Carrot Salad with Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette

This classic French salad (carottes râpées) is astonishingly simple, but yields a tremendous amount of flavor. Sweet carrots, fresh lemon, a hint of honey, and copious amounts of parsley. Grated carrots, lightly dressed, that's it. But the dish is bursting with flavor and color. The French clearly know what they're doing.

How to grate the carrots? That's really up to you. If you have the time and energy, do it by hand. And try to get the carrots as finely grated as possible (that's the way the French do it, from what I've been told). If you'd rather shred all the carrots in less than 1 minute, use your food processor and make swift business of it.

Want to prep ahead? Feel free to do so. The carrots won't be as crisp if you store the salad too long - just like cole slaw softens over time - but if that's OK with you, then prep the dish up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate until ready to serve. If you store the salad longer than 12 hours, check the seasoning before serving - the flavors may have mellowed over time and you may need a little more salt and pepper.

Carrot Salad with Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon, juice and finely grated zest
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 pound carrots, peeled and grated (by hand or with your food processor)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and ground black pepper
1-2 green onions, chopped, optional

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, honey, and mustard. Add the carrots and parsley and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with green onions before serving (if using).

Serves 4-6