Moroccan raw carrot salad

Modified: Feb 1, 2021 · Published: Mar 21, 2019 by Caroline

This Moroccan raw carrot salad takes only a few minutes to make, has a short list of ingredients and is packed with flavor. Perfect alongside other dishes as part of lunch, mezze and more.

This post may contain affiliate links, where we earn from qualifying purchases. See more details in the policy page.

I used to make raw carrot salads like this a lot more often, but for whatever reason I haven’t much recently. I’m not sure why, as they are so easy and can be tasty too.

My mum used to make a simple carrot salad with raisins in it which I liked, but it was relatively plain. It was fine in small quantities as part of a potluck, but in all honesty, I wouldn’t go out of my way to make it.

When I decided to make some eggplant with chermoula not too long ago, I was thinking what to have with it. Given I had some carrots, the idea to make this Moroccan raw carrot salad came to mind, and I’m so glad it did.

What’s in a Moroccan salad?

Many Moroccan salads are quite unlike a “salad” as we might typically think of it. Very few use a base of greens, and in fact most don’t use a broad range of ingredients. Some are cold, like this, while others can be served warm like zaalouk (a tasty eggplant and tomato salad).

Instead, most focus on one or two main ingredients – often vegetables or beans – and add complimentary flavors. You then enjoy a few different salads together, typically as the start of a meal. 

Should Moroccan carrot salad be raw or cooked?

If you’ve had a Moroccan carrot salad before, you may have had a cooked version. The flavorings are otherwise very similar to this, but of course the texture will be a bit different. You’ll find both in Morrocco, and with a few variations as well.

Some use cilantro, others parsley, some include chickpeas or fruits like orange or raisins. Most will include some warm spices like cumin and a good burst of flavor, like a combination of herbs and lemon or harissa.

The quick and easy steps

This is a really quick and easy salad to make as all you do is:

• Grate the carrot.
• Chop the cilantro and add it to the carrot.
• Whisk together the dressing, pour over the carrots and toss.

Being relatively simple, this salad works so well with other dishes as well. You could go the traditional Moroccan way with other salads as an appetizer, or branch out and have it alongside mains, like lamb kofte, grilled chicken or Greek marinated lamb.

For something so simple, this Moroccan raw carrot salad really packs a lot of flavor punch. And whenever you have it, it takes no time to prepare, can be scaled up and down and is a delicious addition to any meal.

Looking for more simple salads? Try these:

• Kisir (Turkish bulgur salad)
• Easy white bean salad
• Apple celeriac salad
• Plus get more side dishes and North African recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline’s Cooking Amazon store. 

Remember to pin for later!