Our sister site taste.com.au recently asked its Facebook followers to share their favourite old-school dish. Among the comments about roulades, fondues and after-dinner mints, someone fondly remembered the humble copper penny salad… and the comments flowed.  

What is copper penny salad?

This retro side, thought to originally hail from South Africa, got its unique name because it’s made from thinly sliced carrot slices that resemble pennies. Simply toss the chopped, cooked carrots with capsicum, onion, tangy vinegar and canned tomato soup… yes, soup! It’s served cold and keeps for a couple of days, so it’s the perfect prep-ahead dish for your weekend barbecue.

Copper penny controversy

Many Facebook commenters described it as “so delicious” and still hold the recipe dear today. One person summed it up perfectly as “everywhere in the 70’s”, “inexpensive to make” and “always very popular at catering events”. Nail. Head. 

There were a few not-so-fond memories of this “odd” side dish, too! 

The best copper penny salad recipe

With all this chat about the polarising old-school dish, one of our resident food experts, Lindy decided to take on the “challenge” of making copper penny salad herself. 

She said: “This recipe is super-simple and it tastes delicious! I was a bit concerned when adding the tomato soup, but realised soon enough that it was an important ingredient to help the flavour develop overnight and help it thicken over time. 

“The sweetness of the carrot compliments the zing of the vinegar and tomato sauce. I added Worcestershire sauce, parsley, celery salt and basil leaves to mine which gave it a delicious depth. Sliced onions and capsicum also make the dish refreshing.

“Being South African, it reminded me of the weekly family lunches we used to have back in Durban with grandparents, uncles, aunties, cousins and anyone else you wanted to invite. Carrot salads were a staple at these family meals. In fact, you wouldn’t serve a Durban curry without one! So, this recipe hit a nostalgic nerve. It’s heartwarming to see copper penny salad is loved in Australia, too!”

You can find Lindy’s recipe here.

Copper Penny salad: the verdict

When we first posted Lindy’s recipe video on our Facebook page this week, users called it “true blue” and one said they “haven’t had it for 20 years” but still found themselves “thinking about it the other day”. Let’s bring it back, we say.

More retro recipes from Lindy