I created this Moroccan Roasted Carrot Salad as part of my Moroccan themed holiday menu because I wanted to have something a little unique for the holidays.
It looks beautiful on the table and goes well with the rest of the meal which includes Chickpea Vegetable Tagine, Arugula Salad with Fennel and Oranges, an appetizer of Red Pepper Dip and a choice of Spiced Poached Pears or Almond Cookies for dessert.
It’s very typical of a Moroccan meal to include several cold salads, sometimes as a starter so you can serve this cold, but it is also great served warm.
I also included a twist on a holiday favorite, eggnog, this time, however, flavored Moroccan-style and plant-based, of course. the nog is very easy to make if you have a few froze bananas on hand.
Roasting the carrots brings out their delicious sweetness and combined with the Moroccan spices makes a delicious dish.
You can make this a day ahead which will cut down on your workload on your celebration day. In fact, it’s best to make it ahead since it needs time to cool.
Be sure to try more holiday inspire recipes:
- Cranberry Apple Sauce
- Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- Chunky Sweet Potato Casserole
- Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprouts, Apple Stuffing
After mixing all of the spices in a small bowl, you only need to toss your prepared carrots in half of the mixture and roast them on parchment paper for about 20-30 minutes or until they’re tender.
And, just FYI, you can shape the carrots any way that pleases you. I’ve seen some recipes that roast the whole carrot and leave a little of the stems on top or others that slice the carrots in rounds.
This is where you can use your creativity and do what you like.
When the carrots are roasting you can make the dressing which is where you add the remainder of the spices, raisins, pistachios, and cilantro, and when the carrots are done roasting, just toss with the dressing.
Be sure to check out my complete Moroccan Holiday Menu and I’d love to hear what you make for your plant-based holiday celebration so let me know in the comments below.
I’d also love to hear your feedback for this Moroccan Roasted Carrot Salad recipe! If you have a photo, post it on my Instagram page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking in your caption, and I won’t miss it!
This recipe is Certified Plantricious because it meets the following guidelines.
The Trusted Seal for
Plant-Based Nutrition
- Must be whole food plant-based, contains no animal products
- May be minimally processed
- No added oil
- No added sugars
- No artificial additives or preservatives
- Sodium (mg) to Calories ratio, 1 ≤ 1
- Total Fiber to Calories, 2g ≥ 100 calories
Moroccan Roasted Carrots
Ingredients
- ¼ cup shelled unsalted pistachios chopped
- 1 1/2 pound carrots peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 3-inch pieces (halve pieces again if thick)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp Ceylon cinnamon*
- 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup raisins optional
- 3 Tbl lemon juice from 1 lemon
- 1 Tbl maple syrup (optional or use date syrup to keep it plantricious)
- 2 garlic cloves mashed to a paste
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro plus 2 Tbl chopped
- sea salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Mix the spices in a small bowl.
- When preparing the carrots, it's best to have the carrot pieces all about the same size so they cook at the same rate. Place the prepared carrots on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat and toss with half of the spices. Arrange in a single layer.
- Bake until tender and lightly golden brown, about 20-30 minutes, flipping half way through.
- In the meantime, combine the rest of the spices with the lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup, raisins, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and pistachios.
- Remove the carrots from the oven and allow to cool before tossing them in the dressing and topping with extra chopped cilantro. Serve hot or cold.
I didn’t have the allspice but this is utterly delicious! Thank you! I love these spice combinations and I love that this can be served hot or cold. I intend to make up a little jar of this combination to use for parsnips as well. Bring your Moroccan recipes on! I have been using Ceylon cinnamon since I discovered the difference! Good to know.
Thanks so much for the review! I love Moroccan spices, myself. Great idea to use them with other root veggies, as well. I can’t wait to give this a try!