As the weather warms up and friends and family start to meet up in the sunshine, I love a good, simple side salad for picnics and potlucks. This recipe for French Carrot Salad is a great option for such an occasion and is reminiscent of a salad staple in France!
While traveling to Nice in the south of France with a friend last year, we decided to enjoy the beautiful weather and take a boat ride around the Côte d’Azur. I’m not sure what we expected to get, but it wasn’t an extremely fashionable French woman in a flowered hat with a motorboat. But that’s exactly what we got!
It turned out to be the best day. Our captain was incredibly sweet and knowledgeable about the area. We got to swim in the Mediterranean and enjoy the views of the cute cliffside towns and million dollar mansions. Our guide then served up a huge banquet of Nice delicacies – Pan Bagnat (a light tuna salad sandwich with egg), Camembert cheese, a caramelized onion tart, Tourte aux Blette (a spinach pastry that can be made either sweet or savory), and a delicious carrot salad that I just had to recreate!
This salad features grated carrots marinated in lemon, honey, spices and herbs. The cumin and paprika aren’t traditional, but I think they give it more depth and a bit of a kick. I also like the mixture of parsley and cilantro, but you could just do parsley if you’re not a cilantro fan. The carrots get nice and soft from the marinade, and then it’s finished with some crunchy toasted almonds on top for texture.
This is a great side salad for any picnic or barbecue. The light lemony flavor would be a great accompaniment with some barbecued ribs or chicken. I even served this with my Easter dinner and it went great with a honey baked ham!
I also highly recommend this in a boat with a flowered hat :).
Note on Equipment
To grate the carrots, you can certainly use a cheese grater, but to save some time and effort, I recommend a food processor with a grater attachment. I have this Cuisinart food processor and it’s amazing! So easy to use and powerful. If you’re really pressed for time, you could also use pre-shredded bagged carrots, but I find the pieces a little too large for this salad.
Wine Pairings for French Carrot Salad
- Chenin Blanc: This white wine pairs well with foods with a sweet and sour element, so the honey and lemon in the salad go well here.
- Semillon: This popular French white wine will go well with the cumin and paprika spices in the salad.
Travel Tips for Nice, France
The entire Côte d’Azur has so much to offer, but Nice was an especially amazing town! Here were just some of my favorite spots:
- Old Town: Like many European towns, Nice has expanded throughout the centuries. The old town section has so much history and beautiful architecture. It’s also home to some of the most amazing food! I highly recommend doing a food tour like this one to try some of the many Niçoise delicacies and wine.
- Promenade des Anglais: This walk along the beach is a lovely stroll in itself, but it’s also filled with cute seaside restaurants and bars.
- Castle Hill: The best views of the entire city! Also a great little urban hike to the top with a beautiful man made waterfall along the way.
- The Walking Trail from Nice to Monaco: Yes you can walk all the way to Monaco! Although that would be quite a trek so I recommend just doing parts of it. The trail goes right along the cliffs and is truly breathtaking.
French Carrot Salad
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 people 1x
Description
Grated carrot salad with a lemony spiced marinade, herbs and almonds.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 4 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 lbs. carrots
- 1 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
- ½ cup slivered almonds (toasted)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey, cumin and paprika. Season with salt and pepper.
- Peel and then grate all the carrots on the large holes of a box grater or in a food processor fitted with a grating attachment. You should end up with about 6 cups of grated carrot.
- Add the dressing into the carrots and toss to coat, adding additional lemon juice, salt or pepper to taste.
- Stir in parsley and cilantro and set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours before serving.
- Mix in toasted almonds and serve.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
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