This Fresh Carrot Chickpea Salad with Orange Maple Dressing is perfect for a delicious and easy last minute Easter side dish! No cooking is required and it really embodies the flavors of spring! Bring it to a potluck to share or enjoy as a side to dinner.
Easter is just a few days away and if you’re looking for a last minute side dish that’s easy to make and requires no cooking, this Fresh Carrot and Chickpea Salad with Orange Maple Dressing is for you!
This carrot salad doesn’t take much time to put together and just gets better the longer it’s marinated together in the fridge, making it a great salad to make ahead of time.
Carrot Chickpea Salad with Orange Maple Dressing ingredients
- carrots – I just used a bag of fresh carrots that I peeled and then thinly sliced ​​on the mandolin. You can buy pre-sliced ​​carrots in the produce department, but I find they don’t always taste overly flavorful. Rainbow carrots would be so pretty too!
- Chickpeas – Chickpeas are great because they have a mild flavor and add some protein to this salad.
- Red onion – I always put red onions in my salads because I love the taste, you can leave them out if you don’t like them.
- sunflower seeds – I added roasted salted sunflower seeds because I love them in salads. You can use any other nut or seed you like.
- Fresh herbs – I used a mix of mint and parley for this salad. I was originally going to use dill but the store didn’t have one and I think the mint actually worked better. Mint and orange go really well together.
- Orange maple dressing – The Orange Maple Dressing goes so well with carrots and is really easy to make. All you need is olive oil, maple syrup, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, orange zest, salt and pepper. If you want to use store-bought dressing, just use something sweet with a little bit of spice.
How to make fresh carrot and chickpea salad
- Start by washing and peeling your carrots. Cut off the bottom and top, then use a mandolin to thinly slice the carrots. If you don’t have a mandolin, you can just use a sharp chef’s knife and try to cut the carrots as thin as possible. Place the carrots in a medium bowl.
- Next, Add chickpeas, red onion, fresh herbs and sunflower seeds.
- Make the dressing by adding all the ingredients for the dressing to a glassor small bowl, and mix until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour dressing over carrot salad and mix well. Enjoy as a side dish or snack!
Carrot Salad Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this recipe vegan? Yes!
- Is this recipe gluten free? Yes!
- Can I make this carrot salad ahead of time? Yes, this is actually a great salad to make ahead of time because the carrots are super hearty and can withstand sitting in the dressing for a few days.
- How long do leftovers keep in the fridge? Stored in an airtight container, carrot salad should keep for about 4 days.
- What should I serve this salad with? This carrot salad is great to take to potlucks or parties, or you can serve it as a side to whatever you fancy. It goes great with burgers or other spring/summer dishes.
Do you have a question that I haven’t answered? Ask me in the comments section below and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
Looking for more vegetarian spring carrot recipes?
Roasted carrot and dill hummus
Carrot Cake Muffins
Roasted Carrot Falafel Salad with Citrus Tahini
Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies
Ranch Roasted Carrots
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Fresh carrot and chickpea salad with orange maple dressing
- Total time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1X
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Fresh Carrot Chickpea Salad with Orange Maple Dressing is perfect for a delicious and easy last minute Easter side dish! No cooking is required and it really embodies the flavors of spring! Bring it to a potluck to share or enjoy as a side to dinner.
- 2 pound bag of carrots
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced ​​red onion, I used the mandolin
- 1/3 cup roasted salted sunflower seeds
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs, I used mint and parsley
Orange maple dressing:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or neutral flavored oil of your choice
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Orange peel
- Salt and black pepper to taste
instructions
- Start by washing and peeling your carrots. Cut off the bottom and top, then use a mandolin to thinly slice the carrots. If you don’t have a mandolin, you can just use a sharp chef’s knife and try to slice the carrots as thinly as possible. Place the carrots in a medium bowl.
- Next add the chickpeas, red onion, fresh herbs and sunflower seeds.
- Make the dressing by adding all the dressing ingredients to a glass or small bowl and tossing until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the carrot salad and mix well. Enjoy as a side dish or snack!
Remarks
This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if you’re making for a large crowd.
- Preparation time: 20 minutes
- Cooking time: 0 minutes
- Category: Vegan, side dish
- Method: No chef
- Kitchen: American
Keywords: Fresh carrot salad with chickpea salad