This recipe is more like a base that you can build from by adding a few veggies, berries, or nuts as you like it. Plain raisins are added along with chopped pineapple to the salad for natural sweetness and flavor. Gives a unique twist to the salad bringing its tropical flavors and packing it with nutrition and anti-oxidants. You may add golden raisins, cranberries, or blueberries instead. Toasted walnuts add a crunch to every bite. Now, that’s quite a flavorful approach that takes simple ingredients to the next level. A salad is so easy, you can just whip it up with everyday ingredients in less than 10 minutes. The best part is the mayo-based dressing with dijon mustard and lemon juice. You can make it ahead and store it in the refrigerator for later use.
Mayo dressing
You can make this creamy dressing from everyday ingredients. The best version of this creamy mayo-based dressing comes from good-quality olive oil and dijon mustard. This does not have vinegar but has lemon juice as the acid. Dijon mustard acts as a emulsifier. It helps make the bond between oil and water molecules(from the lemon juice). It also has a sharp taste. Making this salad is as easy as it comes – hardly takes 5 minutes. I have used similar versions of dressing, but without the mayo, in Chicken Pasta Salad and White bean salad recipes, and they aren’t creamy. Those are classic vinaigrette but with a zesty citrus taste. Raisins – add flavor, sweetness, and health benefits to the salad. Pineapple – chopped and added to the salad. Adds a tropical flavor to the salad. Walnuts – are added for their nutty taste and crunch. (Optional) – You can add diced onions for flavor and fresh herbs like chopped parsley leaves for aroma. Even seeds like sunflower seeds can be added to this recipe.
For mayo-based dressing
Mayonnaise – Add mayo to add a rich and creamy texture to the salad. Can substitute half or more of it with sour cream or Greek yogurt for a healthier alternative. Lemon juice – the citric acid in the juice forms the sour base for the vinaigrette and adds a Mediterranean flavor. You may substitute this with orange juice. Dijon mustard – acts as an emulsifier to hold the water and oil together. It also provides a sharp and strong taste yet is slightly spicy. Sugar – to balance all that sourness, pungent, and salt in the salad from the other ingredients. Salt and pepper – salt brings out all the other flavors and use it and pepper as per your taste. First, wash and clean the carrots. Pat them dry. Trim the ends of the carrots. Put them in a food processor to grate them or use a grater. You should see thin long threads of grated carrots. Prepare the dressing in a medium bowl. Add mayo, lemon juice, dijon mustard, sugar, pepper, and salt. Whisk it well. You can refrigerate the dressing and use it later too. Toast the walnuts for a while. Add shredded carrots, raisins, chopped pineapple, and toasted walnuts in a large bowl. Pour the dressing all over and toss well ensuring the dressing coats everything. Having said that, you can surely keep this in the refrigerator for a few hours to serve it cold. The dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Salad dressings based on mayonnaise, which has eggs and will not stay beyond this.
