Shaved Carrot Apple Almond Salad (Printable)

Crisp shaved carrots and apples with toasted almonds and a zesty citrus dressing—bright, crunchy, ready in 20 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Produce

01 - 3 large carrots, peeled
02 - 2 crisp apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith)
03 - 2 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, or baby kale)
04 - 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
05 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Nuts & Seeds

06 - ½ cup sliced almonds

→ Citrus Dressing

07 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
08 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
09 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
10 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
11 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 - ¼ teaspoon sea salt
13 - ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the sliced almonds for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
02 - Using a vegetable peeler or mandoline, shave the peeled carrots into long, thin ribbons. Set aside.
03 - Core and thinly slice the apples. Toss the slices with a small amount of lemon juice to prevent browning.
04 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, honey or maple syrup, Dijon mustard, olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper until fully emulsified.
05 - In a large bowl, combine the mixed salad greens, shaved carrot ribbons, sliced apples, shallot, chopped parsley, and cooled toasted almonds.
06 - Drizzle the citrus dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat evenly. Serve immediately for the best texture and flavor.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The shaved carrots look almost too pretty to eat, turning an ordinary salad into something that belongs on a magazine cover.
  • That citrus dressing hits every note, sweet, tangy, just enough bite from the mustard, and it comes together in under a minute.
  • It is one of those rare salads that actually holds up as a next day lunch without turning into a soggy mess.
02 -
  • Watch the almonds like a hawk when toasting, they will seem fine and then suddenly burn the moment you look away.
  • Shaving the carrots lengthwise instead of grating them changes the entire texture of this salad from slaw to something elegant.
03 -
  • Use a Y shaped peeler instead of a standard swivel one for the longest, most dramatic carrot ribbons.
  • Let the dressing sit for five minutes before tossing it with the salad so the flavors have time to marry and mellow.

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