Carrot and Coconut Salad
Carrot and coconut salad is a fresh, vibrant side salad of crisp grated carrots, desiccated coconut, spring onion, lime juice, coriander and fresh chilli. The Thermomix grates and chops everything in seconds, delivering an evenly textured, zingy salad without manual knife work. Ideal as a light starter, barbecue side or lunchbox filler.
About this recipe
Carrot and coconut salad with the Thermomix TM7 is one of those recipes you'll return to all summer long. Searching for a quick salad recipe for your all-in-one kitchen machine usually leads to heavy mayonnaise classics, but this version is lighter and brighter: sweet grated carrots, nutty desiccated coconut, fresh coriander, spring onion and a lively dressing of lime juice and fresh chilli. The TM7 grates the carrots to an even, fluffy consistency that hand graters simply cannot match, and it chops the coriander and chilli uniformly in just a few seconds, so every forkful carries the same balance of heat and citrus. Serve it alongside grilled dishes at a barbecue, spoon it into lunchboxes, or offer it as a make-ahead starter at a dinner party, since the flavours deepen nicely after an hour in the fridge. Because it is naturally vegan and gluten-free, it suits nearly every guest at the table.
Preparation tips
- Toast the desiccated coconut in a dry frying pan until golden before adding it, as this releases a much nuttier aroma and gives the carrot salad a lovely warm crunch against the juicy grated carrots.
- Add the lime juice and salt just before serving rather than hours ahead; salt draws moisture out of the grated carrots, which dilutes the dressing and softens the texture over time.
- For a milder family version, scrape out the chilli seeds and membranes before chopping, and reduce the chilli to a small piece so children can enjoy the salad with just a gentle warmth.
Recipe variations
- Festive variation: add a handful of pomegranate seeds and some toasted flaked almonds to the carrot and coconut base for extra colour and crunch, making it a striking Christmas or party buffet salad.
- Asian-inspired variation: replace the lime juice with rice vinegar and a dash of sesame oil, then top with toasted sesame seeds and thinly sliced spring onion for a Thai-style carrot salad alongside noodles or satay.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- Grating the carrots in the TM7 produces uniformly fine shreds in seconds, giving the salad a fluffy texture without a hand grater. [Multi-Function]
- Weighing the desiccated coconut directly in the mixing bowl ensures precise quantities, so the tropical flavour stays balanced every time. [Precision Control]
- The Thermomix chops the fresh coriander and chilli evenly in seconds, releasing their aromas without bruising the herbs. [Multi-Function]
- Mixing the lime juice and sea salt dressing in the same bowl coats every carrot strand for a consistently zingy salad in one step. [Guided Cooking]
- Whipping the dressing briefly with the TM7 emulsifies the lime juice with the coconut, creating a silky coating that clings to the salad. [Multi-Function]
Ingredients
- carrots
- onions
- desiccated coconut
- lime juice
- fresh coriander leaves
- fresh green chilli
- fine sea salt