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The Good Hearted Woman

Home Cooking & Cozy Living

  • SOURDOUGH RECIPES & RESOURCES

Moroccan Carrot Salad with Harissa, Feta & Fresh Herbs

May 4 By Renée 10 Comments

Moroccan Carrot Salad is an exotic mix of zesty citrus, sweet carrots, fresh herbs, and feta, dressed with a warmly spiced, piquant honey-lemon vinaigrette. Makes a quick, refreshing side that is ready to serve in just 15 minutes! 

Moroccan Carrot Salad

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

A while ago, Mr B and I took a cooking class at our local Sur La Table, and not only did we have a fabulous time together, but we left with some amazing recipes to try at home, too!

Our instructor for the day was Chef Priscilla Umeda, a beautifully warm, captivating woman with great passion and skill for cooking. Chef Priscilla, originally from Nigeria, shared with us that she grew up as the oldest female child in a family of eight children, so it fell to her to “insure her siblings were fed.”  Thus, the seeds for creating delicious food and educating others in culinary arts were planted early.

Now a trained, professional chef (with a degree in Business Administration) Chef Priscilla is actively engaged in the culinary training of  both home cooks like us and professional chefs.

Moroccan Cooking Class
Post Updated May 4, 2020 (Originally published September 6, 2016)

Before we got to work, Chef Priscilla gave us a little history about Moroccan cuisine. We learned that Moroccan cuisine is considered one of the most important cuisines in the world, due in great part to the remarkable diversity of colonizers and immigrants who have influenced it over the last millennia.

The cuisine of Morocco’s first inhabitants, the Berbers, still exists today in dishes like tagine and couscous. It took on spices, nuts and dried fruits, and the sweet and sour combinations from Arab invasions; olives, olive juice and citrus from the Moors; pickling from Moroccan Jews; and kebabs from the Ottoman Empire. The short-lived French-Moroccan colony left behind a culture of cafes, pastries, and wine.

Sur La Table Cooking Class

During our class, Chef Priscilla walked us through the preparation of four traditional Moroccan dishes: Chicken Tagine with Dried Fruits (the foundation for my Apricot Chicken Tagine with Ginger & Mint recipe), Couscous with Saffron & Ginger, Cardamom Madeleines with Rosewater Glaze, and the bones for the recipe I’m sharing today: Moroccan Carrot Salad with Harissa, Feta & Mint.

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Moroccan Carrot Salad – It’s a Matter of Taste

This Moroccan Carrot Salad is definitely a matter of taste. Mr B, for example, is not fond of it; while I very much enjoy its zesty, citrusy bite and warmly spiced mix of fresh flavors.

Here’s a test:

Think about biting into a fresh lemon slice. 

If the mere idea of biting into a lemon slice squeezes your entire face into a frowny furrow, this may not be your favorite carrot salad ever. (If that’s the case, try our Kale & Carrot Salad or Armenian Eggplant & Carrot Salad instead.)

Don’t get me wrong: there are plenty of other flavors besides lemon in this salad, including honey, which balances and softens the punch of the lemon; but if you don’t enjoy the sharp, astringent side of the lemon wheel, this salad may not be your favorite. 

However, if the idea of biting into a lemon slice immediately makes you pucker up and smile, you should definitely give this Moroccan Carrot Salad a try.

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Carrot Salad Ingredients

Preserved lemons are among the primary ingredients in this Moroccan Carrot Salad, and the reason for that intense lemon flavor in the recipe that I just mentioned. An indispensable ingredient in Moroccan cooking, the unique pickled taste and texture of preserved lemons cannot be duplicated with fresh products. 

Is there any good substitute for preserved lemons?

Preserved lemons are not something everyone keeps in the pantry, and sometimes you just don’t have the means to get them. (And sometimes you just want to make a dang salad recipe off the internet without having to go out and find some fancy ingredient you will only use once! I get it.)

For this recipe, you can buy preserved lemons in specialty stores, or make them at home – or make my Quick Preserved Lemon Substitute.

Because guess what?! I don’t always have preserved lemons either. (Like, for example, during a pandemic.) So, while not optimal, I’ve created a passable preserved lemon substitute – essentially a quick-brined lemon rind – that works well with this salad recipe. 

