Moroccan-Spiced Carrot & Chickpea Salad
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Spice up your mealtime with this Moroccan-spiced carrot and chickpea salad—a satisfying, no-fuss dish that offers a deliciously unique twist on the classic carrot-raisin salad.
Packed with fragrant spices, vibrant colors, and a perfect mix of sweet and savory flavors, this Moroccan-spiced carrot and chickpea salad is a feast for the senses. It puts a unique spin on the classic carrot-raisin salad. And the best part? You don’t need any hard-to-find ingredients to make it. Everything that makes it special is probably already on hand in your kitchen.
Pair the salad with my grilled Moroccan chicken, grilled Moroccan meatballs, or perhaps with my butternut squash and sweet potato soup for a lighter meal. It’s also perfectly satisfying on its own—just right for a pack-and-go lunch or those quiet nights when you’re dining solo and don’t want to fuss with a whole meal.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Moroccan-Spiced Carrot & Chickpea Salad
The list of ingredients looks long but, as you can see, it’s mostly just a lot of spices. If you have a food processor, this is a good time to use it. If not, you can shred the carrots by hand or buy them already shredded and bagged from the supermarket.
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a large bowl (large enough to mix the entire salad), combine all of the ingredients for the dressing.
Whisk to combine.
Next, toast the almonds. Simply place them on a foil-lined baking sheet for easy clean-up and bake for 5 minutes, or until lightly golden. Keep a close eye on them; they go from perfectly golden to burnt very quickly!
Next, add all of the salad ingredients to the bowl with the dressing.
Toss well, then cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, but preferably several hours. The salad tastes infinitely better cold, especially once the flavors have had a chance to marry.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then serve cold. Enjoy!
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Moroccan Carrot & Chickpea Salad
Spice up your mealtime with this Moroccan-spiced carrot and chickpea salad—a satisfying, no-fuss dish that offers a deliciously unique twist on the classic carrot-raisin salad.
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 3 tablespoons lemon juice, from one large lemon
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice, from one large orange
- 1½ tablespoons honey
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the Salad
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and shredded
- ⅓ cup currants
- ½ cup slivered almonds, toasted (see note below)
- ½ cup chopped fresh mint or cilantro (or a combination), plus more for serving
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons finely minced shallots, from one large shallot
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Instructions
- In a large bowl (large enough to mix the entire salad), whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing.
- To the dressing, add all of the ingredients for the salad and toss well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to a few hours. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (you might need more salt, lemon or honey, depending on the sweetness of the carrots). Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with more fresh chopped herbs. Serve cold.
- Note: To toast the almonds, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the almonds on a foil-lined baking sheet for easy clean-up. Bake for about 5 minutes, until the almonds are golden.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 312
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Sugar: 19g
- Fiber: 9g
- Protein: 8g
- Sodium: 522mg
- Cholesterol: 0mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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Hi Jenn , I was looking for a salad recipe that had protein and would still be fresh when it was lunchtime at work…this is perfect for school or work lunches!!! Crunchy, full of flavor and nutritious as well ! Thank you!!🙏❤❤
Jenn, if possible, I would like to substitute preserved lemon for the lemon zest and juice. How much would you suggest that I use? Thanks.
Hi Judie, I think preserved lemon would work here, but it’s hard to say how much. I’d just add that, the salt, and the honey to taste. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I chickened out and followed your recipe to a T. It was delicious alongside your Moroccan grilled chicken and Israeli couscous.
Made this (along with the couscous and Moroccan grilled chicken) and it was absolutely FANTASTIC! TOTAL hit with the family and I might have sneaked some for 2nd dinner 😉 Packed a MAJOR flavorful punch and a fantastic way to eat veggies!
I made this recipe exactly as written and loved every bite. It made quite a lot for only two people but I didn’t mind since it was so delicious. I ate it with grilled salmon on one occasion and roasted chicken on another. In between, I had it alongside sandwiches and stole bites from the fridge. It makes my mouth water just writing about it.
The second time I had it was with arugula added. It was even more beautiful to look at and added a nice peppery punch.
I plan to take it as my contribution to a potluck this coming weekend and I know it will be a hit.
Every recipe I’ve tried from this site or the cookbook has been exceptional.
This was delicious! Was trying not to waste leftover carrots. I substituted raisins for currants and pine nuts for the almonds just because that was what I had. So good, Jenn, thank you, I had very made a carrot salad before but I definitely will again.
This is So Delicious. I was looking for a salad to serve with a curry dinner, and I think this will be perfect. This is the 3rd thing I’ve tried on this blog and I think I’m going to have to try everything you post. The balance of flavors that you manage is so delicious and perfect. Wish I knew how to do that, but I’m quite happy to have access to your recipes and cook book in the mean time! Thank you so much.
Excellent salad or even light, main dish. I’m sensitive to hot spice so I halved the amount of cayenne. It was perfect for me. Very flavorful and not at all flat.
If someone can explain how to coarsely slice the carrots on the food processor, I’d like to know. Seriously. I knew that if I used the grating blade I’d end up with mush (well, relatively speaking). Instead, I used the slicing blade.
My carrots turned out fine as far as the coarseness, but not ready for prime time in terms of appearance.
This Moroccan salad is very delicious! If you aren’t able to find currants, you could substitute dried cranberries….they would be a bit larger than the currants. This dish is a pop of color and very beautiful with Grilled Moroccan Meatballs and rice pilaf.
This salad should be 10 stars. I LOVED this salad. It smells so good and tastes even better. I used golden raisins instead of currants.
I will definitely make this again. I shared on facebook and a friend wanted recipe so I shared your wonderful recipes on your website Once upon a chef. I want to make so many more things you have on your website. I love to cook and try different things. Thanks for a great recipe.
I ve been to Morocco and this recipe does not disappoint! Ahhh take me back! Very easy and so much flavor! I wish I tried this one earlier!