5-Minute Korean Carrot Salad (Simple & Tasty)
In just 5 minutes, you can whip up this simple and tasty Korean carrot salad, adding vibrant flavors and color to your meal.
Whether you choose to enjoy it as a zesty side dish or as a delectable topping for rice bowls, this recipe offers a perfect balance of spicy, sweet, and tangy notes.
With its crisp texture and refreshing taste, this easy-to-make salad is sure to elevate any dining experience. The combination of fresh ingredients and Korean-inspired seasonings creates a dish that is not only delicious but also visually appealing.
Add a touch of culinary flair to your table with this versatile and flavorful Korean carrot salad recipe.
5-minute Korean carrot salad
This quick and easy salad recipe is perfect for busy weeknights when you need a delicious side dish in a pinch. In just 5 minutes, you can whip up this flavorful dish.
Like I said, this can be served on its own as a refreshing salad or used as a tasty topping for rice bowls. You’ll love it with 20 Minute Ground Beef Bulgogi.
The combination of crunchy carrots, asian inspired ingredients, and a hint of spice makes this salad a versatile and mouthwatering addition to any meal.
Whether you’re looking to add a pop of color to your dinner table or elevate the flavors of your favorite rice bowl, this Korean carrot salad is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.
Ingredients
With just a handful of ingredients you’ll be able to make this tasty and bright side dish. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Carrots – Carrots are the foundation of this salad. For ease and quick preparation, the carrots in this recipe are grated, but you can julienne them if you prefer or if you do not have a grater.
- Soy sauce – Adds a distinct asian flavor to the salad, plus it’s the only source of salt in the recipe.
- Rice vinegar – Vinegar helps soften the carrots without needing to cook them. Any light colored vinegar can be used (such as white wine vinegar), but rice vinegar fits well with the other asian flavors. Use unseasoned rice vinegar for this recipe.
- Sesame oil – Adds a rich, bold flavor. Use regular untoasted sesame oil, not toasted.
- Cayenne pepper – Gives a little (or a lot) of spicy kick to the salad (depending on how much or how little you use).
- Sesame seeds – Lightly toasted sesame seeds are a pretty addition. They also add a little texture and contrast.
How to make Korean carrot salad
This salad comes together very quickly and easily. Here are the basic steps for making it:
- Wash and peel the carrots. Make sure to thoroughly wash your carrots to ensure that any dirt is removed from them. After washing the carrots, peel off the skin using a vegetable peeler.
- Grate the carrots. Using the large holes in a box grater, grate the carrots until you have about 3 cups or 300 grams or grated carrots.
- Add the flavor. After grating the carrots, transfer them to a bowl. Pour on the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Mix well to evenly coat and flavor the grated carrots.
- Toss with extras. Next, add the cayenne pepper and toasted sesame seeds. Mix to distribute throughout the salad.
- Enjoy on its own, as a side dish, or in a beef bowl. This salad is delicious on its own, but also makes a great addition to beef bowls or a topping for rice.
Tips for making carrot salad
Pay attention to these tips for good success in your salad making journey.
- How to safely grate carrots. To make sure you do not cut yourself while grating the carrots, stop grating when there is an inch or so left of the carrot. To make this salad even faster, use a food processor with a grating function to grate the carrots (a food processor is also super helpful if you are doubling the recipe and need to grate many carrots).
- Easily adjust the spiciness level. You can easily make this salad more or less spicy, just by adding more or less cayenne pepper. If you do not have cayenne pepper, you can instead use regular cracked black pepper, crushed red chili flakes, or add no spice at all. It’s your choice.
- Customize this salad. This salad is easily customizable. You can add julienned cucumber, bell pepper, and even peanuts or cashews to the mix. Yum, it all sounds delicious!
- Double it for a larger dinner party. This salad is so good, you may want to serve it at your next dinner party. Simply double or triple the recipe to increase the servings.
- Scrape grated carrots into the bowl using the back of a knife or with a bench scraper. I like to set the box grater on a large cutting board, grate the carrots directly onto the board, then transfer the grated carrot to a large bowl. Transfer the carrots by using the back of the blade of a knife to scrape into the bowl. This ensures you don’t dull your blade. Better yet, use a bench scraper to easily scoop up and add the carrot to the bowl.
Serving suggestions
This 5-minute Korean carrot salad is very versatile and can be served alone or with many dishes. Here are some serving suggestions:
- Serve this salad with rice. The moisture that is at the bottom of the salad with be soaked up by the rice and make the rice extra delicious.
- Serve on top of 20 Minute Ground Beef Bulgogi.
- Enjoy this salad alongside dumplings for a fresh and tangy addition to the meal.
Make ahead and storage
You can most definitely make this salad right before you plan on serving it, it’ll taste great! But if you want, you can make it ahead of time. This recipe is actually fantastic to make ahead because it gets better the longer it sits.
If making ahead, prepare the salad then cover and place in the fridge up to 3 days before serving. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Korean Carrot Salad
May 19, 2024Ingredients
- 3 large carrots (~300 g total)
- 1 TBS soy sauce
- 1 TBS rice vinegar
- 1 TBS sesame oil
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Wash and peel the carrots.
- Using the large holes on a box grater, grate the carrots. You should have about 3 cups of grated carrots.3 large carrots
- Put the carrots in a large bowl. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Stir to coat the carrots. Sprinkle on the cayenne pepper (if using) and mix to evenly distribute.1 TBS soy sauce, 1 TBS rice vinegar, 1 TBS sesame oil, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- Sprinkle on the toasted sesame seeds. Mix.2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- Enjoy on a Korean beef bowl or on its own.
