Moroccan Carrot & Chickpea Salad

- Serves 6 (as a side dish)
​Carrots are found in abundance all over Morocco and carrot salads everywhere, from street vendors to high-end restaurants. My Moroccan carrot and chickpea salad adds a colorful modern twist to traditional carrot salads which are usually quite simple. With juicy carrots, creamy chickpeas, sweet raisins and toasted nuts to complement the sweet, sour and slightly spicy orange and lemon dressing, it’s a recipe you will go back to over and over again.
Image by Mali Maeder from Pixels

Ingredients for ​Moroccan Carrot & Chickpea Salad

For the Dressing
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest and 3 tablespoons lemon juice, from one large lemon
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, from one large orange
1.5 tablespoons honey
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper 
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional 
For the Salad
450g carrot, peeled and coarsely grated on the widest side of a box grater 
1/3 cup currants or raisins 
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint or cilantro (or a combination), plus more for garnish
400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons finely minced shallots or red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds or roughly chopped walnuts

Recipe
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing until well combined - set aside.
  2. Place all salad ingredients except toasted nuts in a large salad bowl, add salad dressing and toss well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or for a few hours for flavors to mingle. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with toasted nuts and more fresh herbs. Serve chilled.
​Note: To toast the nuts, preheat your oven to 180ºC or 350°F. Place the almonds on a baking sheet and roast for about 5 minutes, until the almonds/walnuts are golden. Chopped nuts can also be toasted in a hot pan on low-medium flame, until toasty brown all over.
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