Simple Moroccan-Style Carrot Salad

This is one of many salads that my mother makes every Friday noon for Friday night, Shabbat dinner. In Moroccan, they’re called salades, though they’re more like mezzes than salads. This salad/mezze is my second favorite after matbucha, a cooked tomato and pepper jam-like dip

What I love about this recipe is that it is easy to make, requires only 3 ingredients, and takes about 10 minutes to prepare. However, the tricky part is that you must babysit the carrots while steaming them. Chill, we’re talking about 4 – 6 minutes, depending on the size of your carrots. Don’t let them overcook or undercook. They should be tender yet still have a bite. Though hard is better than soft. Now, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if you overcooked them – because you were scrolling down Instagram! – if you did, mash the salad and serve it as a dip.

You can make the harissa yourself or buy it on Amazon or at Middle Eastern stores. My harissa isn’t as spicy as most store-bought harissa. Before you add it to the salad, taste it to make sure it’s not too hot for you.

Simple Moroccan-Style Carrot Salad

Moroccan style cooked salad to serve as a mezze, side or in an omelet sandwich.
Prep Time7 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time12 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Mezze, Salad
Cuisine: Moroccan
Diet: Vegan
Keyword: Gluten-Free, Plant-Based
Servings: 4 as mezze
Author: Shelly
Cost: $3

Ingredients

  • 10 medium carrots
  • ¼ cup parsley, chopped finely
  • 1 tablespoon harissa or make the dressing below - check how spicy it is before adding it
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons harissa (or 1 teaspoon sweet paprika and ½ teaspoon hot paprika infused in 2 tablespoons canola or olive oil)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • salt

Instructions

  • Cut the carrots in half and steam them for 4 minutes. Pierce them gently with a sharp knife. You should feel a slight resistant. If the resistant is too strong, steam for 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat and wash with cold water.
  • If you have harissa, great! If you don't, mix the paprikas and oil in a small mixing bowl.
  • Slice the carrots and put in a medium bowl. Add harissa (or paprika oil), garlic, parsley, lemon juice, cumin and salt, and toss. Serve or store in a container in the fridge up to 5 days.

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