Carrot Salad with Coriander
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This Carrot Salad with Coriander is a staple at church potlucks. It’s a simple salad with one main ingredient: carrot. This salad is often made with loads of garlic, which is overpowering, but not this recipe!
This is Mom’s recipe and my husband really prefers this version. This is also referred to as Korean salad. The fragrant coriander is the “secret” ingredient.
Ingredients for Mom’s Carrot Salad:
4 medium/large carrots, cut into fine match sticks or with grader for Korean salad
1 Tbsp white vinegar (5%)
1 garlic clove, pressed (add more if you like)
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp oil (olive or canola)
1 medium onion, finely diced
How to Make Carrot Salad:
1. Julianne carrots and dice onions. I used this thin Julianne slicer which worked great.
2. Mix together carrots, vinegar, garlic, coriander, salt and sugar.
3. Heat oil in the medium skillet over medium/high heat than saute onion until soft and golden (about 5-6 minutes). Add pepper and stir the onions and pepper quickly. Immediately after stirring, add the onion to the carrots.
4. Mix everything well and let salad sit for at least 1 hour before serving. Add more salt & sugar (in equal parts), to taste. If it’s too flavorful after 1 hour, add more carrot.
Serve as a side dish. Enjoy 🙂
Russian Carrot Salad with Coriander

Ingredients
- 4 med/large carrots, cut into fine match sticks or using grater for Korean carrot salad
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar, 5%
- 1 garlic clove, pressed
- 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp oil, olive or canola
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
Instructions
- Mix together 4 grated carrots, 1 Tbsp of vinegar, 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp of coriander seeds, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of sugar.
- Heat some oil in the medium skillet over medium/high heat than saute 1 diced onion until soft and golden (about 5-6 minutes).
- Add 1/4 tsp of ground pepper and stir the onions and pepper quickly. Immediately after stirring, add the them to the carrots.
- Mix well and let salad sit for at least 1 hour before serving.
How many days in advance can you make this? And can I use ground Coriander instead of crushing it?
Hi Elena, I asked my mom and she said it would be fine the day before and may even taste better to do it ahead and refrigerate it. I think it will be fine to use ground too.
When we were in Ukraine, my husband kept eating some kind of shredded carrots with sugar and sour cream(?). He loved it. Is this something you are familiar with? We were told it was a side dish or dessert. I don’t eat carrots, so I don’t remember what it was. Any ideas?
Hello Tammy, it is hard to tell with little info. I hope you find that recipe that you’re looking for!
Thank you for replying. May do some experimentation on my own. Thank you
Patricia
Can Korean carrots be canned for later time, and if so what needs to change in recipe. Thank you
Hi Patricia, We’ve never tried canning this for winter so I’m not sure if it would work. I don’t think there is enough acidity or salt or liquid in this recipe to really preserve the carrots even with a boiling water bath.
Can you tell how long I can keep this carrot salad in the fridge?
Hi Daria, I think it is best eaten within a few days of making it. It holds up fairly well, covered in the fridge.
Can I use apple vinegar instead of regular vinegar?
Hi Natalia, I haven’t tested that so not sure how that would work. Let me know how it goes.
This Korean carrot salad is really really good, I’m so glad I found this recipe! This is exactly how i wanted it to come out!!! Thank you!!!! 😊
You’re welcome Dina! I’m glad to hear you love the recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review!
Just made some right now..perfect! Thank you!!!..I really like your taste..everything I’ve tried on here has come out delishishly amazing!!!
You are very welcome Diana 😁. Thanks yet again for another great review!
Hi Natasha, just wondering….have you canned this for winter? We have a ton of carrots left over from our garden, and the family LOVES them this way, but theres way to much, do you think maybe if I sterilize the cans they will last? Thank you!
Hi, We’ve never tried canning this for winter so I’m not sure if it would work. I don’t think there is enough acidity or salt or liquid in this recipe to really preserve the carrots even with a boiling water bath.
Hi Natasha, I’ve just discovered your blog and love to look at the photos. I’m going to try this carrot salad recipe. What kind of vinegar do you use?
Holly, welcome to the site 😀. I use regular 5% vinegar. Let me know how it turns out.
Yum!! Turns out perfect!
Thank you Yelena 😀.
Hi Natasha, I was wondering how many servings are in this salad? Thank you!
Hi Vita, it serves 4-6 as a side salad.
I love Russian food.
Wow finally I can say that I officially can make this favorite salad of mine. I always enjoyed eating it but for some reason was afraid making it. Silly. Thank you Natasha, you are the best!
