Moroccan Carrot Salad

This Moroccan carrot salad is a humble dish; easy to make, full of flavor, and it brings the sunny spirit of the Mediterranean right to your plate ☀️.

Louise and I love making it when we want something fresh and wholesome but don’t feel like spending much time in the kitchen.

It’s our go-to on warm spring or summer days, especially for easy weekday lunches on the terrace or light dinners.

You’ll love this recipe because, with just a few simple ingredients, you can create a dish that’s as nourishing as it is delicious. The natural sweetness of the carrots pairs beautifully with our Moroccan-inspired dressing, rich in lemon, cumin, and fresh herbs.

We often serve it with fluffy couscous and a generous dollop of Greek yogurt or labneh. Sometimes we add lentils, like in our carrot lentil salad, for extra protein.

Make it a full meal with a few pieces of warm pita bread or Moroccan couscous to turn it into a feel-good Mediterranean feast.

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

• Carrots: Use orange carrots, chopped and boiled until fork-tender. Prefer shredded? Try our French Carrot Salad or Carrot and Raisin Salad using a food processor.

• Fresh Herbs: Use flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, or both. Add fresh mint for a refreshing twist.

• Nuts (Optional): Try crushed pistachios, slivered almonds, walnuts, or pine nuts. Toast nuts in a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil for extra flavor.

Dressing Essentials

• Sweetener (Optional): Add 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup, or 2 tbsp raisins for Moroccan sweet-savory flair.

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Adds richness. Swap with regular olive oil or avocado oil.

• Lemon Juice: Fresh is best. Use orange juice for a sweeter dressing.

• Cumin: Key Moroccan spice. Don’t skip it!

• Paprika: Use sweet paprika (not smoked). Try ground coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, or ginger for variations.

• Garlic: Fresh minced is ideal.

• Harissa Paste: Adds gentle heat. Sub with sriracha, Tabasco, chili oil, or red pepper flakes to taste.

US cups + grams measurements in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

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, then set aside for 10 minutes for the flavors to meld.

Serving suggestions

• As a side dish: Transfer the carrots onto a serving platter and garnish with toasted slivered almonds or crushed pistachios. Serve it with: Chickpea stew, Lentil and rice mujadara, Zucchini boats, Stuffed bell peppers.
• As a main dish: Serve topped on Moroccan Couscous with a few dollops of Greek yogurt or crumbled feta.

Make ahead: Moroccan carrot salad is an excellent recipe to make ahead because it keeps well for a few days, and its flavor gets even better as the carrots marinate in the dressing.

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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