Description
A refreshing and sweet carrot apple salad combining crisp apples, matchstick carrots, tangy cranberries, and creamy vanilla yogurt dressing, perfect for a light side dish or snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 red delicious apple
- 1 granny smith apple
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 cups matchstick carrots
- ¼ cup yellow onion, finely diced
- ⅓ cup dried sweetened cranberries
- 1 cup canned mandarin segments, drained
Dressing
- ½ cup vanilla yogurt
- ¼ cup mayo
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Prepare Apples: Cut both the red delicious and granny smith apples into matchstick-style pieces and place them in a bowl.
- Toss with Lemon Juice: Pour the lemon juice over the apple pieces and toss well to coat all the apple pieces evenly, preventing browning.
- Soak Apples: Set the bowl aside and let the apples soak in the lemon juice for 5 minutes to maintain their crispness and color.
- Combine Vegetables and Fruits: In a large mixing bowl, pour in the matchstick carrots, diced yellow onion, and sweetened dried cranberries.
- Add Apples: After the apples have soaked, add them to the mixing bowl with the other ingredients.
- Add Dressing Ingredients: Add the vanilla yogurt, mayonnaise, sugar, salt, and pepper to the bowl.
- Mix Salad: Stir all ingredients together well to ensure the dressing coats everything evenly.
- Add Mandarins: Gently fold in the drained canned mandarin segments to the salad.
- Chill: Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least three hours to allow flavors to meld.
- Serve: After chilling, serve the salad chilled and enjoy its refreshing flavors.
Notes
- Using lemon juice on the apples prevents them from browning and keeps the salad looking fresh.
- You can substitute the yellow onion with red onion for a milder flavor.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute vanilla yogurt with a plant-based yogurt and use a vegan mayo.
- Pre-cut matchstick carrots save prep time but fresh carrots can be julienned if preferred.
- The salad tastes best after chilling as the flavors meld and the dressing slightly thickens.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg
