This Moroccan Carrot Dip is a delightful dish, perfect as a side or a flavorful addition to any meal. We often make Mediterranean-inspired bowls and adding a hearty vegetable enhances the texture and flavor. These Moroccan-spiced carrots are just the thing! In addition to being delicious, these roasted carrots are quick and easy to make.
What are Moroccan Spices?
Moroccan cuisine is known for its complex and aromatic spice blends. Some of the spices common in Moroccan cuisine are cinnamon, cumin, ginger, paprika, saffron, and turmeric. A blend called Ras El Hanout is also commonly used in Moroccan cooking. It includes spices such as anise, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, turmeric, and peppers.
I’m drawn to Moroccan spices because they’re smoky, spicy, and complex, meaning they play perfectly with the sweet, caramelized flavor the carrots take on when roasted. But you could also switch up the flavor profile in this recipe and use curry powder, shawarma, or your favorite spice blend!
How to Make Roasted Carrots
If you’ve never eaten perfectly roasted carrots, you’re in for a treat! Here's how to make this flavorful dish:
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Seasoning: Add carrots to the baking sheet and drizzle with oil, salt, paprika, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, and cayenne (optional), and toss well to combine.
- Roasting: Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the carrots are tender and slightly browned.
- Serving: Serve hot as is, or with tahini, Za’atar, or our Zesty Dill Yogurt Sauce. These would also make a delicious addition to our Ultimate Mediterranean Bowl.
Cooking time and temperature: We recommend cooking at 375 Fahrenheit (190 C) for 20-25 minutes, or until tender and browned on the edges. In addition to being packed with antioxidants, spices are a great way to add flavor!
Read also: Easy Moroccan Salad
This recipe makes enough to share and keeps well in the fridge for up to a week. Save yourself some time (and reduce food waste) by skipping an unnecessary step and simply scrub them. You might be tempted to peel your carrots.
Moroccan Carrot Salad Variation
This Moroccan Carrot Salad is one of my favorite, flavor-packed side dishes for summertime potlucks, barbecues and parties. This salad of lightly cooked carrots tossed with spices, olive oil and lemon (or in this case red wine vinegar) is common across Northern Africa and the Middle East.
Here’s how to make this variation:
- First off, I love carrots and I love this challenge.
- When I was a baby I ate so much carrot baby food I turned orange.
- This recipe is a homage to my new home.
- Yes, it is Moroccan in origin, but Moroccan Carrot Salad is an integral part of the Israeli mezze spread and is served in homes and restaurants across the country.
The dish varies from piquant to unbearably fiery so adjust to suit your taste. This is a fairly mild rendition. This dish is typically served cold or room temperature, and only gets better with age, so it's the perfect make ahead side or starter.
Really it's best with an array of other dishes that make up a mezze, like baba ghanouj, hummus, tahina dip, and Turkish salad (a red sauce-like dip). Drain the carrots and rinse under cold water.
Read also: Flavorful Moroccan Salad
Ingredients for Moroccan Carrot Salad
- Carrots: All you need are standard orange carrots but you could play around with rainbow carrots as well.
- Parsley: Parsley is a common addition, though some recipes use cilantro instead.
Instructions
- Peel and chop your carrots.
- You’ll want to cut them about 1/3 inch thick.
- If you have giant carrots you can cut them in half lengthwise first, but I like to keep them as coins.
- Then bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
- The trick is to use more salt than you think you should use.
- Most of it will go down the drain when you drain the cooked carrots, but it will also season the carrots as they cook.
- Add the carrots and cook until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop the garlic and mash it into a paste with coarse kosher salt. I like to do this so the garlic is evenly blended throughout and you don’t get any harsh bites of garlic. This is something I do regularly when I use raw garlic in a final dish.
Mix together the garlic, chili powder, lemon juice, cumin, paprika, parsley, and harissa (if using) and toss with the sliced carrots. Let stand at room temperature or in the fridge at least 1 hour, or in the fridge up to 2 days (the carrots will only get more flavorful with time). Serve cold or at room temperature.
This Moroccan Carrot Salad is one of my favorite, flavor-packed side dishes for summertime potlucks, barbecues and parties. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile peel and roughly chop garlic. Sprinkle with salt and chop and mash with the side of a chef’s knife to form a smooth paste.
