Moroccan Carrot Salad

Moroccan carrot salad is an easy and flavorful recipe that combines the pleasant sweetness of tender boiled carrots with warm spices, tangy lemon, and fresh herbs.

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.

You’ll love this recipe because, with little effort, you can put together a delicious and original dish with warm, tangy, sweet, and zesty Moroccan and Mediterranean flavors.

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.

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

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.

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

You can serve this salad as a starter, side dish, or mix it with grains or legumes and have it as a main.

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.

Mains

Chickpea Stew

Mains

Mujadara (Lentils and Rice)

Mains

Zucchini Boats

Mains

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Moroccan carrot salad as an appetizer

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

• 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.

Salads

Tabouli (Tabbouleh)

Dips and Spreads

Hummus

Salads

Fattoush

Mains

Falafel

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

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.

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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