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This Viral Carrot Salad is simple to make, yet bursting with flavor! It’s a combination of peeled carrots with chopped shallots and cilantro in a zesty Asian dressing. It’s cold, crunchy, and refreshing – a versatile side for any main!
Try it with my delicious teriyaki steak or my grilled teriyaki chicken skewers!
The Viral TikTok shredded carrot salad is light, bright, and goes with pretty much everything. It’s made with a handful of simple ingredients, and it’s wonderful for spring and summer, but it works any time of the year. Love salads? Check out all my Healthy Salad Recipes.
About this Carrot Salad
When I first saw this salad going viral, I was hesitant to make it. I thought, no way my kids will eat this. I was surprised that 4 out of 5 of my kids loved this. My last kid is my picky eater so he doesn’t count! Lol.
It takes less than 15 minutes to prepare, and it tastes so good when chilled, so you can make it before a meal or potluck! Try it as a side dish paired with grilled salmon, crispy baked chicken, or easy teriyaki shrimp.
Ingredients you’ll need
Below is a list of ingredients you will need to make this salad. Full measurements are listed further down below in the recipe card.
- Carrots: Look for large carrots that are firm and don’t have any cracks or splits.
- Shallot: or use white sweet onions
- Toasted sesame oil: A must for delicious toasty flavor!
- Soy sauce: For salty umami flavor.
- Rice vinegar: Gives the vinaigrette a mild, slight sweetness that balances the savory soy sauce.
- Lemon: You’ll use the zest and juice of one lemon for brightness.
- Toasted sesame seeds: Add texture and a rich, nutty taste.
- Fresh cilantro: I love fresh cilantro in this recipe, but you can substitute it with another herb like parsley, if preferred.
Variations and substitutions
- Make this with multi colored or tri colored carrots for a beautiful presentation!
- Use low-sodium soy sauce to decrease the saltiness of the vinaigrette. You can also sub with coconut aminos for a soy-free, gluten-free option.
- Add cheese! Any crumbled cheese, from goat cheese to feta cheese, would be a great addition.
How to make carrot salad
Step 1: Using a vegetable peeler peel the first layer of the carrots and discard.
Continue to peel the carrots in a bowl.
Step 2: Finely chop the shallot and cilantro. Add to the salad and pour the sesame oil over the top.
Step 3: Soy sauce, vinegar, lemon zest, juice, sesame seeds, shallot, and cilantro.
Stir to combine and serve.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tips
- Julienne or shred your carrots: Do not use a bag of pre-cut carrots from the store. You want this salad filled with sweet, crunchy carrots, but bagged ones are often dry and flavorless.
- Shredding the carrots: For really thin strips, you can shred the carrots with a julienne peeler. For wider ribbons of carrot, use a regular vegetable peeler. As a last resort, you can use a knife and cut the peeled carrots into chunks and cut lengthwise into thin strips or matchsticks.
- Toast the sesame seeds: This makes them super tasty! Add the seeds to a dry skillet and heat over medium-low heat until they’re slightly golden and fragrant. Watch them closely, this will only take a couple of minutes, and you don’t want them to burn.
Frequently asked questions
As long as you wash and scrub them well, the outside doesn’t technically have to be peeled before preparing them for this salad. However, the outside can be a bit dry and rough, so we recommend peeling the outside.
Yes, you can use cucumbers. It will also taste great.
Hey, if that’s all you have, I guess. You will have to slice or cut them into small pieces. I do recommend using the larger carrots. They are way more flavorful.
No. I do not recommend freezing leftovers. They do not freeze well.
Storage recommendations
One of the best things about this salad is it keeps for several days in the refrigerator, which makes it a great meal prep option!
- Make ahead: Make the carrot salad the night before you plan to serve it. All of the flavors intensify and become even more delicious!
- Storing leftovers: Place any leftover salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
More salad recipes
Tiktok Viral Carrot Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 4 large carrots
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 small lemon, zest and juice of
- 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 2-3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel the first layer of the 4 large carrots and discard it.
- Continue to peel the carrots and add them to a bowl.
- Finely chop the 1 shallot and 2-3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro; add them to the bowl with the carrots.
- Add 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar, lemon zest and juice from 1 small lemon, 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, shallot, and cilantro.
- Stir to combine and serve.
Notes
- Place any leftover salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
- You must use fresh cilantro for the best flavor. If you hate it, then use fresh parsley.
- If you do not want to slice the carrots super thin, then you can just jullienne them.
- add a kick of spice to it for a spicier salad.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Carrots are my favorite . It was so yummy