Moroccan Spiced Carrot & Chickpea Salad
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Salad, Entrée, Side Dish
Cuisine: Moroccan
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • For Chickpeas:
  • 15 ml (1 Tbsp) olive oil
  • ¼ small onion, finely diced (about ¼ cup)
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 ½ tsp minced or grated fresh ginger (may substitute ½ tsp dried)
  • 1 tsp minced or grated garlic (1 large clove)
  • 2 tsp minced or grated fresh turmeric (may substitute ¾ tsp dried)
  • ½ tsp toasted ground coriander seed
  • ¼ tsp toasted ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • Generous pinch of aleppo chile flakes
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 4 ½ oz (about 1 cup) dried chickpeas*
  • 1 4-inch piece kombu**
  • 12-16 oz unsalted vegetable stock
  • For Carrots:
  • 2 lbs carrots, scrubbed, trimmed, and thinly sliced (max ¼ inch thick), greens reserved
  • Water for steaming
  • For Vinaigrette:
  • 45 ml (3 Tbsp) pomegranate molasses
  • ¼ to ½ tsp Dijon mustard depending on strength
  • ¼ tsp grated garlic (1 small clove)
  • 15 ml (1 Tbsp) freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp freshly grated lemon zest
  • 60 ml (¼ cup) fruity olive oil (like California Olive Ranch Everyday Extra Virgin)
  • 1 tsp ground sumac
  • Pinch of aleppo chile flakes
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • For Assembly:
  • 2 Tbsp chopped toasted pistachio kernels
  • ¼ cup dried currants or golden raisins, or a mixture of both
  • ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, chiffonade (cut into thin ribbons)
  • 2 Tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp carrot top leaves, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh pomegranate seeds
  • 3-4 Tbsp crumbled sheep’s milk or goat’s milk feta
Procedure
  1. Cook the chickpeas: Heat oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and a pinch of salt and sauté 1-2 minutes, just until slightly softened and translucent. Add ginger, garlic, turmeric, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, paprika and aleppo chile and fry/toast for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes just until the color darkens.
  2. Add drained chickpeas, kombu, enough vegetable stock to cover the chickpeas by one inch, and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan partially, and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until chickpeas are tender but still hold their shape, stirring occasionally and adding vegetable stock as needed to keep chickpeas barely covered. When the chickpeas are cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the sauce and transfer to a bowl to cool. Transfer any remaining sauce to a sealed container and pop it in the fridge for another use - you can toss it with roasted vegetables or protein (or canned chickpeas).
  3. Steam the carrots: Place a steamer basket inside a saucepan filled with 1 inch of water, and bring the water to a simmer. Transfer the carrots to the steamer, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and steam the carrots just until tender, 2-5 minutes depending on thickness. Plunge the carrots into ice water to shock, then drain them well and set aside.
  4. Make the vinaigrette: In a medium bowl whisk together molasses, mustard, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, sumac and chile flakes. Season to taste with Kosher salt.
  5. Assemble the salad: Put the carrots and chickpeas in a large bowl, add the pistachios, currants/golden raisins, mint, parsley, carrot tops and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle in dressing to taste, toss everything together, and gently fold in feta.
Notes
*If you're using canned chickpeas, substitute one 15-oz can for the dried beans. Drain and rinse the beans, and add them to the sautéed onions and spices along with 2-3 ounces of stock. Simmer for 10 minutes.

**Kombu us a type of seaweed that, when added to the pot during cooking, makes beans more digestible. You can find bags of kombu strips at Asian markets and most large grocery stores that carry a decent selection of international ingredients. If you can’t source kombu locally, it is, like nearly everything else these days, readily available online.
Recipe by Good Health Gourmet at https://goodhealthgourmet.com/moroccan-spiced-carrot-chickpea-salad/