Last weekend, we were visiting our friends in Ridgewood, New Jersey for the July 4 festivities. Knowing my penchant for all things food, they asked if I could bring a ‘simple salad’ to go with dinner.  The Moroccan Carrot Salad I produced simply blew them away, as it has everyone to whom I have served it over the last few years.

This salad is possibly the most spectacular way I’ve yet found of making the humble carrot turn into a firework so exciting, that even Bugs Bunny’s taste buds would rocket skyward on contact! Even better, this Moroccan treat is really easy and fast to make and if you are able to find multi colored carrots, it will be a visual fest too!

Ingredients (for 4)

Beautiful Colorful Carrots & the Other Ingredients you will need

• 4 x large carrots (multi colored, if you can find them)
• 3 x garlic cloves finely chopped
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 tsp of ground cumin
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp raspberry vinegar
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro (coriander) leaves
•  Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Slicing – Par Boiling – Dressing

Method

• Peel and then thinly slice all your carrots horizontally at a 45 degree angle so they resemble elongated discs
• Par boil the carrots in lightly salted boiling water until tender but not too soft
• Chuck all of the remaining ingredients (except the cilantro / coriander leaves) into a bowl and mix to form a dressing
• Drain the carrots, place in a bowl and pour and stir the dressing over them
• Cover the bowl and place in the fridge to chill for a couple of hours, or overnight
• To serve, remove from the fridge, place the salad in a bowl, mix in the fresh cilantro / coriander

With just 10 minutes or so of prep you’ll have a genuine North African taste full of contrasting sweet and sour flavors just perfect for a warm evening in the Garden State (NY and London etc)!