I’m so happy you tried it and loved it. Thank you for sharing that with me Nadia 🙂
Natasha! What kind of gloves do u use not to cut yourself? I saw u wearing a glove on one of the pix but now I don’t see it on the pix lol
They’re great and have probably saved my fingers countless times! Here is a link to the No Cry Gloves on Amazon (where we purchased ours)
Thank you so much
You must have posted this before I started following your blog, I love “Korean Carrot” salad! This is the only way my son will eat veggies! I know there’s coriander in it, but in St. Petersburg at least it is definitely known as Korean. I stuck my nose up when my husband wanted to put onion in, but I had to admit that it added something, so I think your recipe is right on. They actually sell the dressing here, but I wanted to try making it myself, so I found coriander and I can’t wait to make it…or make my husband do it since I’m too lazy to julienne carrots! Also, the kind here definitely has a kick to it, as I saw someone else mention.
The onion is definitely nice – it was all my Mom’s genius :). Thanks Elizabeth 🙂
Hi,
I lived in Kyrgyzstan for three years, Ukraine for three, and Lithuania for four. I miss these foods, which became a part of our lives! I have tried to re-create this salad before. I think I was missing the coriander. I really hope it turns out just like the one I used to eat with my lagman!
Thank you for posting all these recipes. After all those years I never did master them. Now I can bring them back to our table.
I have only one request: that you add some hot cereal recipes to the breakfast section. I’ve never got my mannaya kasha quite how I remember it — I think it must have to do with Kyrgyz butter, though!
Spasibiy!
Hi Spalva, the coriander does add a little somethin’ somethin’. I hope you are able to re-create your salad memory :). I’ll definitely keep in mind the hot cereal request. Thank you!
Hi Natasha,
I wanted to try making this salad for a birthday party this weekend. I was wondering if I can peel and julienne the carrots the night before the party, and mix it a few hours before serving? Or will the carrots drain too much?
Yes, absolutely and I think that is a great idea! I love to do advanced prep as much as I can when it comes to parties. 🙂
Great! I cant wait to try it 🙂
Thank you!
Already tried it twice, with some corrections from Russian food sites. It’s an individual taste issue, but for me it doesn’t come out hot enough, as that salad you buy.. I do some “massage” to the sliced carrots. I add 3 garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp of hot paprika, 2 Tbsp vinegar, more salt and sugar, and still – not hot enough. I guess I’ll keep trying, gradually adding more spices and the result will improve. But it’s only my taste..
Thanks for sharing your changes. I’ve never had a spicier version. Let me know your final result. I’d love to try it! 🙂
Hi Natasha! Can you tell where I can find this carrot grater? Thanks.
The only place I’ve found it was online. There is a link above in step 1. 🙂
Hi Natasha, thanks for sharing your recipe! What type of peeler should I get to make the long thin carrot pieces? I have tried this salad made with a regular grater, but it just wasn’t the same.
My Mom just made this salad a few days ago:). It’s one of her favorites:). Looks delicious. I love the combination of spices you use.
Do you have kislaya kapusta recipe?
Not yet, but my mom makes a good one. I’ll add it to the to-do list 🙂
One of the best appetizer when you are having vodka shots. Took me so quickly to make it. Thanks Natasha !!!
I love this salad. I also make a sweet and sour version once in a while. It’s pretty much the same idea…carrots, onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and salt. Very good too.
That sounds like a nice version 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Hey i have a question is it better making it the day of eating it or the day before?
Ok so I asked my mom and she said it would be fine the day before and may even taste better to do it ahead and refrigerate it. 🙂
It always needs time to marinade, allow it at least one day or one night to marinade before eating it.
Is there any way to make this salad without onion, like subbing onion powder? If yes, I had a slightly different version of this recipe and it required the olive oil to be boiled prior to mixing it with the carrots. I never made it so I’m not sure if that’s a necessary step if I do use onion powder instead of sauteing real onion.
I haven’t tried it that way. The onion seems fundamental to me in this recipe. Let me know how it turns out if you try it with onion powder.
Yes, i use garlic powder. When it stands in the fridge it gives it a good gatlic taste. Also Natasha, i need to tell you the real secret to this salad. Its not only coriander, it can also be cumin… and then the MOST important thing that youre missing is that u actually need to roughly chop the onion and fry it in a lot of oil. Then you need to skim off and discard the onion and pour the hot onion-flavored oil on the carrots that have been soaking overnight in the vinegar and other spices. Then refrigerate again. This makes the correct salad with the right texture. My dad learned this from the Koreans that sold the salad in the markets in Ukraine.
Those are some wonderful tips! Thank you so much for taking the time to share that with me 🙂
Thank you Joe. This carrot salad recipe is a nice change from the mayonaise type that I’ve tried. I look forward to making it.
Thats awesome that you posted a recipe for this salad… This salad is very popular among Slavs and i always buy it from the Store which gets very expensive if bought for a party. Now i will do it on my own. Thanks
That looks like it does a right fine job on knuckles and fingertips too!
Yes, I love Korean-type-carrot salad! It goes well as condiment
Liza and Joe in N Cal, How do you translate that site in english?
Lidia, I go to this site: http://translate.google.com/#ru|en|
Pick my languages, then cut and paste blocks of text, no more than 3 or 4 lines at a time. It doesn’t always get all the words, but it will be close enough to use.
