Moroccan carrot salad is quick, easy and scrumptious. This salad made with tender steamed carrots and flavored with spices and herbs is as delicious as it looks.
It makes a great side dish with couscous and lamb stew, dill rice or create your own combination.
A Spiced Carrot Salad
Sweet carrots are beautiful, delicious and nutritious. From tasty carrot pancakes to a pretty topping for barley soup to adding a nice texture to sprouts salad, carrots are a versatile vegetable to use.
In Morocco they have amazing warm salads. Nicely flavored and prepared, these salads are as much a treat as they are nourishing.
For this recipe, I combine steamed carrots with warm spices and aromatic herbs. Next, I toss it with lemon juice, olive oil and toasted sesame seeds.
Our Moroccan eggplant salad is already a huge hit with our readers. And now I share the next installment of a quick and easy Salatat Al Jazar, that will surely impress your family.
Ingredients
Carrots, Olive oil, Lemon Juice, Honey, Salt, Pepper, Garlic, Spices, Herbs, Sesame Seeds
- Lemon juice: Use it as per preference. If you don't like sour carrots then use less.
- Extra virgin olive oil is the best to use for this salad.
- Spices: paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, sumac, pinch of cinnamon or cardamom (optional).
- Herbs: I like using a combination of cilantro, parsley and green onions. You could try basil too.
How to Select Carrots
- Choose firm carrots that are bright orange in color and with smooth skin.
- Do not use carrots with black tops or those that are limp.
- And select medium sized carrots of similar size.
- Overly mature and thick carrots may be tough and dry.
Uniform sized carrot slices will cook evenly
How to Cut Carrot Medallions
- Peel the carrots and place on a cutting board. Hold the carrots firmly and using a sharp knife cut the vegetable into uniform size pieces. Check how to cut carrots.
- You could use a mandolin slicer but be careful and use a safety guard.
Variations
This salad is vegan, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, soy free.
- Flavor add-ins: Add feta cheese, coconut flakes instead of sesame seeds, chopped jalapeños, other toasted seeds, other herbs - basil, thyme.
- Textures: Shred or make different cuts of carrots. You could also try using a spiralizer.
Meal Prep and Storage
- You can prepare it one to two days ahead. The longer you marinate, the better the taste.
- Alternatively, you can just prepare carrots and dressing separately and refrigerate. Assemble the salad as needed.
- This salad will stay good for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- You can freeze the leftovers. Thaw and warm it up lightly.
Warm carrots absorb flavors better
How to Serve
- This is a great dish for anytime of the year but especially fits in with a holiday menu.
- Serve it as a side dish or a starter. I prefer to eat this warm but you can also serve it at room temperature.
What You Can Serve It With
Rice dishes or lemon cauliflower rice. It would taste great with braised lamb shanks or holiday dishes such as roasted goose. Serve it with pan seared cod and creamed yellow squash or mashed potatoes.
Carrot Health Benefits
Carrots are a good source of beta carotene, fiber, potassium, vitamin K and antioxidants.
The main type of fiber in carrots is soluble fiber which can lower blood sugar levels, improve gut health and blood cholesterol levels. A common antioxidant in carrots is lutein, which is good for eye health.
Other health benefits of this root vegetable include lower risk of cancer and it is great for weight management diets.
More Moroccan Recipes
- Zaalouk (Moroccan Eggplant Dip)
- Spiced Butternut Squash Soup
- Harira Recipe (Chickpea and Lentil Soup)
- Moroccan Stew With Vegetables and Lamb
★ DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE COMMENT AND GIVE IT A STAR RATING BELOW!
Moroccan Carrot Salad
Ingredients
- 2 lb carrots peeled
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon sumac optional
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 pinches ground cinnamon or ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons cilantro chopped
- 3 tablespoons parsley chopped
- 3 tablespoons green onions chopped
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds toasted
Equipment
- Food Steamer
Instructions
- Slice carrots into uniform sized medallions or rounds. If the carrots are thicker, cut them into half before slicing.
- Place carrot slices in the top basket of a steamer and steam the vegetable for about 10 to 15 minutes until quite tender but still retaining shape. Make sure they don't over cook and fall apart.Tip: Alternatively, boil carrot slices in a large pot of salted water for 20 minutes and drain very well.
- While the carrots are cooking, take a large mixing bowl and whisk olive oil, lemon juice, honey, grated garlic, paprika, sumac, ground cumin, ground coriander, cinnamon or cardamom, black pepper and salt.
- Then add the warm carrot slices, cilantro, parsley, green onions and toss it all together. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Serve the salad warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Adjust the spice levels as per taste.
- Make the salad simpler by using 1 tablespoon readymade harissa and skip the individual spices. Harissa is a blend of spices such as cumin, coriander, fennel, sumac, etc.
Lynda Black says
This was an awesome recipe. I added 3/4 cups of quinoa, cooked which made the quinoa so flavorful with the dressing. Yum! Made it for an outdoor pot luck. It was a hit! Loved all of the ingredients. Such depth of flavor for the humble carrot Will make it again. Thank you!!
mimi rippee says
This salad is so appealing. I think sometimes carrots are underated, cause they're as common as bananas are in the fruit department. Maybe I'm wrong... but I do love carrots. I buy them and share with my dogs! I so love all of the spices in this. Recipe printed!
Roxana Begum says
So happy you like it. I agree.
Imran says
Looks Amazing. Something about grilled carrots give it such a rich depth of flavor! I like to add ginger/butter and more turmeric for that golden flavor
Roxana Begum says
Thanks for sharing :)
April says
These look so yummy!! I love all flavors of the spice you used. I can't wait to try these scrumptious carrots.
Emily says
This Moroccan carrot salad is so delicious! I love all the fresh flavors, especially the parsley and cilantro!
Renee says
This salad has so many wonderful layers of flavor! There is just nothing quite like that Moroccan flavor profile. Delicious!
Anjali says
All of the spices in this recipe took the carrots to another level! It was delicious and I'll definitely be making it again!
Roxana Begum says
So glad you liked it.
Emily Liao says
This carrot salad is so delicious! The flavors are refreshing and love the herbs.