Spicy Moroccan Carrot Salad

This Spicy Moroccan Carrot Salad is a hearty and unique side dish with bold, vibrant flavor! A medley of warm spices and hot peppers infuse the dish with a sweet-spicy-savory taste that Moroccan food is known for. Best of all, this is a carrot salad recipe without mayonnaise- instead, we serve this warm Moroccan carrot salad with a dollop of Greek yogurt for a light and creamy finish.

Serve this carrot salad alongside our Moroccan Chicken Tagine. There’s really no wrong way to enjoy our spicy Moroccan carrot salad and it’s also a wonderful way to make use of homemade preserved lemons.

This salad is made with cooked carrots which gives it more of a “hearty side dish” feel than a light salad. Serve it chilled or as a warm side- either way, it’s delicious and full of flavor. Cilantro adds a fresh, citrus flavor to the dish that pairs beautifully with the Moroccan spice blend. However, if cilantro isn’t quite your thing, you can swap in arugula or parsley instead.

If you like this recipe, you will like our authentic tabbouleh salad and Greek salad.

Our spicy Moroccan Carrot Salad is:

• Bold and flavorful
• Easy to make
• Gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian (if you use a vegan-friendly Greek yogurt)

The Ingredients:

This carrot salad recipe without mayonnaise has a vibrant, lemony flavor that comes from the preserved lemons- a staple ingredient in Moroccan cuisine. If you haven’t ever used preserved lemons, it’s an ingredient you can typically find in most international markets or even online. But for the best -and most budget-friendly preserved lemons- learn how to easily make them at home with our Preserved Lemons recipe (it only requires three ingredients!).

Here is what you will need to make this spicy Moroccan Carrot Salad:

• Carrots, peeled
• Salt
• olive oil
• Onion, sliced
• Jalapeño peppers or Serrano peppers
• Garlic cloves
• Sugar
• Ground cumin
• Sweet paprika
• Cnnamon
• Ground coriander
• Ginger powder
• Ground cloves
• Green onions, chopped
• Lemon juice or white vinegar
• Preserved lemon, chopped
• Cilantro leaves or parsley, chopped
• Greek yogurt
• Lemons, sliced into wedges

How to Make Moroccan Carrot Salad:

This Spicy Moroccan Carrot Salad recipe comes together rather quickly and is a handy recipe when you’re looking for a side with minimum prep and maximum flavor! Even though the carrots are cooked, they’re anything but mushy and still keep a crisp, yet tender texture.

How to make it:

1. Boil the carrots: In a large pot with water and salt, boil the carrots until tender but still a little bit crisp. Drain them and run them under cold water to stop them from cooking further. (Optionally, you can cook the carrots in the Instant Pot.)
2. Saute: Cook the onions in a large pan until they’re golden brown, about 10 minutes. Prep the peppers, then add them to the onions along with the garlic, sugar, and all of the spices. Sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
3. Mix: Stir in the green onions, lemon juice, and preserved lemon. Add the cooked carrots, then let the mixture cool and place it in the fridge until ready to serve.
4. To serve: Just before serving, stir in the fresh cilantro leaves. Serve this spicy Moroccan carrot salad with yogurt and lemon wedges.

Pro Tips For the Best Carrot Salad

• Cooking the carrots: The thickness of the carrot slices will determine how long they’ll need to cook. You want them cooked but not mushy and still pretty crisp. Check on them frequently and remove them once they’re slightly tender. Run them under cold water or in ice water to stop them from cooking.
• Tips for cutting the peppers: We recommend using gloves when slicing the jalapeño or Serrano peppers. If you don’t have gloves, make sure to wash your hands well after you slice them.
• Oil: This carrot salad recipe without mayonnaise does call for 1/3 cup of oil, which might sound like a lot. However, it gives the salad a lot of flavor and becomes part of the dressing that you will toss the carrots in. Per serving, it equals less than 1 tablespoon of oil.
• Adding cilantro or parsley: Stir the fresh cilantro or parsley leaves (or even arugula) into the Moroccan carrot salad at the very end, right before serving. This prevents the leaves from wilting and ensures they remain fresh and vibrant.

Each bite of this spicy Moroccan carrot salad is bursting with flavor! It’s a delicious and easy side dish that can go with a variety of main courses. Warm, Moroccan spices add a special depth of flavor to these slightly crisp carrots that we know you will love!

Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love:

• Moroccan Lamb Meatballs in Spicy Tomato Sauce: These juicy, tender meatballs are the best balance of sweet and spicy, with a hint of mint and a flavorful tomato sauce. Serve them for dinner or as a special starter to your main course.
• Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette: A delicious vinaigrette that will elevate any salad, this light and tangy citrus blend is a wonderful way to make use of preserved lemons.
• Instant Pot Carrots with Honey Glaze: An easy and delicious way to enjoy carrots! These Instant Pot carrots are sweetened with an irresistible honey glaze that we just can’t get enough of.

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 7 minutes mins

Total Time: 22 minutes mins

4.86 from 7 votes

Spicy Moroccan Carrot Salad

By Dahn Boquist

The carrots in this salad get cooked but they retain a crisp yet tender texture. It feels more like a hearty side dish than a light salad and you could definitely serve them as a warm side dish. The vibrant lemony flavor comes from preserved lemons and the spices make a bold statement.

If you can't handle cilantro, the salad tastes great with arugula or parsley. Just make sure you toss it in right before serving the salad so it stays crisp and vibrant.

If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.

Servings: 6 servings

SaveSaved Pin Comment Print

Email me this recipe!

Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email *

Save

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 pounds carrots, peeled
• ▢ 2 teaspoons salt
• ▢ ⅓ cup olive oil
• ▢ 1 onion, sliced
• ▢ 2 jalapeno pepper
• ▢ 3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• ▢ 3 green onions, chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped preserved lemon
• ▢ 2 ½ cups fresh parsley, or cilantro, chopped
• ▢ ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ▢ 1 to 2 lemons, sliced into wedges

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• Slice the carrots into ½-inch-thick slices. Place them in a large pot, cover with water, and add the salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the carrots are tender but still slightly crisp. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside to drain well.
• Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. While the onions cook, prep the chili peppers. Slice them open, remove the seeds and white membranes, then finely chop the peppers and set them aside.
• When the onions reach a golden brown color, add the peppers, garlic, sugar, and all six of the spices. Saute for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant then remove from heat.
• Stir in the green onions, lemon juice, and preserved lemon. Add the carrots and toss well to coat them in the dressing. Let the mixture cool, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Just before serving, stir in the parsley or cilantro. Serve with a dollop of yogurt and lemon wedges. 

Notes

Oil Amount: The ⅓ cup of oil may sound like a lot, but it becomes part of the dressing that coats the carrots. It comes to less than 1 tablespoon per serving and adds plenty of flavor.

Cooking the Carrots: The cooking time will depend on how thickly you slice the carrots. Check them often and drain them when they are slightly tender but still have some bite. They will continue to soften after draining, so rinse them with cold water or plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking.

Handling Chili Peppers: We recommend wearing gloves when slicing the chili peppers. If you don’t have gloves, wash your hands well afterward.

 

 

 

adapted from Plenty by Yottam Ottolenghi

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 201kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 835mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 9g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!