Moroccan Carrot & Chickpea Salad
Simple Middle Eastern chickpea salad
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 3 tablespoons lemon juice, from one large lemon
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, from one large orange
- 1-1/2 tablespoons honey
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (optional, I don't like it)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
- 1/3 cup currants
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted (see note below)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint or cilantro (or a combination), plus more for serving
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons finely minced shallots, from one large shallot
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Instructions
- In a large bowl (large enough to mix the entire salad), whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing.
- To the dressing, add all of the ingredients for the salad and toss well.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to a few hours.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (you might need more salt, lemon or honey, depending on the sweetness of the carrots).
- Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with more fresh chopped herbs. Serve cold.
Notes
- To toast the almonds, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the almonds on a foil-lined baking sheet for easy clean-up. Bake for about 5 minutes, until the almonds are golden. Alternately, fry in a pan without oil and toss around until they start to turn brown (watch carefully). Remove from the heat and let cool
- I like to dry fry whole spices (cumin, coriander, allspice, black pepper) and then grind them in a pestle & mortar. They are much more fragrant that way