This carrot raisin salad is loaded with quinoa and chickpeas for extra protein and dressed in a bright and flavorful cilantro almond dressing.
I’ve always been into carrot salads. I think the fact that they’re typically studded with raisins is what draws me in — I’m such a sucker for dried fruit! That said, you’ll usually find me eating raisins by the handful rather than spending the time to make carrot salads.
This changed after a picnic lunch where I tried a carrot, chickpea and quinoa salad with Moroccan spices. It wasn’t anything too crazy or different but the flavor was on point and I immediately knew I wanted to recreate the salad at home.
Cooking Quinoa for Salad
When it comes to cooking quinoa to use for salad, it’s basically the same process as normal, but I like to make my quinoa a day in advance, let it cool and chill it in the fridge overnight and then use it for the salad the next day.
Prepping it in advance is just so the quinoa doesn’t heat up the other salad ingredients. Of course it’s fine to cook it the same day and just let it cool a bit before using. I do this all the time when I’m in a rush!
Ingredients in Carrot Raisin Salad
chickpeas – the perfect ingredient to add bulk protein. I used canned chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), but you can cook your own if you have the time.
carrots – the star of the show here.
quinoa – this is the base of the recipe and you can use any type of quinoa you prefer from white, black, red to tri-color.
raisins – adds a little sweetness and pairs perfectly with the cilantro.
cilantro almond dressing – a super simple dressing made with lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, toasted almonds, fresh cilantro, smoky paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
Substitutions & Notes
Chickpeas – Like I mentioned, I used canned chickpeas because they’re super easy to use! If you don’t like chickpeas you can substitute for another white bean like cannellini beans or Northern beans.
Protein – The chickpeas and quinoa do add a good amount of plant-based protein to this salad but you could absolutely add a grilled protein to this salad to make it even more filling! This apple cider vinegar chicken would be delish.
Raisins – The raisins are what takes this salad to the next level, in my opinion. If you’re not a raisin fan you could swap in dates, dried cherries, prunes or another dried fruit.
Avocado – Want to add a little creaminess and healthy fats to your salad? Add in some chopped avocado!
I love eating this carrot raisin salad as a mid-afternoon snack or as a side with lunch or dinner but it would also be a great dish to bring to a potluck or summer cookouts.
If you want to meal prep this carrot salad, it can be refrigerated overnight in an air tight container. Just garnish with the toasted almonds just before serving.
If you try this carrot raisin salad be sure to come back and leave a comment and star rating letting us know how it turned out. Your feedback is super helpful for the EBF team and other EBF readers.
Carrot Raisin Salad
5 from 7 votes
This carrot raisin salad is loaded with quinoa and chickpeas for extra protein and dressed in a bright and flavorful cilantro almond dressing.
Toast almonds: Spray a large skillet with olive oil, add the almonds and toast over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
Make dressing: In a food processor, combine the lemon juice with the minced garlic and let stand for 15 minutes. Transfer half of the toasted almonds to the food processor. Add the cilantro, cumin, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper and pulse until chopped. Add the olive oil and process to a chunky paste. Season with salt and pepper; transfer to a large bowl.
Add remaining ingredients: Add the chickpeas, carrots, quinoa, and raisins to the bowl and toss.
Serve: Garnish with the remaining almonds and serve.
Prep ahead of time: If you want to make the carrot salad ahead of time, it can be refrigerated overnight. Garnish with the toasted almonds just before serving.
Notes
Chickpeas – Like I mentioned, I used canned chickpeas because they're super easy to use! If you don't like chickpeas you can substitute for another white bean like cannellini beans or Northern beans.
Protein – The chickpeas and quinoa do add a good amount of plant-based protein to this salad but you could absolutely add a grilled protein to this salad to make it even more filling! This apple cider vinegar chicken would be delish.
Raisins – The raisins are what takes this salad to the next level, in my opinion. If you're not a raisin fan you could swap in dates, dried cherries, prunes or another dried fruit.
Avocado – Want to add a little creaminess and healthy fats to your salad? Add in some chopped avocado!
My tastebuds went into shock mode with the first bite, but I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Then I realized it’s a positive shock!
It’s so simple, crunchy yet fluffy!
Not my personal favorite but my mother is a huge fan!
I’ve been getting your recipes for some months now but this is the first one I’ve tried. It’s delicious! I can’t wait to try the deconstructed guac salad to use up this cilantro. 🙂 I assumed that the quinoa went in the bowl the same time as carrots, chickpeas and raisins, but the recipe does not actually say that.
Ohh yay! I’m so excited that this was the first recipe your tried. Welcome to the world of EBF recipes. 🙂 Thank you so much for catching that oversight. You assumed correctly. I’ll update the recipe right away.
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Super easy to make, turned out very yummy, my guests loved it and asked for the recipe. Thank you so much. Will keep checking in for more.
Yay! I’m so glad this recipe was a hit, Sunita. Thank you so much for coming back to leave a review, I really appreciate it 🙂
excellent post thank you for sharing
Weird but tasty.
My tastebuds went into shock mode with the first bite, but I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Then I realized it’s a positive shock!
It’s so simple, crunchy yet fluffy!
Not my personal favorite but my mother is a huge fan!
So glad this recipe was a hit! Thanks for giving it a try and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
I’ve been getting your recipes for some months now but this is the first one I’ve tried. It’s delicious! I can’t wait to try the deconstructed guac salad to use up this cilantro. 🙂 I assumed that the quinoa went in the bowl the same time as carrots, chickpeas and raisins, but the recipe does not actually say that.
Ohh yay! I’m so excited that this was the first recipe your tried. Welcome to the world of EBF recipes. 🙂 Thank you so much for catching that oversight. You assumed correctly. I’ll update the recipe right away.
What do we do with the raisins? Do they go in the food processor, or garnish. Looks delish, will definitely try.
I just updated the recipe, but you add them to the mix the same time you add the chickpeas and carrots. 🙂