Every week, without fail, I buy a five-pound bag of organic carrots. Even if we have barely made a dent in the previous week’s carrots, I click “add to cart” like it’s my job. Ok, maybe it is kind of my job as a dietitian and a recipe developer, but you get it!
While I serve salads every night with dinner, I often look for lettuce-free salads that don’t wilt, are even better the next day (because no one wants limp lettuce for leftovers!), and use up what I have in the fridge. That’s why I was so excited to stumble across Cassie Yeung’s viral carrot salad on TikTok. With over 19.9 million views, I knew I had to try it.
This salad is similar to Korean Carrot Salad, or Morkovcha, thought to have come about when Koreans in the Soviet Union couldn’t find ingredients to make their traditional dishes, like kimchi. Instead, they used what they could find to make a carrot salad that was vinegary, based on Korean banchan — small dishes typically served with rice.
Since Cassie’s video first went viral earlier this year, many have made their own versions of this dish: some using maple syrup and fish sauce, others with added honey and lime. Even Cassie made a different version using raw red onions, dill, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon, and Calabrian chili. It reminds me of a carrot salad I often make with grated carrots, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, honey, parsley, and sunflower seeds.
Many other influencers have tried their hand, from Basic with Bails, and Baked by Melissa, Kale Junkie, and publishers from Eating Well and Real Simple; each adding their own spin to the dish — and they all love it.
For the purposes of this post, I followed Cassie’s original recipe. She starts by using a vegetable peeler to thinly shave the carrots into ribbons. While she doesn’t give exact measurements, I spied around eight or nine carrots, so I tried to do the same.
Spoiler, I had only seven carrots left.
While using the peeler is easy, I always find a way to cut myself when using it in a hurry, so I took my time with these carrots. I cut vegetables all day long, but I always manage to hurt myself using a peeler, go figure!
I ended up with these funky-shaped carrots. Not sure how to add them, I snacked on a couple, and threw the rest into the freezer to make into vegetable stock later.
I added a couple of roughly chopped green onions along with sesame seeds. I only have black sesame seeds, so feeling fancy, I threw a tablespoon of those in as well.
Finally, I grated a clove of garlic (I spy my favorite kitchen tool, the zester/microplane!). Let this be your sign to a) buy a zester, and b) stop using jarred minced garlic. If I had fresh ginger, that would be a delicious addition as well.
Cassie’s dressing is simple, albeit measured with her heart. It’s simply sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili crisp, which you gently massage into the carrot ribbons. She was smart to use a glove, because my hands might smell like sesame oil for the next week.
I added a healthy amount of chili crisp on top. I’ve recently lost my ability to eat spicy food, so I went for a mild chili crisp for a little added flavor and crunch. At this point, it kind of looks like my “carrot lox” I make.
In Cassie’s video, she claims that she’s eating her skincare, as carrots are good for hormonal health. Judging by her beautiful, dewy glow, I’d buy just about any skin care she was selling.
Carrots are indeed good for overall health, including skin health. They are full of nutrients like beta-carotene (which converts to Vitamin A). Beta-carotene can help the skin prevent damage from UV radiation and free radicals. They are also a good source of vitamins C and E. While any vegetables are going to be beneficial to your health, I’d still lather up with your favorite sunscreen — don’t just rely on those carrots!
She eats hers right out of the bowl with chopsticks, and never wanting to add a dirty dish to the pile, I did the same. This was a part of my lunch, so I also added some baked tofu on top for added protein.
Cassie’s friends apparently laugh at her for craving vegetables, but if all carrots tasted like this… I would, too! This might be my new favorite way to use up those leftover carrots. I might add cucumber ribbons to my salad next time, along with some mint or cilantro and a sliced avocado to make it more filling.
All in all, this is going to be on my vegetable rotation! Would you try this recipe at home? Let us know in the comments — and download the free Tasty app for iOS and Android to cook thousands of easy dinner recipes right on your phone (no subscription required!).