This Christmas Carrot Salad is quick to make and the perfect, festive slaw style salad to accompany cooked meats over the holidays. Studded with chopped walnuts and juicy dried cranberries, this carrot salad is nutty, fruity and creamy.
If you have a toddler, weaning baby or fussy eater and are wondering how to adapt this recipe for your family, see here >
What to Serve this Christmas Carrot Salad with:
- Hot gammon or ham joints with chips or potato wedges
- Christmas meat leftovers like cold cooked turkey, chicken, gammon or ham leftovers with crusty bread
- On the side of leftover christmas meat sandwiches
- Part of a festive buffet
- With cold or hot quiche (goes perfectly with a cheese quiche or Quiche Lorraine!)
- Other savoury pastries
FAQ’s For My Christmas Carrot Salad
Can I prepare this Christmas Carrot Salad in advance?
You can prepare all the ingredients the day before and store the grated carrot and mayo separately in the fridge. The cranberries and walnuts can be kept in covered prep bowls at room temperature. I would recommend assembling the salad the same day you want to serve it, as close to serve time as possible.
Can I feed more people with this recipe?
Yes this recipe is easily doubled or even trebbled!
Is there a way to make a non-festive version?
Yes! This recipe is actually based on an old recipe my Mother used to make when I was growing up which didn’t have cranberries in, it had raisins instead. We would always eat that carrot salad with a cheese quiche or Quiche Lorraine - delicious!
How can younger children help make it?
Younger children can help add in all the ingredients to the mixing bowl and toss it all together. They can help decorate the salad too!
Can I Store Christmas Carrot Salad leftovers?
You can store any Christmas Carrot Salad leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days (make day + 1). If you are serving it for a party or gathering, ensure it is not out of the fridge for over 2 hours. This is because mayonnaise can cause nasty food poisoning if it remains at a warm temperature for too long.
More on safe food storage and reheating.
What diets is this recipe suitable for?
My Christmas Carrot Salad is peanut and gluten-free. It is not suitable for egg, dairy or other nut-free diets.
Adapting My Christmas Carrot Salad For Your Family
Eating together is beneficial for families of all ages and stages, for a multitude of reasons; nutritional, behavioural, psychological and for healthy family functioning. This section will show you how to tweak this Christmas Carrot Salad recipe for sharing with a weaning baby, toddler or a fussy eater, which will help make it easier to eat together as a family.
Keeping Fussy Eaters Happy
If you have a picky eater that doesn’t tend to like salads, simply serve them grated carrot and some walnuts and cranberries on the side.
Making My Christmas Carrot Salad Suitable for Baby Weaning
Serve little one’s under 12 months old simple grated carrot. For 12 months + ensure the chopped walnuts and cranberries are small and not a choking hazard.
I’ve also added these notes to the bottom of the recipe so you have them to hand when you come to cook.
You Might Also Like…
Together to Eat is reader-supported. I may earn a small commission from anything bought through links found here.
Christmas Carrot Salad
Ingredients
- 450 g carrots peeled and grated
- 160 g mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 70 g walnuts + more to sprinkle, chopped
- 80 g dried cranberries + more to sprinkle
- Rosemary sprig, optional to decorate
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss thoroughly.
- Transfer to your serving dish (this amount fits perfectly in a large pasta bowl). Then sprinkle over some more walnuts, dried cranberries and pop the end of a rosemary sprig in the middle. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve, covered with clingfilm.
Notes
Baby & Toddler
STORAGE
Nutrition
Comments
No Comments