Moroccan Carrot and Lentil Salad: A Flavorful Vegan Delight

Nov 16, 2025 0

Whether you serve it as a main dish or a flavorful side, this vegan Moroccan-spiced Carrot and Lentil Salad is the perfect year-round recipe. This Moroccan-Spiced Lentil Salad is bursting with warm spices, sweet dried fruit, crunchy nuts, and a zesty lemon dressing - it's a total flavor explosion! It's the perfect easy make-ahead lunch, ideal for meal prep or serving at your next picnic or potluck.

This authentic Moroccan lentil salad recipe is rich and full of flavor, plus it’s naturally vegan and gluten free. This Moroccan lentil salad recipe has been in my family for generations. Extremely easy to make, very healthy, and most importantly full of flavors, it was one of my favorite salads growing up in Morocco.

This Moroccan lentil carrot salad is one way to put an abundance of carrots to good use. For this recipe, we're diving into a simple yet sensational dish that captures the essence of Moroccan flavors: Carrot and Lentil Salad. Humble ingredients like carrots and organic lentils are transformed into a dish bursting with color, texture, and taste.

Morocan Lentil Salad

This vegan Moroccan-spiced lentil salad utilizes lentils as a main ingredient. Lentils are high in protein and are considered a “slow-metabolizing” carbohydrate- the kind of carb that has so many health benefits. Plus I’m just a huge fan of lentils. Although lentils are a tiny, humble legume, they have a mighty impact. Lentils are an excellent source of dietary fiber and plant-based protein. They are also rich in essential nutrients such as iron, folate, and potassium, which can help support your overall health and wellbeing.

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Since I stopped eating meat a few years ago, I've eaten A LOT of lentils. In addition to their culinary versatility, lentils are also a great source of plant-based protein, fiber, B vitamins, and a whole lot more. So essentially, they have superpowers.

I know what you're thinking: lentils can be pretty bland. You're not wrong. Plain cooked lentils aren't exactly glamorous. But it doesn't have to be that way! Perfectly cooked (and seasoned) lentils can transform the humble legume to a pièce de résistance.

Tips for Cooking Lentils Perfectly

Plain cooked lentils aren't exactly glamorous. But it doesn't have to be that way! Perfectly cooked (and seasoned) lentils can transform the humble legume to a pièce de résistance. Here are some tips for the best results:

If you've had the same bag of lentils sitting in your pantry for five years (let's be honest, it happens to the best of us), toss 'em. Fresh lentils will cook faster and taste better.
Yeah, yeah, I know. It's annoying to rinse legumes and grains, but an essential step to remove any debris hanging out in the mix. It's also helpful to sift through the lentils quickly to check for small pebbles.
Water is (obviously) the go-to cooking liquid and certainly produces perfectly cooked lentils. That being said, broth brings a whole lot more flavor to the party.
Add a generous pinch of salt to your lentils while they cook.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but the wrong variety of lentil can really ruin your final dish. This vegan Moroccan Lentil Salad utilizes French green lentils, otherwise known as Puy Lentils. They're smaller, darker in color, and more flavorful than regular green lentils. French lentils also don't lose their shape when they cook (unless you overcook them), so they're an excellent choice for salad. That being said, if you can't find and French lentils or already have a lot of green or brown lentils on hand, feel free to use those instead. Black lentils will also work, as they hold up well when cooked. Avoid red and yellow lentils, which tend to break down into mush when cooked. These lentils are best used in soups, curries and purees.

Ingredients for Moroccan Lentil Salad

Made with tomatoes, typical Moroccan spices, and delicious, high-quality organic olive oil. Cooked French lentils + Moroccan spices make for one delicious salad. Shredded carrots are combined with lentils, red onion, celery, mint, raisins, and walnuts or sunflower seeds. Then, everything is tossed in a dressing spiced with turmeric, cinnamon, smoked paprika, and cumin.

Key Ingredients:

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Lentils: The hearty, protein-packed base.
Parsley or cilantro: Bright, herby flavor.
Toasted almonds or pistachios: Crunchy and satisfying. Adds richness and texture.

For the dressing: Olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, agave or maple syrup, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper - bold, zesty, and full of warm Moroccan spices.

We dress the cooked lentils in a flavor-packed vinaigrette spiced with smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne. We also coat the carrots in this vinaigrette before roasting. They end up getting slightly caramelized and taste super flavorful! To round out the Moroccan-inspired ingredient list, we added sautéed garlic and shallots for depth of flavor. Sultana raisins added a touch of sweetness and chewy texture. You can also substitute with golden raisins (my personal favorite, but hard to find) or Zante currants. Chopped pistachios add texture and color, and fresh parsley and cilantro add brightness.

How to Make Moroccan Carrot and Lentil Salad

This Moroccan lentil salad can be served either warm or cold - I personally prefer it cold - as a main dish or as a side dish for grilled meats and fish. Here’s how to make it:

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Rinse and sort lentils, then cook lentils according to package directions.
Wash and peel carrot, then slice on a bias into evenly-sized pieces.
Heat a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and diced shallot. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add garlic and raisins and continue cooking for a few more minutes, until softened and fragrant.
In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked lentils, shallot + garlic + raisin mixture, roasted carrots, pistachios, cilantro, parsley and remaining vinaigrette. Toss until well coated.

Make the dressing: In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, agave, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, coriander, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

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Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine the lentils, red onion, bell peppers, carrots, parsley, dried fruit, and most of the nuts (saving a handful for garnish). Toss and serve: Pour about half the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat. Add more dressing to taste - you may not need it all. Garnish with the reserved nuts and a sprinkle of herbs. Serve right away or chill for 15-30 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Other preparation methods:

Place lentils, celery, apricots, almonds, drained onions, herbs and orange zest in a large bowl. Mix dressing ingredients into the bowl.
Rinse the lentils and put them in a large saucepan filled with 4 cups of water. Add the bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil, cover, then lower the heat and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender but not overcooked. In the meantime, you can prepare your vinaigrette: in a bowl, whisk the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and spices. Drain your lentils once they are cooked. In a large bowl: Add the lentils, vinaigrette, diced onion, diced tomato, coriander, parsley, and mint. Mix very gently to avoid pureeing the lentils. You can eat your salad as is - warm - or refrigerate it for 20 minutes if you want to serve it cold.

Tips and Serving Suggestions

This Moroccan Carrot and Lentil Salad is perfect for meal prep or as a make-ahead dish for a dinner party. Can be made ahead! In fact, it actually tastes better cold (in my opinion). Feel free to prepare the salad up to a few days in advance. The leftovers taste even better the next day as the flavors have time to meld. When I was packing up to head home, I went to grab my salad bowl - only to find it sparkling clean. My mom had saved the rest for herself!

Serve this salad with a main protein, or enjoy it over a bed of hummus (my personal favorite) for a delicious vegan dinner. This Moroccan lentil salad can be served either warm or cold. Serve! I hope you’re having a great week so far, and that you enjoy this Moroccan lentil carrot salad! If you make it, let me know how you enjoyed it by leaving a comment and rating below the post.

Serving suggestions:

Serve right away or chill for 15-30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Serve! I hope you’re having a great week so far, and that you enjoy this Moroccan lentil carrot salad! If you make it, let me know how you enjoyed it by leaving a comment and rating below the post.
I love serving pita and hummus on the side.

Other Vegan Salad Recipes to Try

Try this Fall Harvest Salad with Roasted Vegetables & Wild Rice.
We also love this tangy, flavorful Vegan Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, this Shaved Carrot Sesame Salad and this Sweet & Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad.

If you make this easy vegan Moroccan Carrot and Lentil Salad recipe, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below!