Looking for fresh side dish ideas? This Moroccan Carrot Salad is easy to make and so flavorful. Shredded carrots, raisins, and chopped red onion- topped off with honey and a squeeze of lemon juice. It tastes exotic (hello all spice), but not overly spiced for picky eaters.
I love new side dish ideas. We have our favorites- salad, frozen veggies, potatoes, rice. But that can get boring. It’s nice to switch up and find a new tasty dish that’s easy to throw together. This carrot raisin salad is full of bright colors - and flavors!
This Moroccan-inspired carrot salad is crunchy, juicy, and refreshing. For my love of salads, and zesty flavors, I keep very open mind for trying new things. Sometimes you get inspirations where least expected. Isn't it? This zippy Moroccan carrot salad is example of one such pleasant find in a Greek restaurant.
This was the time when we were packing our stuff last month. Whole house was upside down. Specially kitchen was half packed. So we decided to eat out.. nothing fancy, just something simple and quick. We went to Daphne's. I ordered a falafel plate with side of this Moroccan salad. I honestly love their falafels but that day Moroccan carrot salad won me completely.
A raw carrot salad with refreshing sweet and tangy dressing, sprinkle of feta cheese and dill leaves with crunch of walnuts, and sweetness of raisins... OMG! So so good. I knew right away, blog is calling "Moroccan carrot salad", "Moroccan carrot salad"! LOL!
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The recipe for this carrot salad is very simple, yet has complex, sweet and sour flavors. When I first tried it, I felt I have made similar dressing before. If you have tried my Apple Chickpea Salad with Honey Mustard dressing.. that carry same flavor notes like this Moroccan Carrot Salad.
Being the raisin person that I am, I added more! HOWEVER, another time I'd like to use dried cranberries instead of the raisins, just to see who it'd taste ~ or half cranberries & half golden raisins for the yellow, orange & red colors!
Ingredients Needed
Here's what you'll need to make this delicious Moroccan carrot salad:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ¾ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 ½ pounds carrots-peeled, shredded and squeezed dry
- ¾ cup minced red onion
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ cup raisins
But no skimping on fresh ingredients. Red onion, cilantro, lemon juice. YUM.
How to Make Moroccan Carrot Salad
This salad is so easy to whip up, you guys, You can either chop the carrots, or use a peeler. Heck, buy pre-shedded carrots. Whatever is the quickest way to delicious.
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- In large bowl, whisk first 5 ingredients; season.
- Toss with carrots, onion, cilantro and raisins; season.
This Moroccan Carrot Salad is easy to make and so flavorful. 10 minutes This Moroccan Carrot Salad is easy to make and so flavorful. Love a nice and easy side dish?
The side dish should never take longer to make/cook than the main course. At least, not in my house. So I always try to keep that in mind.
Handy tools to use when making this moroccan carrot dish:
- vegetable peeler - stainless steel, ergonomic handle, dishwasher safe
- silicone whisk - stir, whisk and scrape sides all at once
Moroccan Cooked Carrot Salad
Tips and Variations
Here are a few ways I like to mix up the ingredients in this Moroccan carrot salad. I love to bulk up this carrot raisin salad with some cooked farro. To add some more protein stir in a can of chickpeas of top with some grilled chicken or fish.
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Use Good Quality Carrots: Since it is a raw carrot and only carrot salad, the quality of carrots and chopping is very crucial to it's taste. For a good tasting salad, please use good quality sweet carrots. And ones only grated with coarse grater. In my personal experience, very fine grated carrots don't stand-out well to Moroccan dressing.
If you don't have a coarse grater, the pre-packaged carrot slaw works perfectly. It also saves time of grating. Oh, if using pre-packaged, please make sure to buy only chemical spray free.
For this Moroccan Carrot Salad with raisins, nuts and fresh herbs is easy to make, pairs well with a variety of dishes and is perfect for weekly meal preps! Add carrots, scallions, raisins, pecans, and cilantro; toss to combine.
I've always loved my Moroccan carrot salad, full of harissa and citrus, and my warm Moroccan carrots are another recipe I make fairly often. I decided to incorporate some golden raisins and simmer the veggies in cinnamon to create a brand-new Moroccan carrot raisin salad! What resulted was a flavorful salad that I plan on serving all winter and throughout early spring.
Place thinly sliced red onion in a bowl of cold water and set aside while you prep the rest of the salad (at least 10 minutes). A julienne Y-peeler is the best tool for this job; it’ll give you long, crunchy pieces of carrot ideal for slaw.
I avoid buying most prepared produce (think shredded veggies, cut up fruit, bagged salad mixes) for a few reasons. To start, you often spend more for less produce. Not to mention, it’s rarely as fresh as buying, well, fresh. BUT, this carrot salad is where I make an exception to my unwritten rule. I find the process of shredding carrots to be a mess I am not willing to endure.
Now, if you’re a more conscious consumer than I am when it comes to carrots, by all means, shred your own carrots! I recommend using a food processor for ease, but a box grater works just as well (and makes for easier clean up).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Moroccan carrot salad be made in advance?
Yes! Actually, making it a day in advance really allows the flavors to marinate.
What dried fruits can you use in Moroccan carrot salad?
You can use dried apricots, dried cherries or even pomegranate seeds!
Can I use pre-shredded carrots instead?
While using pre-shredded carrots can save time, dicing fresh whole carrots is best for this carrot raisin salad recipe! Shredded carrots will become overly mushy when cooked, and you’ll end up with a big mess.
How do you soften raisins for salad?
You can soften raisins for salad by letting them soak in boiling liquid for about 10 minutes. Here, draining the hot cinnamon and sugar mixture over the raisins does a great job of softening them!
Can I make this carrot raisin salad recipe without sugar?
Yes - if you’re watching your sugar intake, you can replace it with a natural sweetener like honey, maple syrup, or even a sugar substitute like stevia or my new favorite, Wholesome Sweeteners Allulose. However, keep in mind that the sugar helps balance out the acidity in the lemon juice and highlights the sweetness of the carrots and raisins, so I don’t suggest omitting a sweetener completely.
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tags: #Moroccan
