Moroccan · Salad
Moroccan-Jewish Cumin Carrot Confit Salad
A soft, sweet-savoury cooked carrot salad from the Moroccan Jewish kitchen: carrots gently confited in olive oil with garlic, cumin and a touch of harissa until meltingly tender, then dressed with lemon and coriander. Served cold as part of a mezze table, it deepens in flavour overnight.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Easy
Ingredients
- 600 g carrots, sliced into rounds
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp harissa
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 bunch coriander, chopped
- Salt to taste
Method
- 1
Cook the carrots
Simmer the carrot rounds in salted water until just tender, then drain.
- 2
Confit
Warm the olive oil with the garlic, cumin, paprika and harissa, and add the carrots.
- 3
Meld
Cook gently 10 minutes, turning, so the carrots soak up the spiced oil without frying hard.
- 4
Dress
Off the heat, add the lemon juice and half the coriander, and season.
- 5
Rest
Cool and, ideally, chill several hours or overnight.
- 6
Serve
Serve cold or at room temperature, scattered with the rest of the coriander.
Chef's tips
- Don't overcook the carrots before the confit — they should still hold their shape.
- It genuinely improves after a night in the fridge as the flavours settle.
- Adjust the harissa to taste; it should warm, not blaze.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from the classic Moroccan carrot salad?
It's cooked long and slow in oil rather than briefly boiled, giving a softer, more confit-like texture and deeper spiced flavour, and it's a staple of the Jewish-Moroccan mezze spread.
How long does it keep?
Covered in the fridge, it keeps 4–5 days and tastes better each day. Bring back to room temperature before serving.