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This Carrot and Apple Slaw makes for a great side to any meal and doubles perfectly as a quick snack. With a hint of sweetness, this fresh slaw will have everyone in your family asking for seconds.

As a kid, this was my absolute favourite side. Truthfully, it still is! When I was young, I wasn’t a very big fan of cooked vegetables so slaws and salads were my first choice.

Similar to most slaws, this apple and carrot slaw tastes best once the flavours have had a chance to marry. Making this slaw even 30 minutes before consumption will make a big difference. That is why I recommend making this side first before you start on the main dish or any other sides that you’re making.

Now don’t get me wrong, if you eat the slaw immediately after making it you are still going to love it!! The standing period simply takes it up a notch.

If you have a picky eater, I recommend that they watch you, or dare I say help you, make the carrot and apple slaw. This way they can see the simplicity of this salad. It’s also a good idea to let them try the ingredients separately, except the sour cream. I would mix the sour cream with the sugar before letting them try it so that they understand the true flavour of the end product, and so that they are not eating a spoon of sugar.

Tasting the ingredients separately once or twice, or maybe even five times is more likely to build them up to try them all together as a slaw.

Preparing Carrot and Apple Slaw

Ingredients

Carrot: This root vegetable is slightly sweet, bright and filled with vitamin A and fibre. Baby-cut carrots are just smaller pieces cut from a larger carrot. Carrots are rich in potassium, fiber and vitamin C and antioxidants.

Gala apple: Gala apples are one of my favourites. They are sweet and crisp but not too crunchy. They provide a great texture contrast to the chicken in this chicken salad.

Lemon: Lemons are a citrus fruit loaded with vitamin C. These somewhat oval, yellow fruit are packed with flavour. They are sour and sometimes tart and add freshness to recipes.

Sour cream: Sour cream is made from cream from dairy milk. Lactic acid bacteria is added to sweet cream creating a thick, tangy and creamy substance.

Sugar: White or granulated sugar is refined sugar made from either cane sugar or beet sugar. It is completely freed of molasses through the refining process and ground to granules smaller than salt.

How to Make Carrot and Apple Slaw

Now, on to the actual prep. The simple ingredients list is truly reflective of the simplicity of the carrot and apple slaw.

First, you want to wash and peel your carrots and apples. Then, using a box grater, grate the carrots on the fine side and the apple on the large greater. These both go into the

medium bowl.

Add a squeeze or two of lemon. I like to squeeze it right onto the apples and give them a little stir to coat. This prevents the apples from browning.

Finally, add the sour cream and sugar and stir everything until well combined.

TIP: Prep this carrot and apple slaw a few hours before serving to get the most of all the flavours.

If you have time to let the slaw sit for a little bit, this will make time for the juices to release making the slaw a bit more wet.

I personally prefer this consistency but if your little ones have sensory sensitivities you may want to keep this in mind. The texture can become significantly different after just a day in the fridge.

Substitutions and Variations

Instead of Gala apples, you can use any sweet apple such as the following:

Fuji
Ambrosia
Honeycrisp
Opal
Granny Smith

Feel free to add more or less sugar to adjust the sweetness to your preference. You can also add more apples to get the balance just the way your family likes it. Once again keeping picky eaters in mind, if they prefer apples over carrots, you can use half apples, half carrots. Then slowly scale back the apples with each time you make the slaw.

taste add ½ cup of sugar in the crisp instead of 1/3 cup.

Serving Carrot and Apple Slaw

You can serve the slaw on the side of any meat and potatoes. Try it with our breaded pork chops recipe or the turkey meatloaf. Of course, the first thing I think is meat and potatoes but that’s just the Polish in me.

Don’t be limited by my personal biases. You can definitely serve the slaw on the side of any main or even on top of fresh greens to add a twist to your salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can I store carrot and apple slaw?

If you have any leftovers of this slaw, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Is carrot and apple slaw vegan?

This carrot and apple slaw recipe is not vegan but it is vegetarian. To make this recipe vegan, replace the sour cream with coconut cream and add sugar to taste.

Let us know in the comments if you have any other questions. And if you like this recipe be sure to leave us a five-star rating below.

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Carrot and Apple Slaw Recipe

This Carrot and Apple Slaw makes for a great side to any meal and doubles perfectly as a quick snack. With a hint of sweetness, this fresh slaw will have everyone in your family asking for seconds.

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Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Course Side Dish

Cuisine European

Servings people

Calories 55.6 kcal