• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Cooking with Mamma C

  • Recipes
  • Cod
  • Cookbook
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cod Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • About
  • Contact
  • Newsletter
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Cod Recipes
    • Cookbook
    • About
    • Contact
    • Newsletter
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Side Dishes

    Italian Carrot Salad with Basil

    Published: Jan 4, 2016 · Modified: Dec 26, 2022 by Mamma C · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe

    Italian Carrot Salad with Basil is a delicious family favorite with oil and vinegar! Enjoy this vegan side dish with some crusty bread!

    overhead view of Italian Carrot Salad with Basil on a metal platter, forks on a napkin, pieces of a baguette

    Happy New Year! I had no idea this would be my first post of 2016, but after all of the rich food during the holidays, I had such a craving for our family's Italian carrot salad with basil.

    Forget meat, cheese, and anything heavy or sweet — for now.  I just want to settle in with a bel piatto (beautiful plate) of these gorgeous carrots and some crusty bread to soak up the delicious oil and vinegar dressing.

    Does that sound good?

    Italian Carrot Salad with Basil on a platter

    This is an Italian side dish, even though I love to savor it as the main event for lunch. Mom has made this my entire life, and when she says we're having "the carrots" with dinner, no one has to ask what kind.

    My blog wouldn't be complete without them. (There will always be more recipes to share, but you know what I mean.)

    Mom always tells me that the best Italian food consists of just a few simple ingredients. (Isn't that a great recipe for life too?)

    Here, we have crisp-tender carrots, a red wine vinaigrette and basil coming together to make magic. It's similar to this Italian Bean Salad.

    platter of Italian Carrot Salad with Basil next to bread and a napkin with serving spoon

    Here's to all of us. May our year be bright, healthy and delicious!

    Enjoy!

    (Recipe Source: Adapted from Mom, who doesn't measure anything, but probably uses more oil than I do. She also uses garlic salt in hers.)

    More Italian favorites

    • Italian Potato Salad with Green Beans
    • Marinated Roasted Bell Peppers
    • Broccoli Rabe with Garlic
    • Sautéed Escarole
    • Eggplant Caponata
    • 63 Italian Appetizers
    overhead view of Italian Carrot Salad with Basil on a metal platter

    Italian Carrot Salad with Basil

    Italian Carrot Salad with Basil is a delicious family favorite with oil and vinegar! A vegan & gluten-free side dish.
    4.60 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Go to Collections
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Italian-American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 105kcal
    Author: Mamma C

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds whole carrots
    • 4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
    • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • 6 medium basil leaves
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Fill a large pot ⅔ full with hot water. Set it on the stove over high heat and add a couple teaspoons of salt to the water. Cover the pot.
    • While your water is boiling, rinse and peel your carrots. Trim off and discard the ends. Cut each carrot in half so that it is 3-to-4 inches long. Cut each piece in half the long way to make the carrots thinner. If you have a thick carrot, you might want to cut it in half again the long way.
    • When the water is boiling, add the carrots to the pot. When the water returns to a boil, lower the heat and cover the pot. Boil the carrots for 10 minutes, or until they are done to your liking. (Check by inserting a fork in one or tasting it.)
    • While the carrots are cooking, stack your basil leaves and roll them tightly into a cylinder shape. Slice your cylinder of basil into pieces about ¼ inch wide. This will give you ribbons of basil (chiffonade).
    • When the carrots are done, drain them in a colander in the sink and run some cold water over them to stop the cooking. Transfer the carrots to your serving bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Gently toss everything together with two spoons. Serve at room temperature. (You can make it one or two hours ahead of time and let it marinate at room temperature, if you wish.) Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to five days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 105kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 299mg | Potassium: 483mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 25260IU | Vitamin C: 8.9mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 0.5mg
    Tried this Recipe? Mention @cookingwithmammac or tag #CookingWithMammaC!
    Don't miss my Pasta & Sauces E-Cookbook! Please SUBSCRIBE and follow me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM!
    « 2015 Highlights from Cooking with Mamma C
    Seven-Layer Taco Dip from Scratch »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cheryl "Cheffie Cooks" Wiser

      January 09, 2016 at 2:44 pm

      Happy New beginnings 2016-You know carrots are a personal favorite of mine-I love them! Raw, Cooked, Roasted, Sauteed you name it I am first in line for them-Woo Hoo my friend.

      Reply
      • Mamma C

        January 09, 2016 at 5:19 pm

        I love your New Beginnings salutation, Cheryl! That sounds so positive and hopeful. I'm glad you love carrots. When they're prepared this way, I could eat the entire bowl. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina

      January 07, 2016 at 11:17 am

      5 stars
      Oh I love this post Andrea! Perfect timing for eating more healthy, colorful to enhance gloomier days of winter, simple and perfectly Italian! And lastly, your mother is right! Aren't mothers always right when it comes to Italian cooking? I love your Arthur Court dish, I think I have the same one if it is in the butterfly or orchid pattern. I never use it often enough and it sure puts a sparkle to this dish and launching the new year! Thanks for sharing and may you have the happiest of new years!

      Reply
      • Mamma C

        January 09, 2016 at 7:03 pm

        Roz, I just found your comment in my spam folder! I have no idea how that happened. Yes, my mother is always right...about Italian cooking! I love that you have the same Arthur Court dish with the butterflies and orchids. It was a gift, and it does add a special touch to the food! Happy New Year!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome!

    Andrea smiling

    I'm Andrea, also known as Mamma C. I share family-tested recipes from my Italian-American kitchen. I hope you'll visit often! Read More…

    Appetizers

    tomato bruschetta on white plater with drizzled balsamic glaze

    63 Italian Appetizer Recipes

    Baked Breaded Eggplant Slices

    guacamole on red plate

    Easy Guacamole Without Cilantro

    slice of stuffed pizza with escarole

    Escarole-Stuffed Pizza (Pizza di Scarola)

    close-up photo of pesto deviled eggs on a platter

    Pesto Deviled Eggs

    overhead photo of baked parmesan jalapeno poppers with prosciutto on a plate

    Baked Parmesan Jalapeño Poppers with Prosciutto (Gluten Free)

    Popular Recipes

    baked fish with butter

    Parmesan Baked Cod Recipe (Keto, Low Carb, GF)

    close-up photo of a bowl of pasta e piselli (pasta with peas)

    Pasta e Piselli (Pasta with Peas)

    OVEN-FRIED COD RECIPE (CRISPY & DELICIOUS!)

    Oven-Fried Cod Recipe (Crispy & Delicious!)

    portion of zucchini casserole on plate

    Italian Zucchini Bake

    sausages, sliced peppers on white plate

    Easy Sausage and Peppers in the Oven

    baked pie crust

    Sugar Cookie Pie Crust

    Footer

    names of media publications

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    RECIPES

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    About

    • About Me
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • ACCESSIBILITY
    • Cookbook
    • Web Stories
     

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2014-2023 Cooking with Mamma C®