We were recently invited to dinner with friends at their home. The host prepared a delicious Moroccan Chicken dish as the entree. I offered to bring a salad, and decided on this Moroccan Carrot and Chickpea Salad.
I was so involved in prepping for it I forgot to take some pics along the way, but it is pretty straightforward, and can be prepared ahead. In fact, it needs to be chilled a minimum of a half hour and up to a few hours.
This colorful, flavor-packed salad is an exotic twist on a carrot raisin salad.
The interesting combination of fragrant spices, addition of honey to the vinaigrette, the sweet currants, the crunchy chickpeas and the toasted almonds create a salad which is sweet and savory with lots of texture.
Here’s the recipe…
Moroccan Carrot and Chickpea Salad (Once Upon a Chef by Jenn Segal)
Servings: 6 (as a side dish)
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
1 and ½ tablespoons honey
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon coriander
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the salad
1 pound carrots, peeled and shredded
1/3 cup currants
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted (see note below)
½ cup chopped fresh mint or cilantro (or a combination), plus more for serving
(I prefer lots of fresh mint, julienne cut)
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 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 degrees F. Place the almonds on a foil-lined baking sheet for easy clean-up. Bake about 5 minutes or til the almonds are golden.
Note: You may be able to find packaged toasted slivered almonds at Trader Joe’s.
