Carrot Raisin Salad with Pineapple

Carrot raisin salad is one of those vintage classic dishes I grew-up eating. This Carrot Raisin Salad with Pineapple takes a bit of a turn from the classic as it features crushed and chunks of pineapple as well as thinly sliced red onion which gives it a bit of a bite. All dressed with a homemade poppy seed dressing to enhance the flavor giving an update to this classic dish. I highly recommend that you skip grating the carrot and julienne the pieces instead which tends to hold up better to the dressing and maintains the integrity and crunchiness of the carrot pieces.

Carrot Raisin Salad with Pineapple

The colors in this salad make me happy. Vibrant orange, sunny sweet pineapple and dark red raisins make it a feast for the eyes. There's texture galore and when using julienned carrot it doesn't turn to "mush" the next day like grated carrot salads tend to do.This simple dish can be served with nearly any grilled entree, during the holidays as a festive side dish or as a warm weather salad for a casual backyard barbecue. The sky's the limit.

Shortcuts Can Be Lifesavers on Busy Days

If you're pressed for time, grab a couple of packages of matchstick carrots from the produce department and you'll be good to go with minimum prep. I really love having a bit of pineapple flavor in every bite so, I chose to sneak crushed pineapple into the dressing and then chunks of pineapple into the salad mix for texture. It's a vintage salad brought forward with a few flavor twists making it a super special side dish to make and serve. Other no-cook salads to try is my popular Cilantro Lime Cole Slaw scrumptious Fresh Cherry Tomato and Cucumber Salad as well as the ever popular Copycat Chick-fil-a Carrot Raisin Salad from Family Fresh Meals.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Colander
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• Whisk Set
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Carrot Raisin Salad with Pineapple

Prep Time15 mins

Chill time4 hrs

Servings: 12 servings

Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

• 4 cups thinly julienned carrots About 4-5 medium-large carrots
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 8 oz can pineapple chunks, well drained
• 1 small red onion thinly sliced
• Dressing:
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar or equivalent sweetener of choice
• 1 Tbsp white balsamic or rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 ½ tsp poppy seeds
• 1 tsp salt or garlic salt omit garlic powder if using garlic salt
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 8 oz crushed pineapple, well drained
• Snipped fresh chives for garnishing optional

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl toss together the carrots, raisins, pineapple chunks and onion. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, poppy seeds, salt, onion and garlic powders. Whisk until fully combined then stir in the crushed pineapple. Taste and adjust salt and sugar, if needed.
• Pour over the carrot mixture in the mixing bowl and stir until evenly coated.
• Cover and chill for 4 hours or overnight.
• Stir well before serving. sprinkled with chopped chives, if desired.

Notes

Time saving shortcut: Use 2 (10-oz) packages matchstick carrots from the produce department in place of the julienne carrots.

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