If you love raw carrots and easy side dishes, this Moroccan Carrot Salad is for you. (If you don’t, what are you doing??) It’s crunchy, tangy, full of citrusy flavor, and shockingly simple for how much flavor it brings to the table. If you’re staring down a bag of carrots and wondering what to do, this is it.
Perfect for a light lunch, a BBQ side, or something light to go with a heavier main dish. Minimal effort, maximum flavor.
More dishes for carrot lovers:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple & easy – This recipe uses just a handful of ingredients: carrots, parsley, and a vinaigrette you probably already have the ingredients for in your fridge.
- No cooking required – Just grab a box grater and you’re halfway there – OR buy already sliced carrots and make it even easier on yourself.
- Room temperature friendly – This is a great side dish for potlucks, plus there’s no wait time to serve it after throwing it together!
- Naturally allergy-friendly – Vegan, no nuts, no dairy, no gluten, just great flavor.
Ingredients
- Shredded carrots – You can buy bags of pre-shredded carrots or shred your own carrots with a box grater.
- Fresh parsley – Fresh herbs are always best, but you can definitely get away with dried herbs if that is what you have. Swap for fresh cilantro or fresh basil if you prefer those flavors.
- Juice from 1 orange – For sweetness and zing. About 1/2 cup.
- Dijon mustard – Adds a little sharpness to balance the sweet.
- Salt & black pepper – Don’t omit the salt.
- Cumin – Gives it that earthy, warm flavor.
- Agave – For sweetness without honey, or swap with maple syrup.
- Apple cider vinegar – Swap for white vinegar or balsamic if you don’t have ACV.
- Olive oil – Smooths it all out and makes the dressing stick. Swap for more orange juice if you prefer oil-free.
- Fresh garlic – Raw garlic = big flavor, just one clove does the job. You can swap for garlic powder if you don’t have fresh garlic on hand.
Helpful Equipment
In addition to measuring cups and spoons, the following equipment is helpful for this recipe:
- Box grater
- Blender
- Mixing bowl
How to Make
This is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to make this recipe including photographs. For the quick version, skip ahead to the recipe card below!
Wash, peel, and shred your carrots if you are not starting with pre-shredded carrots. Place them in a large mixing bowl.
Chop the parsley, leaving out the large stems, and add it to the bowl with the carrots.
Put all the vinaigrette ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. Pour the dressing into the bowl with the carrots and parsley.
Mix until every shred of carrot is shiny and coated.
You can serve this salad at room temperature or chilled depending on your mood and how soon you need to eat.
That’s it! Enjoy!
Variations
- Add cooked and cooled lentils or chickpeas for added protein and fiber.
- Add raisins or dried cranberries for some extra sweetness.
- Add shaved almonds or pumpkin seeds for some crunch.
- Toss in some diced red onion, sesame seeds, or crushed red pepper for more flavor.
- Use fresh lemon juice instead of orange juice for a twist on the citrus vinaigrette.
How to Store
- Fridge: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days. Just give it a stir before serving because the dressing settles.
More Tips
- Not vegan? Add feta cheese or bacon bits to this salad.
- Gluten-free? You’re in luck! This salad is already gluten-free.
FAQ
Of course! These flavors would be great with cooked carrots too. Make the citrus vinaigrette and use half of it as a marinade before roasting your carrots and save the other half to drizzle before serving.
Nope. You can whisk it by hand in a small bowl or shake it in a closed jar. A blender just makes it smoother and faster, but not essential.
Totally. It’ll be more tart but still delicious. You can even do half lemon, half orange if you’re feeling wild.
A box grater is the easiest. Food processors work too, but sometimes they make the carrots too chunky. You want thin, soft shreds for this.
Yes. It keeps well and actually tastes better the next day and the carrots with soften slightly, but still have good crunch. Just store it in an airtight container in the fridge and stir before serving.
Moroccan Carrot Salad
Equipment
- Box grater
Ingredients
- 10 oz shredded carrots
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
Citrus Vinaigrette
- Juice from 1 orange (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp agave
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Wash, peel, and shred your carrots if you are not starting with pre-shredded carrots. Place them in a large mixing bowl.
- Chop the parsley, leaving out the large stems, and add it to the bowl with the carrots.
- Put all the vinaigrette ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. Pour the dressing into the bowl with the carrots and parsley. Mix until evenly coated.
- Serve this salad at room temperature or chilled.
- That’s it! Enjoy!
Notes
More Tips
- Not vegan? Add feta cheese or bacon bits to this salad.
- Gluten-free? You’re in luck! This salad is already gluten-free.
Nutrition
Please note, while all ingredients used in this recipe have been verified to be vegan and free of applicable allergens at the time of recipe creation, different brands may differ in their ingredients or processing procedures and may change their ingredients at any time. For some recipes, I do include ingredients that are processed in a facility that processes other allergens. Please make sure to check the ingredients and processing procedures for your specific purchases to ensure they meet your dietary needs.
