ginger carrot radish salad
Today’s recipe is a cheerful Carrot Radish Salad with maple ginger vinaigrette. If you have been looking for a new recipe to try for all those carrots from your winter CSA or you are wondering what to do with watermelon radish, this salad is your answer. It is a nice break from green salad. It’s paleo-friendly, vegan and gluten-free. 
I know it looks all fancy dancy with the matchstick cuts, but really, throwing it together is a piece of cake if you happen to have a mandoline. Or you can always try shredding the carrots with the grater attachment on your food processor if you prefer. Serve it with simply prepared pan seared cod or salmon with steaming hot black rice. If you can find watermelon radishes, they look lovely with their bright pink hue.
About those watermelon radishes, have you also been seeing them in the market and in your CSA box lately? They are some of the only types of produce at the market with the “local” sign next to them in the early spring because they are a great storing crop, which means we can enjoy their fresh brightness even after a long winter. I’ll be honest, they don’t really look very appealing from the outside. They are a strange mottled minty green color on the outside. Which makes cutting into them all the more surprising and discovering they are bright pink inside (hence the name –watermelon.) No need to peel them, the skin is nearly as tender as a small radish.
If you can’t find watermelon radishes today keep in mind that any variety of radish would work. Even daikon would be great. The only note is that I find that cutting small radishes with the mandolin to be kind of a pain (but not with the big watermelon radishes.) So if that’s what you have, maybe opt for the food processor to shred the radishes.
Speaking of CSAs and local root veggies, our early spring CSA has started back up and I’m officially back to getting creative with roots. So you’ll be seeing more of these types of recipes in the next two months. It really has been a long time since we have had a CSA.
Though I admit to really having enjoyed the flexibility to choose our produce by my mood, it is so nice to be back onto supporting my local farmers, and eating the storing crops from last growing season. So far we have gotten cabbage, beets, carrots, potatoes, sunflower sprouts, onions, frozen veggies and turnips.
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you doing a CSA right now?
What have you been getting in your CSA share?
What local veggies have you been seeing at the market?
What do you do with random roots at this time of year?
Do you like to take a break from green salads?
Happy Cooking!
~Katie
Be sure to check out this Ultimate Guide to Radishes!
Also, Don’t miss this Ultimate Guide to Carrots!
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ginger carrot radish salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: n/a
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 5 cups 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No cook
- Cuisine: American
Description
A paleo friendly and gluten-free shredded salad with watermelon radishes, carrots and maple ginger vinaigrette. It is a refreshing break from green salad for the early spring.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari or 2 teaspoons coconut aminos
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup, dark or amber
- 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger root, preferably grated with a rasp-style grater
- ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cups julienne cut or shredded carrots (about 5 large)
- 1 cup julienne cut watermelon radishes, or any variety radish including Daikon
- ½ cup flat leaf parsley leaves, cut into tiny ribbons or chiffonade
Instructions
- Whisk vinegar, maple syrup, tamari (or coconut aminos), ginger, garlic and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in oil. Add carrots, radish and parsley and toss to coat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 72
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 277 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 2 g
Here are some more recipes to inspire you with carrots and radishes:
Hot and Sweet Slaw with Jerk Spiced Salmon
Lemony Carrot Salad with Mustard Seeds and Feta
I’m definitely at a loss when I get radishes from my farm share. This is a great lead! Can’t wait to try it.
I think it is always fun to try something new with them!
This sounds really good, and it’s so pretty! The only thing left from our own garden is beets. We’ve boiled and roasted them, but I’m eyeing that Layered Slaw of yours above! It would be a welcome change. We have a new CSA in our home town and we’re seriously considering it. We’ve always had a garden but it takes so much time and effort. Luckily (or not), there’s still plenty of snow on the ground and time to decide!
Last summer, we just had our little pathetic garden and I shopped at the farmers’ market every week. It is too much to have both, imo. The CSA ends up being stressful. Can you do a winter CSA where you are? I get the Pete’s Greens one and really love it. Its delivered right to the village. I just boiled a ton of beets this past week and dressed them with Meyer lemon dressing. Delish!
my dad used to eat so many radishes when i was little and for some reason i’ve never gotten on board with them. need to change that!!
I love them and can eat them straight, but I get that not everyone agrees. This is a good gateway recipe. The maple syrup and ginger really helps.
I love raw salads like this, especially with SASHIMI! 🙂
OMG, good call Gigi. I love sashimi. You just totally reminded me of the Benihana salad dressing. I have to make that!!
I love a good carrot salad. The ginger and radish in this are perfect.
Thank you Julia. I love shredded slaws like this too. Have a great day.
I agree with you that watermelon radishes look unimpressive on the outside but gorgeous and vibrant on the inside. Love this simple salad. I bet it would be great in tacos too!
I love the idea of piling this into tacos! That has to happen!
Such a pretty salad! I love watermelon radishes and daikon, especially in slaw-like salads. Did you use the mandoline to julienne the veggies?
Thank you Jessica. I did use my mandoline to cut the vegetables. That made it so much easier.
What mandoline do you use? I would love to use mine to julienne, but it doesn’t have the blade for that!
So pretty and I love the watermelon radishes too! I discovered them last year & created a Panzanella Salad with them, plus I found out, after 14 years of marriage, that my hubby is a big fan of radishes 🙂 Can’t wait to make this!
I love the idea of including them in panzanella. What an unusual idea and so unexpected for panzanella!
I am in love with how colourful, vibrant, and simple this salad is! Watermelon radishes are so deceiving on the outside, but once you cut in you’re met with this beautiful hue. Pinned and can’t wait to make this!
Thanks so much Genevieve!
This salad is seriously stunning! I love how light and fresh it looks and the lighting and colors in your photos are simply gorgeous! This needs to be my lunch today. 🙂
Thank you so much. I appreciate it Sarah.
This is my favorite new salad! I spiralized the carrots and my small radishes, which to me breaks up the intensity of the radish flavor. I also spiralized in a cucumber because i needed to use it up. The dressing is divine made with the coconut amimos! Its not even autumn yet and I loved it as a nice summer salad. Great recipe!
I’m loving the idea of adding in sprialized cuckes! Yummers! I have to get out into my garden this weekend to plant some cool weather crops- radishes included!
What a refreshing salad at a time of year where it can be tough to get great produce. I have never had watermelon radish before so in my effort to try new things, this is the recipe!
★★★★★
I can’t wait to make this!! Looks out of this world delicious!!
★★★★★
Love everything about this salad! Looks so colorful and delicious!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Lindsay!