Scrape garlic into a large mixing bowl. Stir hot carrots into the dressing. Add parsley and stir to coat.
Storage Instructions: Put the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 4 days. Make Ahead Instructions: Make the salad a day in advance and chill in the fridge until ready to serve. This gives extra time for the dressing to soak in and season the carrots.
Read also: Healthy Moroccan Soup Recipe
Sweet and Spicy Moroccan Roasted Carrots
Here is a simple, tasty recipe for Moroccan Roasted Carrots- a delicious vegan side dish that is full of great flavor! The carrots are caramelized in a very hot oven then tossed in an orange-cumin-cinnamon dressing.
Colorful roots do wonders for the soul in winter. Somehow they uplift. Joy comes in the smallest of moments lately. The way the sun hits these little guys on my counter, just so. How can such a simple thing be so beautiful? I love using beautiful multi-colored carrots for this recipe, but feel free to use what you have or can find.
A simple recipe for Moroccan Roasted Carrots- served as a side dish or over lentils for a Moroccan-inspired vegetarian Bowl. Scrub or peel the carrots then cut into 3-4 inch pieces. In a small bowl mix oil, sugar, salt and pepper. The brown sugar will help the carrots caramelize. Toss this with the carrots and spread out in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring the carrots halfway through. Bring to a boil. Cover, simmer on low until tender, 25-35 minutes ( depending on lentil size).
We hope you LOVE these carrots. They’re:
- Savory-sweet
- Smoky
- Salty
- Versatile
- Quick & easy
- SO delicious!
They are delicious on their own or topped with tahini, Za’atar, or our Zesty Dill Yogurt Sauce.
Moroccan Carrot and Sweet Potato Spread
This Moroccan Carrot Spread spread is shy, unassuming hummus’ extroverted alter ego. The Sasha Fierce of spreads if you will. Made with roasted carrots and sweet potatoes, housemade harissa, olives, and herbs, it will knock your tastebuds’ socks off. Long-time Deli fans will recall it appearing on our #94 Grace’s Amazing Family Schroom along with grilled portobello mushrooms and cucumber on grilled Better Than San Francisco Sourdough bread from Zingerman’s Bakehouse.
It’s no longer on our menu, but we still like to slather it on sandwiches we make at home. It’s also great for spicing up a crudité platter and, for a truly flavor-packed pairing, try it with our housemade Bagel Chips, made with bagels from Zingerman’s Bakehouse.
The inspiration for this spread came from our friend, Majid Mahjoub, and his family. Their Tunisian Traditional Harissa got us using harissa in all sorts of ways, so much so that eventually we started making our own custom blend. We still like to pay tribute to them when we make a batch of this spread at home though by making it with one of their organic extra virgin olive oils, named for Majid’s wife Onsa. Onsa’s Olive Oil is made from unique-to-Tunisia chetoui olives and has a healthy, bitter, peppery kick.
For added flavor, toast the coriander and caraway first in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant. Boil water in a medium saucepan and add the carrots. Place the carrots on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Scrub the sweet potatoes and pierce in several places. Place both in the oven.
Roast the carrots until they’re tender and lightly browned, 25 to 35 minutes. Don’t be afraid to let them get a little toasty; color equals flavor! Remove the carrots from the oven and continue roasting the sweet potatoes until tender and cooked through, an additional 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, grind the cumin, coriander, and caraway in a spice grinder. Add them to a small bowl, along with the sea salt, chile, and paprika.
Once the vegetables are cool, combine carrots, sweet potatoes, lemon juice, garlic, and the olive oil spice mixture in a food processor and blend until smooth. Fold in olives, if using, and parsley, then taste and adjust for seasoning.
Moroccan Carrot Salad - The Real Recipe | The Solitary Chef
Tips for the Best Moroccan Carrot Dip
- If you are using regular table salt, reduce the amount of salt in half.
- You can find Sumac online or in Whole Foods. If you don't have it handy, just skip it.
- It is important to salt the water well, the same way you do when cooking pasta.
- 3 teaspoons of sea salt may seem like a lot, but all doesn't get absorbed into the carrots.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
| Dish Type | Cuisine | Dietary Info | Freezer Friendly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Side Dish | Moroccan-Inspired | Gluten-Free, Vegan | No |
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tags: #Moroccan
