Moroccan Carrot Salad, drizzled with a honey lemon dressing, is sweet, sour and crunchy! This “go with anything” side dish comes together in minutes making it a great take-along for potlucks, tailgating & barbeques !
Raw Carrot Salad
Bright and refreshing, Moroccan salads are one of my favorite side dishes. With gorgeous colors and vibrant flavors, these simple salads give any meal a slightly exotic twist!
With it’s sweet, sour/tart mix of flavors, this raw carrot salad delivers a lot of “bang for the buck.” Simple to make, with a short list of ingredients, it’s the perfect partner for deeply flavored dishes.
I love pairing it with Moroccan dishes like this Lemon Olive Chicken or these Grilled Lamb Skewers. – and I also love just snacking on this all by itself!
Ingredients you will need:
- Raw Carrots – rainbow carrots are beautiful in this salad but plain carrots will work just as well.
- Preserved lemons OR fresh lemon zest
- Fresh Italian parsley
- Fresh lemon juice
- Honey
- White wine vinegar
- Garam masala – although this spice is used in Indian cooking, it’s mix of sweet and savory spices works really well in this salad. If you don’t have any, you can substitute a mixture of cinnamon and cumin.
- Smoked paprika
- Salt and white pepper
- Olive oil
How to Make Moroccan Carrot Salad:
- Grate the carrots using a food processor or a box grater.
- Combine the vinegar, honey, lemon juice, spices, salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Drizzle in the olive oil and whisk. Set aside.
- Combine the carrots, parsley and preserved lemons/lemon zest in a medium bowl.
- Drizzle on the dressing and toss to combine.
- Serve the salad immediately or refrigerate overnight. Let come to room temperature before serving.
Other Middle Eastern Recipes you might enjoy!
If you enjoyed this recipe I would love for you let me know by giving it a 5 STAR rating! Cheers, Nancy
Moroccan Carrot Salad with Lemon Honey Dressing
Equipment
- food processor or box grated
- Knife
- mixing bowl
- whisk
Ingredients
- 1 lb. carrots peeled and grated
- 2 Tbsp. chopped preserved lemons cut into 1/4 inch dice or the zest of one lemon
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- Dressing:
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp. honey
- 1/4 tsp. garam masala or large pinch of cinnamon and cumin
- 1/8 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/8 tsp. white pepper
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil or canola oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the lemon juice, white wine vinegar, honey, garam masala, paprika, salt and white pepper.
- Drizzle in the olive or canola oil and whisk until dressing emulsifies.
- Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the carrots,preserved lemon and parsley. Drizzle the dressing over and toss. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Recipe Notes
- This salad can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Store, covered in the refrigerator.
- The preserved lemons give the salad a nice burst of citrus flavor. You can buy them in a Middle Eastern market but they are very easy to make. You can use them in salads, dressings, or stirred into anything that needs a burst of citrus flavor!
I made my first batch of preserved lemons last year. I went a little crazy; they ended up in my tuna salad, and my potato salad, and my roasted chicken. Now, one more thing to try. All I need is garam masala. Thanks again.
One of my goals (I try to not call them ‘resolutions’) for this year is to try more recipes from other cuisines. And wouldn’t this be a great one with which to start!?! All I need is the preserved lemons. I’ll be getting started on those right away!
Hi Lana!!
Since you have a lemon tree the preserved lemons will be a great way to use them!! It’s funny, but after I first made the preserved lemons I didn’t think I’d use them that often but find I use them all the time – even in dishes that aren’t “middle eastern”! Made a relish to go with some grilled fish the other night and used them in that – really perked up the flavors – love the hit of pure lemon that I get from them!
I love the combination of Morrocan spices with carrots, one of the best pairings!
I love the idea of using Moroccan Spices in a simple salad. I bet it gives it a great kick of flavor.
Hi Nancy, that salad sounds so fresh and tasty! I have tried a Korean carrot salad before but never Moroccan. This is on my to do list for sure, thanks for sharing.
Jalapenojonny.
Hi John,
Hope you enjoy it – whenever I make it, I end up eating the whole bowl!!