Carrot Salad (Râpé de Carottes)
Carrot Salad (Râpé de Carottes)
How to Make French Carrot Salad (Râpé de Carottes): A Delicious & Healthy Diet Vegetable Dish
In French, ‘râpé’ means grated, and it typically refers to a salad made from finely shredded or grated firm vegetables. This recipe introduces you to ‘Râpé de Carottes,’ a delightful French carrot salad packed with healthy ingredients and wonderful flavor. While delicious when freshly made, its taste truly blossoms after a day or two of refrigeration. For those eager to enjoy it sooner, even a couple of hours of resting will allow the flavors to meld beautifully.
Main Ingredients- 3 medium carrots
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Dressing- 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1.5 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Garnish (Optional)- Pinch of dried parsley flakes
- 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1.5 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Garnish (Optional)- Pinch of dried parsley flakes
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Begin by thoroughly washing the carrots under running water. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin, then pat them completely dry with paper towels. Ensuring the carrots are dry is key to a good texture and preventing a watery salad.
Step 2
Shredding the carrots is the most crucial step. Doing this by hand with a knife can be quite challenging and time-consuming due to the carrot’s firm texture. To make this process effortless and safe, we highly recommend using a mandoline slicer or a julienne grater. These tools will help you achieve uniformly thin shreds quickly and minimize the risk of injury.
Step 3
Using a mandoline slicer made shredding the carrots incredibly easy. Three carrots yielded a generous amount, but be warned – this salad is so delicious, you might find yourself wishing you’d made more!
Step 4
Sprinkle the shredded carrots with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Gently toss the carrots with your hands to ensure the salt is evenly distributed. This salting process helps to draw out excess moisture, making the carrots wonderfully crisp and allowing them to absorb flavor.
Step 5
Let the carrots sit for about 10 minutes to lightly salt. While they’re resting, let’s prepare the vibrant dressing for our carrot salad.
Step 6
In a bowl, combine 5 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. If you don’t have fresh lemon juice, you can substitute it with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, using about half the amount (2-2.5 tablespoons) and adjusting to taste later. The bright acidity of the lemon juice is essential for the salad’s refreshing profile.
Step 7
Add 6 tablespoons of olive oil to the bowl. The richness of the olive oil complements the carrots beautifully. If you prefer a lighter dressing, feel free to reduce the amount to 4 tablespoons.
Step 8
Whisk in 1.5 tablespoons of whole grain mustard. The mustard adds a delightful tang and a pleasant texture with its whole seeds.
Step 9
Add a pinch of freshly ground black pepper. You can always add more pepper later if you like. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together until well combined.
Step 10
After the 10 minutes of salting, check the carrots. You should see some moisture released, as shown in the photo. If you don’t see much liquid, that’s perfectly fine. Gently squeeze handfuls of the shredded carrots to press out any excess water. This step is crucial for maintaining the crispness of the salad.
Step 11
Ensure the carrots are squeezed well, removing as much excess moisture as possible while still keeping them slightly tender.
Step 12
Pour about half of the prepared dressing over the squeezed carrots. This allows you to better control the amount of dressing and ensure it’s evenly coated.
Step 13
Using your hands, gently toss the carrots with the dressing. Be careful not to break the delicate shreds; the goal is to coat them evenly.
Step 14
Add the remaining dressing and toss again until all the carrot shreds are beautifully coated. Your delicious carrot salad is now ready to be enjoyed!
Step 15
You can serve the salad immediately, or for an extra touch of freshness and visual appeal, sprinkle with a pinch of dried parsley flakes. Parsley can also be added just before serving after the salad has chilled.
Step 16
Congratulations! Your authentic French Carrot Salad (Râpé de Carottes) is perfectly made. Enjoy this vibrant and healthy dish!
