Incredibly easy and fast to make, this sweet and savory No Oil Moroccan Carrot Quinoa Salad gives a hint of Middle Eastern spices and is full of flavor, tang, and crunch.  Filled with luscious golden raisins, crunchy carrots, radishes, and pistachios, then tossed all together with beautiful tri-colored quinoa and chickpeas; it packs a healthy  and hearty punch. This recipe boasts no oil and is so delicious making it an ultimate Whole Food Plant Based salad recipe! Vegan, no oil, no refined sugar, no highly processed ingredients, and gluten free.

Ameera here!

Who doesn’t love a great salad? I know I do, and if you have been reading our blog for any length of time, then you know I am a salad girl through and through!

I pretty much eat a huge salad every day for lunch.  I love fresh veggies!  I can’t get enough of them!

As most of you also know, as I have mentioned this a bunch of times in past blog posts, my brother-in-law, Andre, used to manage a Moroccan restaurant in Washington, DC called Marrakech.

It was here that I was first introduced to the Moroccan cuisine.  Marrakech served a carrot salad that was super tasty, I absolutely loved it.

This No Oil Moroccan Carrot Quinoa Salad is a nod to the carrot salad that they served there.

Tasty Additions

When Mom and I first approached this dish, we wanted to add some ingredients that would allow it to become more than just a side salad/appetizer.  We wanted it to be able to hold its own and become a meal, but can still be a totally awesome side salad or appetizer, if you wish.  By adding the cooked quinoa and chickpeas, it makes this salad much more substantial and hearty.

I love quinoa, but I hate mushy quinoa.  I like it el dente’.  Where there is still just a tiny bit of chew left to it.  It took me a while to master cooking it perfectly.

The key is sautéing the quinoa right after rinsing it really well to evaporate all the water that the quinoa holds onto during the rinsing process, then only adding the same ratio of water as quinoa.

Most recipes tell you to add a 2:1 ratio, but I have found that a 1:1 ratio gives you that perfectly chewy mouthfeel.

Crazy Carrots

I love carrots.  I had this salad in mind when I planted our garden this past May.  However, my carrots had other ideas in mind and took some really odd twists and turns this year, which were still yummy.  When I first started to harvest them, I was like “What the heck?”

Clearly, I planted some of them too close together as they started to grow in clusters, all morphed into each other, kinda glued to each other.  They were certainly tasty, but really hard to clean and super hard to get the exterior skin scraped off with the veggie peeler due to all the nooks and crannies.   Geez!

Next year I’ll know better and space them much farther apart when I plant them.

Pistachios, you beautiful nut

I love pistachios.  I could eat them 24/7.  They were an obvious fit for this salad.  They gave the salad a hearty crunch and nutty flavor that just sent this one over the top. I really loved the flavor that they added to this salad. Mmmmmm!

Golden Raisins of Sunshine

Golden raisins provide that perfect sweet burst of yumminess to this salad that couples nicely with the savory aspects. White balsamic vinegar ensure that the salad still looks vibrant and beautiful after it is dressed.

You can certainly use regular balsamic vinegar, but I really recommend using the white to ensure the salad looks as appetizing as it tastes!

This post contains affiliate links, and we may receive a very small commission if you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures! For more information, see our disclosures here.

Hi!  Robin here.

Ever since Monkey ate at the Marrakech years ago, she has raved about the Moroccan cuisine.  We dove into experimenting with cooking different Moroccan dishes over the years and have had great success.

This dish is no different. I really enjoyed it.

I love the crunch of the pistachios coupled with the chewiness of the quinoa.  Monkey is so right about mushy quinoa.  I prefer a chewier texture for quinoa too.

We hope you give this dish a try.  Let us know what you think!

Products Used:

• Box grater or Food Processor with grater attachment

No Oil Moroccan Carrot Quinoa Salad

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• Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
• Category: Salad
• Cuisine: Moroccan

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Description

Incredibly easy and fast to make, this sweet and savory No Oil Moroccan Carrot Quinoa Salad gives a hint of Middle Eastern spices and is full of flavor, tang, and crunch.  Filled with luscious golden raisins, crunchy carrots, radishes, and pistachios, then tossed all together with beautiful tri-colored quinoa and chickpeas; it packs a healthy  and hearty punch. This recipe boasts no oil and is so delicious making it an ultimate Whole Food Plant Based salad recipe! Vegan, no oil, no refined sugar, no highly processed ingredients, and gluten free.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 lb. carrots (about 11–12 carrots – 3 cups) shredded
• 1 cup golden raisins
• ½ cup pistachios
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 1 ½ cups cooked tri-color quinoa
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 6 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 – [ 15 oz. can ] chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Dressing Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 Tablespoons tahini
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon coriander
• Large pinch cayenne pepper

Optional Toppings:

• Lemon zest
• Carrot ribbons

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Instructions

1. In a small bowl, add all the salad dressing ingredients and whisk until well combined, set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add all the salad ingredients, mix until well combined.
3. Drizzle about half of the salad dressing over the salad, mix well.
4. Taste test the salad. Continue to add salad dressing until the appropriate ratio of salad to dressing has been achieved. Note: you may or may not use all the salad dressing.
5. Adjust seasoning/spices based upon personal preference.
6. Serve the salad at room temperature or refrigerate. Fluff the salad before serving.
7. Optional: Top with some lemon zest and/or carrot ribbons

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Notes

*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

*Serving: Makes 6 or 8.

*Storage: Refrigerate and use within 4 days.

Storage: Refrigerate and use within 4 days.

This post contains affiliate links, and we may receive a very small commission if you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures! For more information, see our disclosures here.