Fresh Carrot Salad Moroccan Style

I have been craving salads dressed with olive oil and lemon juice and since I didn't have any lettuce, I perused my vegetable drawer and found it woefully depleted as I am not going to the farmer's market until tomorrow. But, I always have carrots so I decided to make a Moroccan style carrot salad that is also quite popular in Israel. Usually Moroccan carrot salads are made with cooked carrots, but for some reason, I only like them raw. Actually I love them raw and they are my most frequent take aboard food when I travel. It may be that my liver needs more Vitamin A that the carrots provide and with the olive oil and lemon juice dressing (which cleanse the liver), my liver was going to be very happy! This is really a simple salad that takes only minutes to prepare. The only thing hard about it is letting it marinate long enough for the flavors to develop. As I didn't have any parsley and cilantro or salad greens of any kind, the picture looks a little plain to me. It is amazing how much that little touch of green brightens up this salad. It can also be served in a bed of lettuce, but you may want to make more dressing. This salad can also easily be doubled and it is simply delicious. I especially like it as a side dish to grilled meat. Try it and your liver will thank you!

Fresh Carrot Salad – Moroccan Style

2 cups shredded carrot (about 3 large)

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 small garlic clove minced (or 1 Tablespoon minced sweet onion)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Optional: 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Mix together carrot, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic (or onion) and spices. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour or even overnight. When ready to serve, garnish with parley or cilantro if desired

Five Element Analysis

Carrots belong the Earth Element so this is an Earthy salad, but the addition of olive oil and lemon juice contribute the Wood Element. Cumin and garlic or onion bring in the Metal Element and the parsley and cilantro would add even more. The black pepper and cayenne pepper make sure that the Fire Element is present. Only the Water Element is missing, so serving this with an eggplant or bean dish or a fish or pork main course would make it balanced.