This Apple & Beet Slaw with Carrot Ginger Dressing is for when the weather starts getting warmer but the spring harvest isn’t quite ready, and you are so done with roasted root veggies.
A little creativity can make those earthy beets feel fresh and vibrant. I love transforming root vegetables into a light and nourishing salad, and what better way to do it than with everyone’s favorite salad dressing: a hibachi knock-off carrot ginger.
In essence, this salad takes the same flavor profile as my number one go-to juice order: apple, beet, carrot and ginger; and makes a salad out of it. Not only do I love all the flavor this salad has to offer, I love how nourished it makes my whole body feel.
Feel Good Vibes
- Babes, we are RICH in fiber and antioxidants from beets, carrots, and apples with this one.
- Getting that good vitamin C and lots of anti-inflammatory compounds from citrus, ginger, and herbs.
- Our bodies need the healthy fats from avocado and sesame oil to support nutrient absorption and satiety
Ingredient Substitutions
- No avocado oil? Use grapeseed oil or another neutral flavored oil.
- No fuji apple? A honeycrisp or other type of sweet, crisp apple will work well.
- No fennel? Omit.
- No Thai basil? You can sub genovese basil.
- No cashews? Chopped roasted almonds or pine nuts can work.
Recipe Tips & FAQs
- You don’t need a spiralizer for this salad, but it does elevate the texture and presentation. If you’re going to shred the veggies on a box grater, use the coarse grater side.
- The lazy part of me has been leaning towards yellow and pink beets for the last couple of years because they don’t stain everything in sight red. That said, the darker purple the vegetable, the better it is for your heart. So choose your priority before choosing which beet to use in this salad.
- I worked with a chef who told me “the problem with young chefs, is that we never blend anything long enough”. He was right! Let your salad dressing blend for 30 seconds. Set a timer if you need to, it’s longer than you think!
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with a side of Chickpea Panisse for a filling vegetarian meal.
- Love to serve it on the side with this Sweet Potato & Spinach Wrap.
- Goes great with a bowl of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup.
Storage and Shelf Life
Make Ahead: The dressing can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Refrigerate: You can shred the veggies the day before, but you’ll want to hold them in some ice water with a squeeze of lemon juice. Don’t dress the salad until you’re ready to serve it, as it will wilt after a few hours.
Freezer: Nope.
Final Thoughts
When I was workshopping this Apple & Beet Slaw with Carrot Ginger Dressing, I was thinking of a lot of different experiences.
I recalled how much I love my ride or die apple, beet, carrot and ginger juice order as well as how much I love the unexpected combo of vegetables, fruits, nuts and herbs in a Thai fruit salad (especially the different versions I’ve had at the fabulous Talat Market here in Atlanta).
When it came to the dressing, I remembered a personal chef client of mine named Monica who excitedly shared with me that she’d discovered the secret ingredient in a knock-off hibachi dressing: tomato paste!
She grinned as she spooned some out of a jar for me to try, and my gawd was she right. It gave the dressing just the right amount of backbone and depth. It’s not every day that I learn something from my clients, and I was super impressed.
It’s fun being able to pinpoint the exact spots in my journey that led to the creation of this dish. Have you been drawing from your past experiences to nurture your creativity lately? What did you create? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
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Apple & Beet Slaw with Carrot Ginger Dressing
Special Equipment
- Vegetable Spiralizer optional
Ingredients
- Carrot Ginger Dressing:
- ⅓ cup avocado oil
- ½ cup fresh lime juice
- ⅔ cup carrot grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon local honey
- 1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil
- Sea salt to taste
- For the Salad:
- 4 ounces yellow or red beet spiralized or shredded
- 4 ounces fuji apple spiralized or shredded
- 4 ounces fennel spiralized or shredded
- 4 ounces carrot spiralized or shredded
- 1 orange segmented
- 1 tablespoon fresh Thai basil julienned
- 1 tablespoon cashews
- Sea salt to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- To make the dressing, combine ⅓ cup avocado oil, ½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, ⅔ cup grated carrot, 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon tomato paste, 1 tablespoon local honey, 1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil and sea salt to taste in the blender and blend for at least 30 seconds, until completely smooth.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use. Makes more dressing than needed for this salad.
- For the Salad: Peel a 4 ounce beet and spiralize or coarsely shred along with the 4 ounces each of apple, fennel and carrot. Transfer to a bowl with the segments of 1 orange and 1 tablespoon each of julienned fresh Thai basil and cashews. Toss with the desired amount of dressing and season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Serve immediately.
Hi, I’m Julia.
I’m a chef and wellness advocate passionate about helping others live well through nourishing food. I trained at the Culinary Institute of America and now work as a personal chef and community food advocate in Atlanta.
Want to know what inspired me to start Everyday Alchemy? Click the link icon below to read more.