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This Korean Carrot salad recipe might not be the most authentic Korean dish but it is delicious and so worth sharing! Crunchy julienned carrots and cracked coriander seeds in a zesty simple vinaigrette type dressing.
If you are looking for another summer salad for your picnic basket, give this simple Summer Tomato and Cucumber Salad a try! Or stick with carrots and try French Carrot Salad with Hazelnut Crunch!
Looking for the perfect salad recipe? Even though you may have never heard of Korean Carrot Salad, but I promise you’ll love it!
Fresh and flavourful, made with juicy carrots combined with tasty spices and a simple vinaigrette, its a truly wonderful simple side salad! Just enough zing to keep things interesting alongside the pop of fresh carrot.
Korean Carrot Salad
You are probably wondering what on earth I am talking about it. Russian Korean is not a thing!
This simple salad is ever-present all throughout the former Soviet Union and was traditionally sold by ethnic Koreans in markets. The history of this Korean carrot salad can be traced to Central Asia in the late 1930s.
Many Soviet Koreans were deported there from the Russian Far East. Since they were missing the familiar flavours of Korean cuisine, the salad was invented to replace their beloved kimchi.
They couldn’t find the right kind of cabbage so they had to make do with the carrots that are abundant in the region, and that is how Korean Carrot Salad was born.
This popular salad has now become an institution and is easy to find in almost any grocery store in the former Soviet Union. While it has the flavours of East Asia, it is very much a dish that has become much loved across a wide and diverse geography.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- For best results you want long, thin strands of sweet carrot, which is difficult to accomplish without a This is an affiliate link.julienne peeler, vegetable grater or This is an affiliate link.mandoline.
- Give a bit of time time for the onions in the frying pan with vegetable oil or olive oil, cracked coriander seeds and cayenne pepper. You want them to be soft and slightly caramelised, which will take approximately 10 minutes on medium low heat. Frying at high heat will result in burnt onions.
Serving suggestions
I absolutely adore this classic recipe. Fresh and slightly spicy carrot salad goes well with almost anything. But it is especially delicious as a side dish with grilled meat or fish dishes.
It’s a versatile dish, suitable for special occasions or to serve as a tasty accompaniment for picnic sandwiches. Make it for your next BBQ and see how quickly it disappears!!
Storage and leftovers
Since this salad is lettuce free, it’s got longevity in its side.
You can keep it refrigerated for up to 3 days without compromising on the flavour if it lasts this long. It never does in our house!
More fresh salad recipes
- Tuscan Panzanella Salad
- Dill Pickle Potato Salad
- Creamy Cucumber, Radish and Egg Salad
- Chickpea Tuna Salad
Korean Carrot Salad
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Mandoline
- This is an affiliate link.frying pan
- This is an affiliate link.Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 450g / 1lb carrots
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil or olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, diced (I used red onions)
- 1 tsp coriander seeds, cracked
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Grate carrots in long strips or julienne them on a mandoline. The traditional recipe uses long square shaped carrot strips.
- Dice the onion and crack coriander seeds in a mortar. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan and fry the onions with cracked coriander seeds and cayenne pepper over low heat for about 10 minutes until the onions are soft and slightly caramelised.
- In a medium bowl combine salt, sugar, red wine vinegar and minced garlic, add carrots to the marinade and then add cooked onions and spices. Mix well and let it chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours to allow the flavours to meld.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My family lived in Ukraine for many years and this was always one of their favorite dishes. In fact when giving my son money to buy himself a treat at the market he would buy marchovcha! This recipe is close to authentic. The oil gives it a different flavor but as close of a recipe as I could find. I did remember one of the ladies at the market, a Korean lady, Rosa, added soy sauce so I too put a tbsp too
I am thrilled you found my recipe “close to authentic”, Karen. However as someone who grew up in both Ukraine and Russia I can assure you there is not one authentic recipe for this salad. Everyone has their own and that’s the beauty of recipes like that.
Love love love this version. The best version I have ever tried. Thank you for posting it! The only thing I do differently is half the amount of cayenne pepper, as it can get spicy for my kids!
Thank you so much, Olesya! I am so glad you enjoyed my recipe.
This looks scrumptious I will give it a try and post pictures, everything is just so tempting. Definitely will try this great recipie. Thank you very much for sharing your great ideas.
Splenda is a nice touch to Korean salad to give it a tasty treat .
You know, I actually have tried this salad before. My daughter’s father is Russian/Estonian and made a version of this carrot salad for a picnic once. It is delicious and now that you posted this lighter version, I can try making it on my own!
I have forgotten about this salad for decades, Amanda but was so happy to bring it back! It is light and spicy, just what a good summer picnic needs!
I am a huge fan of Korean food, so I’m loving this salad. A great side for so many dishes and of course, perfect for a cricket picnic 🙂