Chef Abbie Gellman RD

Published on September 3, 2018

Updated on April 22, 2020

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Looking for a fun way to get the kids into the kitchen? This Carrot Salad is a great way to teach them cooking skills AND get them to enjoy their veggies! The cilantro and coriander give these carrot spirals a delicious flavor.

How to Make Carrot Ribbons

My favorite way to present this Carrot Salad is with spiralized Carrots. I use a spiralizer to give the carrots a noodle-like shape. If you don’t have a spiralizer you can grate your carrots, peel them with a vegetable peeler into ribbons, or thinly slice them into rounds. What is your favorite way to eat Carrot Salad?

Carrot Nutrition

Carrots are obviously the star in this Carrot Salad Recipe, but why are they good for you? Carrots are low in calories and high in both soluble and insoluble fiber. Both types of fiber have nutritional benefits. Soluble fiber feeds the beneficial bacteria that lines the large intestine. Insoluble fiber stays in-tact throughout the GI tract. Both types of fiber slow down how fast your food is digested, meaning you feel fuller for longer. A high-fiber diet is associated with a lower risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.

Carrots provide many carotenoids such as beta carotene, alpha carotene, gamma carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Carotene and carotenoids were actually named because they were first found in carrots! The darker orange a carrot is, the more carotenoids it contains. Be careful though! If you eat too many carrots, your skin may turn a little yellow or orange. It is completely harmless and will return to normal after a few days.

Beta-carotene is converted to Vitamin A in your body, an important nutrient for eyesight. Carrots also contain, vitamin K, potassium, iron, B6 and antioxidants. Enjoy all these health benefits in my Carrot Salad!

Types of Carrots

There are many different types of carrots that can be divided between eastern and western varieties. Eastern carrots are closer to the original carrot that was domesticated over 1,000 years ago, while the western carrots are descendants of the orange carrots that were bred in the Netherlands. Eastern carrots are typically purple or yellow—not the typical orange we see most often today!

Baby Carrots are actually not “babies” at all! If a carrot were under-mature, it would have no flavor and the nutrition would not be fully developed. Baby carrots are actually a fully-grown small carrot. And you know the bags of “baby carrots” you buy from the grocery store? Those are normal carrots that have been processed to look like a small carrot!

There are 4 types of western carrots—Chantenay, Danvers, Imperator, and Nantes. Chantenay are most often used in processing. Danvers are longer than Chantenay and are cone shaped. Imperator carrots taste sweeter and have a long skinny shape. Nantes are short and blunt also with a sweeter taste.

Different colored carrots have slightly different flavors and contain different nutritional components. Purple carrots tend to be very sweet. Red Carrots are also usually sweeter than normal carrots and contain more lycopene than other types. White carrots have a more mild-sweet flavor and have a thin shape. Yellow carrots are firm and crunchy, sometimes with a flavor resembling celery and parsley!

Try all the different carrots in my Carrot Salad to see the differences!

References

“Carrots Nutrition: Beta Carotene and Carotenoids.” Berkeley Wellness, Remedy Health Media, LLC, 15 Dec. 2015, www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-eating/food/article/carrots-beta-carotene-wonder.

CARROT SALAD

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Course: Side Dish

Keyword: carrot, kids, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time: 15

Total Time: 15

Servings: servings

Author: Chef Abbie Gellman RD

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper
1 teaspoon coriander
½ pound carrots ribbons using a spiralizer/peeler, grated, or sliced into rounds
1 tablespoon cilantro chopped