Quick Preserved Lemon Substitute

You can find step-by-step instructions for how to make my Quick Preserved Lemon Substitute following the recipe below. 

How does using quick-fake Preserved Lemons compare to using the real thing? 

Comparing the flavor of this salad with and without real preserved lemons, I have to say; Yes, authentic preserved lemons do add a deeply complex, unique flavor to this Moroccan Carrot Salad. There is no way a 1-hour hack can even come close. So if you have them, by all means, use them. 

However, if you don’t have them on hand, go ahead and make my Quick Preserved Lemon Substitute. I find that, while the quick-fake lacks the depth of flavor that the preserved lemons impart, it is otherwise a quite satisfying lemony, bright, and mildly briny substitution in this salad.

Moroccan Carrot Salad

Moroccan Carrot Salad

Moroccan Carrot Salad

An exotic mix of zesty citrus, sweet carrots, fresh herbs, feta, and warmly spiced, piquant Moroccan honey-lemon dressing, this Moroccan Carrot Salad makes a quick, refreshing side.
Adapted from a recipe by Chef Priscilla Umeda.
Prep Time15 mins
Total Time15 mins
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: French-Moroccan
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 184kcal
Author: Renee | The Good Hearted Woman

Equipment

  • Grater
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Small Skillet

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 medium garlic cloves minced
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground caraway seeds
  • ½ tablespoon harissa
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1½ tablespoon honey
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 preserved lemon rind only, finely minced
  • Sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1 pound grated carrots peeled and julienned or coarsely grated
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
  • ¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint
  • 4 ounces feta crumbled
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Heat oil in small skillet over medium heat.
    Oil in Pan
  • Add garlic, cumin, caraway, and harissa. Cook until fragrant; about one minute.
    Spices in Pan
  • Remove from heat and add the cinnamon, paprika, honey, lemon juice, and preserved lemon. Stir to combine.
    Lemon & Spices
  • Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
    Sauce Complete
  • In a large bowl, combine carrots, herbs, and feta.
    Carrots in a Bowl
  • Toss until evenly mixed.
    Carrot Salad Ingredients Mixed
  • Pour prepared sauce over carrot mixture.
    Carrot Salad Mixed Sauced
  • Mix until well combined.
    Carrot Salad Mixed Sauce Mixed
  • Chill before serving.
    Garnish with additional fresh herbs, feta, and lemon slices.
    Moroccan Carrot Salad

Notes

PRO TIP: If you want to serve this for a party, take the time to julienne the carrots: it makes for a prettier presentation. For everyday serving, grating them works just fine.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 300mg | Potassium: 317mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 13226IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Moroccan Carrot Salad

Quick Preserved Lemon Substitute

Quick Preserved Lemon Substitute

Essentially a quick dry-brined lemon rind, this Quick Preserved Lemon Substitute makes a passable substitution when recipes call for the rind of a preserved lemon.
Prep Time5 mins
Rest Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 5 mins
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: French-Moroccan
Keyword: lemons
Servings: 1 Preserved Lemon
Calories: 31kcal
Author: Renée | The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

  • 1 lemon
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • For each preserved lemon rind, you will need one lemon and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt. 
    Quick Preserved Lemon Substitute
  • Using a sharp paring knife, cut off the lemon rind. I aim for halfway between the fruit and the zest, in the middle of the rind. 
    Quick Preserved Lemon Substitute
  • Mince the lemon rind, but don’t pulverize it. 
    Quick Preserved Lemon Substitute
  • Sprinkle salt over lemon rind, and work together with the back of a spoon. 
    Allow to sit for at least one hour, and preferably overnight before using.
    Use as is. Do not attempt to rinse lemon rind. 
    Quick Preserved Lemon Substitute

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 31kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1746mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

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Sauce Complete

PRO TIP: If you’re anything like me, you may not keep ground caraway seeds around all the time. Whole caraway seeds can easily be ground using a small mortar and pestle, spice grinder, or clean coffee grinder.

Caraway Seeds

This Moroccan Carrot Salad pairs well with our Apricot Chicken Tagine with Ginger & Mint. 

Moroccan Carrot Salad | Quick Preserved Lemon Substitute

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Moroccan Carrot Salad   Moroccan Carrot Salad

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Filed Under: Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Recipes, Salads, Vegetarian Tagged With: carrots, harissa, Moroccan

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