Moroccan Carrot Salad is a traditional Shabbat salad among my friends in West Rogers Park, and I got into the habit of making it weekly. Its beautiful colors contribute to a festive table along with my other salads.
Moroccan Carrot Salad
(Makes 1 Quart)
Ingredients
- Carrots, 1 lb.
- Garlic, 1 clove, minced
- Lemon, 1 juiced (2 TB)
- Extra virgin olive oil, 2 TB
- Sea salt, 1 tsp.
- Cumin, 2 tsp.
- Szeged hot paprika, 1 tsp.
- Cilantro, 1 oz., chopped
Directions
- Wash, slice and cook the carrots in water just to cover (bring water to boil before adding carrots).
- While carrots are cooking, mince the garlic and chop the cilantro.
- When carrots are just tender, remove them from heat.
- Add lots of ice to quickly cool carrots.
- Drain.
- Place cooled carrots in a mixing bowl.
- Add olive oil, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, and chopped cilantro.
- Season with salt, cumin, and hot paprika to taste. The salad should be “zesty.”
For more about kosher and vegan Shabbat recipes — or recipes for any time, visit JewishVeg.org.
And now to enjoy a meal with those carrots
I got so hungry while I was making my carrots that I decided to put it together with some other things I was working on and have myself a little meal: On the left is a favorite Algerian and Moroccan salad combination, cauliflower and roasted zucchini. To the right of that is a lemony and garlicky cooked spinach salad . . . then, of course, Moroccan Carrot Salad. Around the back are Red Lentil Kefta, for which I will soon post a recipe. Just in case those kefta weren’t zesty enough for anyone, I included harif/harissa, a very hot sauce.