Greek Salads
Karotosalata Recipe (Greek Grated Carrot Salad)
Καροτοσαλάτα kah-roh-toh-sah-LAH-tah · Karotosalata
Photo: French grated carrot salad (cropped).jpg by 건복맘, CC BY 2.0 kr. Placeholder until original photography is shot.
In short
Karotosalata is grated carrot dressed with crushed garlic, red wine vinegar and olive oil, a classic Greek side salad with real, assertive bite from the raw garlic. It is quick, entirely vegan, and a good sharp counterpoint to richer grilled or fried mains.
Karotosalata takes carrot in the same raw, grated direction as kolokithosalata does with courgette, but the flavour profile is entirely its own: a real amount of crushed raw garlic against the carrot's natural sweetness, giving a salad with genuine bite rather than the milder, herb-led character of its courgette cousin.
This is quick meze and side-dish food, ready in under fifteen minutes, and its assertive garlic makes it a good sharp counterpoint to richer grilled meats and fried dishes, cutting through in a similar way skordalia does alongside fried fish.
It keeps reasonably well for a day or two refrigerated, with the garlic mellowing only slightly, so anyone genuinely sensitive to raw garlic should start with less than the full amount and build up to taste.
Key preparation steps
- Grate carrot on the coarse side of a box grater.
- Crush garlic to a smooth paste.
- Dress with olive oil, vinegar and garlic.
- Let sit briefly before serving.
Grating the carrot
Grate the carrot on the coarse side of a box grater, keeping the strands reasonably long rather than very fine, which gives a better texture than a food processor's fine shred. Choose firm, fresh carrots for the best sweetness and crunch.
The garlic
Crush the garlic to a completely smooth paste with a pinch of salt, using a mortar and pestle or the flat of a knife, rather than leaving any texture, since chunks of raw garlic hit unevenly and unpleasantly compared with garlic worked into a proper paste.
Dressing and resting
Dress the grated carrot with the garlic paste, olive oil and red wine vinegar, tossing thoroughly, and let it sit for at least ten minutes before serving, which lets the garlic's sharpness mellow slightly and properly settle through the carrot.
Tips from my kitchen
Crush the garlic to a smooth paste
Chunks of raw garlic hit unevenly. A properly worked paste distributes the flavour evenly through the salad.
Start with less garlic if unsure
It is easy to add more but impossible to remove, and raw garlic's sharpness varies noticeably between individual cloves.
Let it rest before serving
Ten minutes lets the garlic mellow slightly and settle properly through the carrot.
Karotosalata Recipe (Greek Grated Carrot Salad)
Καροτοσαλάτα · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 15m
- Cook
- None
- Total
- 15m
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Coarsely grate the carrots into a bowl.
- Crush the garlic with a pinch of salt into a completely smooth paste.
- Whisk the garlic paste with the olive oil and vinegar.
- Toss the dressing through the grated carrot.
- Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition, per 1 side portion
- Calories
- 112
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Sat fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Karotosalata
How is karotosalata different from kolokithosalata?
Both are simple raw grated vegetable salads, but karotosalata uses carrot and leads with raw garlic for real bite, while kolokithosalata uses courgette and leans on mint for a milder, fresher character.
Is karotosalata vegan?
Yes, entirely, made from carrot, garlic, olive oil and vinegar, with no animal products at all.
How long does karotosalata keep?
Two to three days refrigerated, with the garlic mellowing only slightly over that time, so it stays fairly assertive throughout.
