Hiya friends! Today I’m sharing a very easy and delicious Moroccan Carrot and Chickpea Salad. It’s vegan, gluten-free, so easy to make, and healthy! This is a protein packed, whole-foods salad recipe, using fresh and flavourful ingredients. Finished with a deliciously spiced Moroccan Salad Dressing to drizzle.
Furthermore, in this recipe you’ll find grated carrots, chickpeas, quinoa, arugula, fresh herbs, roasted almonds and sweet dates. Certainly, this moroccan salad is far from boring and bland!
Better yet, this Moroccan Carrot and Chickpea Salad can be prepared in advanced, and will last up to 3 days in the fridge! I love a good meal prep salad that you can rely on for healthy mid-week lunches and quick dinners.
Now, let me tell you exactly how to make this Moroccan Carrot and Chickpea Salad, so that you can get crunching and munching immediately!
Moroccan Carrot and Chickpea Salad
The ingredients
The ingredients for this recipe are simple and straight forward. Which is why I have given it my Newbie Cook stamp of approval. Everyone can make this recipe, and likely you already have the ingredients to do so.
For this recipe, you will need:
- quinoa
- almonds
- shallots
- carrots
- chickpeas
- arugula
- fresh mint
- dates
What I love most about this recipe is the simplicity of these ingredients. They are simple whole foods; but when combined it’s flavour rich and delicious!
To be more specific; the quinoa, chickpeas and toasted almonds add protein and heartiness to the dish, to keep you fuller for longer. While the carrot and toasted almonds adds beautiful crunch. Fresh mint gives more fresh flavour, dates add sweetness. Certainly, this is a healthy recipe that’s full of flavour.
Moroccan Salad Dressing
But it’s the moroccan salad dressing that really takes the flavour profile to the next level. Made by mixing a tangy citrus fruits (orange and lemon) with spices like cinnamon, ginger, cumin and coriander. All-in-all this dressing recipe is premium! You will love it in this salad, and other salads and buddha bowls. Feel free to make it whenever you want more flavour to your healthy salads.
Tips for this recipe
This recipe is very simple and straight forward. Simply toss the ingredients to combine and serve. But there’s a couple tips to making sure your moroccan salad is perfect as can be.
Firstly, make sure your quinoa is fully cooled before adding the veg, otherwise it will cause your greens to wilt. I recommend to cook your quinoa first while you prepare your veg. For faster cool down, transfer the cooked quinoa to a shallow bowl and spread out. This will remove the steam much faster for a quicker cool down.
Secondly, it’s useful to know that this Moroccan Carrot and Chickpea Salad can be prepared in advance, and will keep in your fridge for up to 3 days. Making it a great recipe for meal prep. Enjoy for mid-week lunches or for an easy dinner.
Other recipes you might like
If you’re digging this delicious salad recipe, you might also like:
Shop my kitchen
I’m often asked what items I like to use in the kitchen. So, I’ve included my favourites for making this recipe below. You can also find more of my favourite kitchen essentials and products on my Shop page.
(commissions earned as an affiliate. I only recommend products I know and love).
Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Enameled Cast Iron 7-Quart Round Covered Casserole, Cardinal Red
This is the pot I used to cook my quinoa. You can use any pot, but I really like this one as it’s a quality pot and so pretty.
This is the pairing knife I use to cut veg. It’s definitely my sharpest most dependable pairing knife.
Rosti Mepal Margrethe Melamine Mixing Bowls
These are the mixing bowls I have. For this recipe I used the 1.5 qt bowl in Nordic Berry, and the 4.2 qt bowl in Black.
So there we have it, a very simple and delicious Moroccan Carrot and Chickpea Salad that you can enjoy with your loved ones. Be it for dinner or next day lunches. This recipe is healthy, vegan, gluten-free and most importantly – flavour rich! Who says healthy salads need to be boring? Prepare in advance to enjoy through the week, or make a big batch to share. (It’s great for bbq’s and potlucks). I’m sure you’re going to love this recipe as much as we do.
And, if you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I love hearing from you. And of course, tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.
Moroccan Carrot and Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup quinoa
- 1 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 1 shallot small
- 1 cup carrots grated
- 1 can chickpeas (14 fl oz/400 ml)
- 2.5 oz arugula (70 g)
- 1/2 cup mint tightly packed
- 1/4 cup dates chopped
Moroccan Salad Dressing
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- pinch red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a saucepan combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook quinoa for 12-15 minutes. Fluff with a spoon and cover with tea towel. Let cool.
- Toast almonds in a skillet on medium heat, stirring often until fragrant and golden browned (approx. 8-10 mins). Remove from heat.
- Prepare dressing in a small bowl by whisking together oil, lemon juice, orange juice, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, coriander, sea salt and red pepper flakes.
- In a large mixing bowl combine quinoa, chopped shallot, grated carrot, chickpeas, arugula, chopped mint and dates and toasted almonds. Pour over dressing and toss to combine
Notes
Nutrition
VEGAN – VEGETARIAN – WHEAT-FREE – GLUTEN-FREE – DAIRY-FREE – SOY-FREE
Erin
This is the perfect salad for summer!! So light and refreshing yet filling. Comes together so fast and looks like something you could get at a restaurant.
Hannah Sunderani
So glad you liked this salad Erin! It’s one of my faves too! Thanks for the sweet comment.