunks to maintain a crisp texture throughout the salad.
Segment the Mandarins: Carefully peel the mandarin oranges, separating each segment and removing any seeds or pith to keep the flavor sweet and fresh without bitterness.
Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, gently toss together the grated carrots, chopped apples, mandarin segments, and cranberries, ensuring even distribution of each component.
Dress the Salad: Drizzle fresh lemon juice and honey (or maple syrup) over the salad. Gently mix to coat all the ingredients evenly. Add chopped nuts and fresh herbs if desired for extra texture and flavor.
Chill and Serve: Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld and the salad to chill nicely.

Notes

Choose firm, fresh produce for the best texture and freshness.
Toss apples immediately with lemon juice to prevent browning.
Adjust sweetness by tasting and adding more honey or maple syrup as needed.
Mix gently to preserve texture and prevent bruising of fruit segments.
Add nuts just before serving to keep them crunchy and prevent sogginess.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Category: Appetizers
Method: No Cooking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 130
Sugar: 18g
Sodium: 5mg
Fat: 3g
Saturated Fat: 0.3g
Unsaturated Fat: 2.2g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 28g
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 1g
Cholesterol: 0mg