Carrot Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing! Nourishing, vibrant carrots are the star of this flavorful and easy-to-make carrot salad!

This oil free Carrot Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing is packed with healthy plant based ingredients and coated in an irresistible cashew-based dressing that is sure to make your taste buds happy. A new family favorite, this tasty salad makes for the perfect holidays, potlucks, or every day salad.

Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.

Hi there, Ameera here!

It was always a family tradition to try one new recipe for Thanksgiving. We had our “must have” recipes, but we enjoyed making and tasting new recipes. Thanksgiving was a great opportunity to stretch our wings and try something new for the holiday table.

In keeping with that same tradition (just WFPB style) this salad is definitely going to be a must for this year’s holiday table. If you are looking for a fun, new recipe to share on your table or bring to share with others, look no further than this super easy and ultra-flavorful carrot salad!

We all couldn’t get enough. Yasmeen kept saying “More, more, more,” and we totally agreed. We kept eating more, more, more until it was all gone. So delish!

Tips for Success:

• Flavor Profile: The flavor profile of salad is that of a carrot slaw with a deliciously tangy maple mustard dressing.
• Cabbage: We preferred to use a purple cabbage due to the vibrancy of the contrasting colors.  A green cabbage will work equally well.
• Cashew Substitutes: You can try the typical cashew substitutes: silken tofu, white beans, other nuts, or seeds with the understanding that the flavor and texture will change accordingly.  You may need to adjust/add ingredients to compensate. We have not tested any substitutions.
• Grated Carrots/Cabbage: You can use the packages of matchstick (or shredded) carrots that are prepackaged at the grocery store as well as a prepackaged coleslaw mix if you do not have a food processor with a slaw attachment or you simply want to save time. We used our food processor with the grater attachment for both the carrots and cabbage.
  • Note: If using prepackaged carrots and/or cabbage slaw, you may find that you need to adjust the amount of the carrots and cabbage slightly (adding slightly more), as grated carrots and cabbage are smaller in size than prepacked ingredients, which will require more dressing. We suggest starting with the recipe amounts of carrots and cabbage and adding more as needed until you reach the desired consistency.
• Green Onions: Use the white and green parts of the green onion. You can substitute with finely diced red onions. Use a mild red onion. If you have concerns about the flavor, start with a lower amount and build from there. If you have an especially sharp-tasting red onion, you may wish to consider chopping the red onion, then placing it in a small bowl and cover the chopped red onions with some warm tap water for 7 minutes. This will take some of the sharpness out of the onion. Drain well, shake off any excess water, then use in the salad. Note:  We tested this recipe with both red onions and green onions and found that the flavor from the green onions to be superior than red onions.
• Dried Rubbed Sage: Dried rubbed sage has an almost fluffy texture when it comes out of the jar. Feel free to use your favorite brand of rubbed sage.  If your sage is ground to a powder, consider using less than the recipe amount.
• Pistachios: Pistachios really elevate this salad/coleslaw to the next level. They add amazing flavor and crunch. You can substitute with your favorite nuts if you wish. However, pistachios really are the excellent choice for this salad/slaw. This is an optional ingredient. If you are watching your fat intake, you can leave the pistachios out.
• Other Substitutions or Add-Ins: You can also add raisins, golden raisins, or dried cranberries, if you wish.
• Make Ahead for Special Occasions: If you wish to make this salad/slaw for the next day or later the same day, we suggest making and mixing all the Base Ingredients together (refrigerating) and making the dressing (refrigerating), but not mixing them until right before serving. Keep the pistachios separate as well.
• Serving: This salad tastes best immediately after making.  If refrigerated, remove from the refrigerator approximately 20 minutes, prior to serving to allow the flavors to wake up and the dressing to thin out (cashew-based dressings tend to thicken in the fridge.) Mix well, then serve.

Leftovers and Freezing:

Leftovers will generally keep for 4 days in the refrigerator.  Store in a tightly covered container.

This dish cannot be frozen.

Pantry Products Used:

• Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.   

Kitchen Products Used:

• High-speed blender
• Food processor with grater attachment (to grate the carrots and cabbage)

If you try this fabulous salad, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us!  We would love to hear from you.

Carrot Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing

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• Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures
• Prep Time: 20 Minutes
• Total Time: 20 Minutes
• Yield: 5 Cups 1x
• Category: Salad, Appetizer
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

This oil free Carrot Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing is packed with healthy plant based ingredients and coated in an irresistible cashew-based dressing that is sure to make your taste buds happy.

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Ingredients

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Base Ingredients:

• 4 cups grated carrots *
• 1 ½ cups grated cabbage (purple or green) *
• ½ cup chopped green onions

Dressing Ingredients:

• ½ cup [raw] cashews *
• ¼ cup + 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• ¼ cup water
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ¾ teaspoon dried ground mustard powder
• ½ teaspoon dried rubbed sage *
• ¼ to 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *

Optional Ingredients:

• ½ cup pistachios, rough chop (+/-) *

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Instructions

1. Place the cashews into a small bowl, cover with boiling water. Allow to sit for 15 minutes, then drain (discard water).  Place the soaked cashews into a high-speed blender with all the remaining Dressing Ingredients.  Blend on high until smooth and emulsified, set aside.
2. Place all the Base Ingredients (including chopped pistachios, if using) into a bowl, mix well to evenly distribute.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients. Mix until everything is well coated. Serve immediately and enjoy! Refrigerate any leftovers.

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Notes

*Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used. 

*Sea Salt:  Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

*Servings:  Makes 4 ½ to 5 cups

*Nutrition Information: Does not include the optional ingredient of pistachios.

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