Description
Carrot Apple Delight brings together sweet apples and earthy carrots in a harmonious blend of autumn-inspired flavors. Warm spices and wholesome ingredients create a comforting dessert that perfectly balances natural sweetness with rustic charm you will savor.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruits:
- 1 red delicious apple
- 1 granny smith apple
- 1 cup canned mandarin segments, drained
- ⅓ cup dried sweetened cranberries
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 2 cups matchstick carrots
- ¼ cup yellow onion, finely diced
Dressing and Seasonings:
- ½ cup vanilla yogurt
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Peel and julienne red delicious and granny smith apples into thin, uniform matchstick-sized pieces. Drizzle of lemon juice over the apple pieces, ensuring complete coverage to prevent oxidation. Allow the apples to rest for 5 minutes in the citrus bath.
- Select a spacious mixing vessel and combine julienned matchstick carrots, finely diced yellow onion, and dried sweetened cranberries. Create a colorful base for the salad.
- Transfer the lemon-treated apple pieces into the mixing bowl containing the carrot, onion, and cranberry mixture. Introduce vanilla yogurt and mayonnaise to the ensemble, creating a creamy foundation.
- Sprinkle granulated sugar, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper across the salad. Gently fold the seasonings into the mixture, ensuring even distribution of flavors.
- Carefully drain mandarin orange segments and incorporate them into the salad. Use a delicate folding technique to preserve the integrity of the mandarin pieces and prevent breakage.
- Seal the mixing bowl with a tight-fitting lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate the salad for a minimum of 3 hours, allowing the ingredients to harmonize and develop a more complex flavor profile.
- Before serving, give the salad a final gentle stir to redistribute the dressing and ingredients. Serve chilled as a refreshing side dish or light lunch option.
Notes
- Prevent apple browning by tossing freshly cut pieces with lemon juice before adding to the salad.
- Mandarin segments require gentle folding to maintain their delicate structure and prevent breaking.
- Extended chilling time of three hours dramatically enhances the overall flavor complexity and ingredient melding.
- Blend sweet and tangy elements through carefully selected ingredients like cranberries, vanilla yogurt, and fresh fruits.
- Texture diversity comes from combining crunchy carrots, crisp apple matchsticks, and soft mandarin segments.
- Balance flavor profiles by using precise seasoning measurements of sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Desserts
- Method: None
- Cuisine: Global
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg