Name: Moroccan Chickpea Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 15 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained; 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots; 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper; 2 green onions, sliced thin; 1/4 cup chopped cilantro; 2 tablespoons chopped mint; 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds or chopped pistachios; 1/4 cup golden raisins or regular raisins; 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice; 1 tablespoon dijon mustard; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, ginger, cinnamon and paprika; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper; Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

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This Moroccan Chickpea Salad is full of texture and bright, earthy, sweet and spicy flavors! Perfect to make for lunch or as a side dish to go with dinner.

Spring is a great time to get back into eating salads. A variety of fresh produce becomes more readily available and it’s a nice change from the heavier comfort foods we enjoyed during the colder months. I’ve added this Moroccan Chickpea Salad to my ever growing list of salad recipes and it’s quickly made it onto my list of top 5 favorite salads.

What Do I Need to Make the Salad?

Chickpeas
Golden raisins or regular raisins
Red bell pepper
Carrots
Green onions
Mint and Cilantro
Almonds or pistachios
Lemon
Olive oil
Honey or maple syrup
Cumin, coriander, ginger, paprika, cinnamon, cayenne pepper

What Does Moroccan Food Taste Like?

The combination of flavors in Moroccan food is quite exotic. The best way I can describe the flavor profile is earthy, sweet and ranging from mild to spicy. Some of the common spices used in Moroccan food are ginger, black and white pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, cinnamon, saffron, turmeric and Ras El Hanout (a blend of ground spices).

How to Make the Salad

Making this Moroccan Chickpea Salad is very easy. The most time intensive part is chopping the vegetables and herbs. Start by shredding the carrots on a box grater. If you can buy single loose carrots at your grocery store, the fat ones are easiest to grate. Next, dice the red bell pepper and chop the green onion, cilantro and mint.

I used slivered almonds for the salad, which I toasted ahead of time. You can also use whole almonds (chopped) or pistachios as an alternative. All of the ingredients go into a large serving bowl along with the chickpeas and raisins. The last step is to whisk all of the vinaigrette ingredients together. There’s quite a few spices in this vinaigrette, but that’s what gives the salad it’s distinct Moroccan flavor.

The chickpea salad is a great option for a healthy and filling lunch or a side dish with dinner. It would go great with a piece of homemade naan bread. The salad holds up well for a several days, which is great if you meal prep.

Serving Suggestions

More Moroccan Recipes

Moroccan Turkey and Chickpea Skillet

Moroccan Baked Eggs with Chickpeas

Moroccan Roasted Carrots with Goat Cheese, Pistachios and Golden Raisins