Description
A refreshing and sweet carrot apple salad combining crisp apples, crunchy carrots, and tangy mandarins in a creamy vanilla yogurt and mayo dressing. Perfectly balanced with dried cranberries and a hint of sugar and lemon juice, this salad is a delightful side dish or snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit and Vegetables
- 1 red delicious apple
- 1 granny smith apple
- 2 cups matchstick carrots
- ¼ cup yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 cup canned mandarin segments, drained
Dressing and Mix-ins
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ⅓ cup dried sweetened cranberries
- ½ cup vanilla yogurt
- ¼ cup mayo
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the apples: Cut both the red delicious and granny smith apples into matchstick style pieces. Place these apple pieces into a bowl.
- Toss with lemon juice: Pour the lemon juice over the apple pieces in the bowl and toss well to coat all of the apples. This helps prevent browning. Let the apples soak for 5 minutes.
- Combine base ingredients: Pour the matchstick carrots into a large mixing bowl. Add the finely diced yellow onion and dried sweetened cranberries to the bowl.
- Add apples: After the apples have soaked for at least 5 minutes, add them to the mixing bowl with the other ingredients.
- Add dressing components: Add the vanilla yogurt and mayonnaise into the bowl.
- Season the salad: Sprinkle in the sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Mix everything: Stir all ingredients together thoroughly until well combined.
- Add mandarins: Gently fold in the drained canned mandarin segments into the salad.
- Chill the salad: Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for at least three hours to allow flavors to meld.
- Serve: After chilling, serve the carrot apple salad chilled and enjoy!
Notes
- You can substitute plain yogurt mixed with a little vanilla extract for the vanilla yogurt if unavailable.
- Use fresh carrots and shred them into matchstick size if pre-cut carrots are not available.
- For a dairy-free option, substitute the yogurt and mayo with plant-based alternatives.
- Adjust sugar to taste based on the sweetness of your fruit and cranberries.
- Ensure mandarins are well drained to avoid excess liquid in the salad.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg
