This Moroccan lentil carrot salad with mint, raisins, nuts, and warmly spiced dressing is the perfect side salad or light lunch paired with pita and hummus.
Twenty-twenty is the first year that we have ever had a community supported agriculture (CSA) subscription. In previous years, we have loved going to the farmer’s market every weekend to select what we wanted based on what we were planning on cooking in the coming days. However, with the uncertainty surrounding covid and whether or not there would be farmer’s markets at all during the summer, we decided early on in the pandemic to sign up for a CSA with a small organic farm in Quebec, just across the river from Ottawa.
CSAs are a great way to support local farmers by giving them some much-needed cash flow early on in the season, before they have started to sell their crops at the market. Another benefit for the consumer is that they often introduce you to different vegetables, and force you to be creative with what the farm puts into your share each week. We ended up with a lot of zucchini and carrots this year–much more than we ever would have bought–so it’s been a fun challenge to come up with new and different ways to use these veggies. There are only so many times you can roast zucchini or munch on raw carrots and hummus before it’s time to shake things up, after all!
This Moroccan lentil carrot salad is one way to put an abundance of carrots to good use. Shredded carrots are combined with lentils, red onion, celery, mint, raisins, and walnuts or sunflower seeds. Then, everything is tossed in a dressing spiced with turmeric, cinnamon, smoked paprika, and cumin. All in all, this salad makes a satisfying lunch with a side of pita and hummus. It would also be a great side salad to serve at dinner next to, say, baked or pan-fried tofu or tempeh, scrambled eggs, or even fancy avocado toast!
INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED
- FOR THE SALAD: Cooked lentils, grated carrots, red onion, celery, fresh mint, raisins or currants, and walnuts or sunflower seeds.
- FOR THE DRESSING: Extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, turmeric, cinnamon, smoked paprika, cumin, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, dijon mustard, maple syrup, and garlic.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine the cooked lentils, grated carrots, red onion, celery, mint, raisins, and nuts or seeds in a large bowl.
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl or jar and whisk or secure the lid and shake to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
- Serve! Salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for several days.
MORE SATISFYING SALAD RECIPES
- Detoxifying Kale Caesar Salad
- Fennel, Grape, and Avocado Green Power Salad
- Southwestern Kale Salad with Avocado Dressing + Polenta Croutons
I hope you’re having a great week so far, and that you enjoy this Moroccan lentil carrot salad! If you make it, let me know how you enjoyed it by leaving a comment and rating below the post. And if you post a photo to Instagram, tag @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen!
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