For example:
* картофель – 3-4 шт,
* копченая курица или кальмары – 200 г,
* маринованные огурцы – 2 шт,
* яйца – 3 шт,
* яблоко – 1 шт (по желанию),
* сыр – 150-200 г,
* майонез,
* чеснок – 1-2 зубчика (по вкусу),
* соль,
* свежемолотый перец,
* зерна граната, свекла и зелень для украшения
becomes
* Potatoes – 3-4 pcs
* Smoked chicken or calamari – 200 g
* Pickles – 2 pcs
* Eggs – 3 pcs
* Apple – 1 piece (optional)
* Cheese – 150-200 g,
* Mayonnaise
* Garlic – 1-2 cloves (to taste)
* Salt
* Freshly ground pepper
* Pomegranate seeds, beets, and herbs for decoration
and
Приготовление
Картофель вымыть, отварить в мундире, очистить и натереть на крупной терке.
Яйца отварить, охладить, почистить и натереть на терке.
Сыр натереть на мелкой терке.
Огурцы нарезать тонкой соломкой или кубиками.
Копченую курицу нарезать небольшими кусочками или соломкой.
* Если Вы хотите приготовить салат с кальмарами, то попробуйте сначала приготовить небольшую порцию салата, чтобы убедиться в том, что вам нравится подобное сочетание ингредиентов.
Для подготовки кальмаров, нужно обработанные тушки кальмаров положить в кипящую подсоленную воду и варить с момента закипания 2 минуты. Кальмаров охладить и порезать соломкой.
changes through the magic of computers to:
Preparation
Wash potatoes, boil in their jackets, peel and grate.
Boil eggs, cool, peel and grate.
Cheese grate.
Cucumbers cut into thin strips or cubes.
Smoked chicken, cut into small pieces or strips.
* If you want to cook a salad with squid, then you should try to cook a small portion of salad to make sure that you enjoy this combination of ingredients.
To prepare the squid, squid carcasses to be processed to put in boiling salted water and boil after boiling for 2 minutes. Squid to cool and cut into strips.
To the comment about translating. You can also use the Google Chrome browser if you have it downloaded. When you go to any different language website with Google Chrome it automatically gives you the option to translate the whole website at the top in a bar of the browser. Hope that makes it a little easier then copying and pasting all the time.
Thank you Liza! I really appreciate the tip. I’ll check it out!
I’m glad you posted this! It’s funny though, in Russian it’s called Korean salad! I’ve never even known if it’s actually Korean or why it’s called so! I’ve always used the packages spice mixes for this salad, so I’d definitely like to try a more homemade version. We always have this for New Year! 🙂
I found another recipe I really like to try this New Year: http://gotovim-doma.ru/view.php?r=840-recept-Salat-S-novym-godom!&ftop=1 — can’t wait! 🙂
Really?? I didn’t know that. I didn’t even know there was an official name for this salad. My aunt makes a version of this with beef wich is very good too. What kind of packaged seasoning do you use? I checked out that link. What a cute idea for the topping. I love it!! That would be really fun to do on a cake too.
I normally use this exact kind: http://www.russiantable.com/store/Spices-for-Korean-Carrot__87-48.html — Gotovim doma also has a recipe for it as well apparently, which I hadn’t seen before: http://gotovim-doma.ru/view.php?r=294-recept-Morkov-po-koreiski — 🙂
Google Translate is my friend! Two years of high school Russian, unused now for way too long just didn’t cut it. Thank you for posting that, Liza.
Your welcome! 🙂 That site has so many nice recipe! 🙂
Hah that’s so funny, when I saw the title for this page I thought “doesn’t she mean morkovka po koreiski”? Everyone I know here calls it that. I did ask my Korean friend about this and she had never heard of it so it made me wonder where the salad got its name…I love your site Natasha!
Maybe because it has coriander in it, and people just started call Korean salad instead of carrot coriander salad 🙂
That could be 😉
Because it’s a staple salad sold by local Koreans all over Russia and the former Soviet Union. They have many other salads but this is the most popular one. During the SU times, they would only sell 3 types of salad but now they sell like 20 types. The secret ingredient refers to the fact that all recipes in ex-SU Korean communities are kept internally only and passed from mother to daughter. A Korean woman or man for that matter (some cook too!) would never disclose the ingredients. It’s true though no matter how you make it it never exactly taste like the true Korean salad.
I had no idea the history behind this salad. Thanks for sharing! I’d like to taste a “true” one I guess so I could compare.
The thread title says coriander, the photo shows coriander seeds, but the “:how to make” says ‘caraway.’ This might be confusing for some 😉
Sounds delicious. And has me thinking it might make a nice carrot latke. I love playing with food. I read a recipe and almost automatically start thinking of other ways to use it.
Fixed! Thanks Joe. I do the same thing when I read recipes
Do you have any other cake recipes?
Yes, I will have a new cake recipe posted probably tomorrow.