Moroccan Carrot Salad The Perfect Side Dish And More

The dressing is the star of this dish. You can make it with olive oil, harissa paste or red pepper flakes, lemon, cumin, and garlic. Dietary Note: this recipe is suitable for a vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diet.

Moroccan carrot salad video

Ingredients & Substitutions

How to make Moroccan Carrot Salad

Serving suggestions

Variations

Storage & Make Ahead

More Salad Recipes

With their mild, sweet taste, humble carrots beautifully marry our flavor-packed Moroccan-inspired dressing. So much so that you can have them for a quick and easy dinner and a special meal with guests. Serve this Moroccan carrot salad as a side, or upgrade it to a main dish by adding a grain or legume of your choice. For example, serve it with our delicious Moroccan couscous and a dollop of Greek-style yogurt or Labneh for a tasty, wholesome, delicious Moroccan-inspired lunch. Or toss it with cooked white beans or lentils, similar to this carrot lentil salad, to add some extra protein. Finally, pair it with warm pita bread, and make it a fulfilling and satisfying Mediterranean meal.

Carrots

Traditional Moroccan carrot salad is made with orange carrots chopped into bite-size pieces and boiled until fork tender. If you want a salad with shredded carrots, check out our French Carrot Salad recipe or our Carrot and Raisins Salad. For those, you’ll also need a food processor or a box grater.

Fresh herbs

You can use fresh flat-leaf parsley, fresh cilantro, or both. Fresh mint is also a good flavor match with this recipe.

Nuts

You can top the salad with lightly toasted crushed pistachio nuts, slivered almonds, crushed walnuts, or toasted pinenuts. You can also combine one or more nuts. To toast the nuts, heat them on a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil for a few minutes.

Dressing

Extra virgin olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil adds a pleasant fruity flavor. Also, it keeps the other ingredients in the dressing together. Substitute regular olive oil or avocado oil for EVOO.

Fresh Lemon juice

Best if freshly squeezed, it adds acidity and freshness, lifting the flavor of the other ingredients. You can substitute orange juice for lemon if you prefer a sweeter, less acidic Moroccan carrot salad.

Cumin

Ground cumin is the ingredient that makes this Moroccan carrot salad unique. It fits perfectly with the carrots.

Paprika

Sweet paprika (not smoked) adds color and aroma. You can also play with ground coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper for a touch of heat and some grated ginger.

Garlic

Opt for fresh minced garlic rather than garlic powder.

Salt and black pepper

We use salt to boil the carrots and to add to the salad. Sea salt or kosher salt is what we usually use. Also, add a few twists of freshly ground black pepper.

Harissa paste

Harissa is a mildly spicy red chili paste often used in North African and Moroccan cuisine. Substitute Tabasco, sriracha, chili oil, chili bean paste, Korean Gochujang, or a pinch of red pepper flakes for harissa. Adjust spiciness based on your taste.

Honey or maple syrup (optional)

Sweet and savory is a popular combination always welcomed in Moroccan cuisine. One tablespoon of honey or maple syrup is optional but an excellent addition if you’d like to add a touch of sweetness to the dressing. Alternatively, stir in two tablespoons of regular or golden raisins for a sweet touch. Peel the carrots with a vegetable peeler and chop them into small bite-size chunks. Tip: We recommend chopping them on a cutting board with a sharp knife. Cut them diagonally for prettier chunks. Boil the carrot in a pot with salted boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain them well and add them to a large bowl. While the carrots cook, make the dressing. Add extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, grated garlic, harissa paste, honey, salt, black pepper, cumin, and paprika to a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the warm carrots and toss to combine. Stir in the chopped parsley or cilantro, then set aside for 10 minutes for the flavors to meld.

Moroccan carrot salad as a side dish

Transfer the carrots onto a serving platter and garnish with toasted slivered almonds or crushed pistachios. Add a touch of fresh parsley and serve with a few pieces of warm pita bread next to your favorite main dish. We like it with:

Chickpea stew with cumin and sweet potato. Lentil and rice mujadara served with caramelized onions. Zucchini boats with lentils and tomato sauce. Stuffed bell peppers with rice and lentils.

Moroccan carrot salad as an appetizer

Add Moroccan carrot salad to a beautiful appetizer platter (mezze) with other delicious Mediterranean small dishes. Try:

Chickpea Stew

Mujadara (Lentils and Rice)

Zucchini Boats

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Roasted eggplant or grilled zucchini. Tabbouleh or lentil tabbouleh. Hummus or bell pepper muhammara. Baba Ganoush or eggplant yogurt dip. Shirazi salad, tahini salad, or fattoush. Falafel: made in an air fryer or deep-fried. Zaalouk with eggplant and tomato.

It’s like having your little Mediterranean buffet at home, where everyone can pick and choose their favorite salads to put on their plate.

Tabouli (Tabbouleh)

Hummus

Fattoush

Falafel

Moroccan carrot salad as a main dish

Combine this delicious salad with a grain or legume of choice to turn it into a tasty, wholesome, and fulfilling main dish. For example, you can serve it mixed with or on top of a delicious Moroccan Couscous with a few dollops of Greek-style yogurt or crumbled feta. You’ll love the cold, refreshing yogurt or salty, creamy feta with comforting sweet and sour couscous and warm carrots. It’s easy to make, and you can serve it as a starter, side, or main dish with warm pita bread and other Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. Check out our lentil carrot salad recipe.

Cauliflower lentil salad

We loved the dressing of our Moroccan carrot salad so much that we started using it with other vegetables. For example, this cauliflower lentil salad is another easy and delicious Mediterranean-inspired recipe packed with bold flavors and wholesome ingredients. We make it with roasted cauliflower, lentils, parsley, and the aromatic cumin and lemon dressing. Check out our cauliflower lentil salad recipe.

Lentil sweet potato salad

Or why not try lentils with sweet potato? This salad is nutritious, tasty, and aromatic, thanks to the same simple cumin and paprika dressing inspired by Moroccan cuisine. This salad is the perfect make-ahead meal, and you can enjoy it as a quick and fulfilling lunch or wholesome dinner, bring it to potlucks, or serve it for brunch. Check out our lentil sweet potato salad. Dressing: add the dressing while the carrots are still warm. They’ll absorb the flavor beautifully. Refrigerator: store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Take the salad from the refrigerator for 15 minutes, serving it for the best flavor. Freezer: this recipe is not suitable for freezing.

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