Carrot Raisin Salad With Pineapple & Creamy Honey Lemon Dressing

A crunchy, healthy and flavorful Carrot Raisin Salad recipe with pineapple, walnuts and celery drizzled with a Creamy Honey-Lemon Dressing. Easy to make and soooo good with all the spring and summer things! This recipe is vegetarian, gluten free and easily vegan. This carrot and raisin salad is chock full of good for you ingredients and makes a fabulous side for all the summer things. It’s a welcome addition to picnics, potlucks or for alfresco afternoons on the porch.

A versatile recipe, some ingredients are easily subbed for what you have in the pantry. Use whatever nuts you have on hand. I like walnuts, but pecans or slivered almonds would be a delight as well. For raisins, I like currants (shown here) or golden raisins, but Thompson dark raisins are delicious too, and add a nice contrast. For pineapple, I like fresh and in season (Spring-Summer) because it’s so sweet and juicy and the leftovers make a delicious snack or sweet addition to a smoothie. But canned can also be used with delicious results. Simply drain before using.

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

• 2/3 C (70g) Walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 C (65g) Raisins Thompson, golden or currants
• 4 C (400g) Shreded Carrots *see note. About 8 medium carrots, reserve leaves for garnish if desired
• 1 1/2 C (135g) Pineapple if fresh, cut into small cubes. If canned, drain (reserve the juice for drinking!)
• 1 C (105g) Celery chopped small, reserve leaves if available
• a fist-full Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley leaves finely chopped

For the Dressing:

• 1/3 C (100g) Mayo I like Vegenaise
• 1 Tbs Raw Honey or maple syrup
• 1 Lemon zested and juiced
• 1/8 tsp Fine Sea Salt