Last week I felt uninspired by all my go-to lunch options which usually look like a nourish bowl, avocado on paleo toast with all the toppings, or some kind of leftover dinner.

I usually love creating a huge plant based nourish bowl for lunch topped with tahini, hummus, dukkah, nut cheese and kraut, but every now and then I crave something different.

So I did something I never normally do. I went to a deli up the road and bought my lunch! Radical I know.

This particular deli is well known for their amazing raw salads and other lunch offerings of loaded veggie sandwiches, wraps, filo pies and hash cakes. In winter these turn to more hearty root vegetable salads, soups, pies and tray bakes.

The salad that caught my eye was a vibrant Moroccan carrot and kale salad with a preserved lemon and sumac dressing.

Wow was it good!!

This salad had everything. Crunchy sweet carrots, a generous helping of kale (king of the greens no less), fresh herbs, toasted spices, sliced almonds, a sprinkling of Medjool dates, and a dressing that was so more-ish I actually licked the bowl.

In fact, it was so good I’ve been back several times under the guise I needed to be sure of the flavours so I could share it with you 😉

So while I don’t know the deli’s exact recipe is for this amazing Moroccan carrot & kale salad, this is my attempt at recreating it and I think it comes pretty darn close to the original.

The secret to this salad is in its exotic dressing which is no doubt where my version differs slightly from the original.

While the deli’s dressing was quite clear, my version is more creamy which I suspect is from using a whole lemon and orange. If you prefer a less creamy, thinner style dressing, simply use the juice instead of the whole fruit. Also, preserved lemons are not the easiest (or cheapest) ingredient to come by, so I’ve included a substitution of regular lemon in the ingredients list to help keep things as simple as possible.

Other than that, making the dressing couldn’t be easier! Simply combine everything in a high speed blender until smooth.

Serve this salad as a meal on it’s own or pair it with your favourite main dish. It makes delicious leftovers and keeps well for up to 3 days in the fridge.

If you make this salad, let me know! Leave a comment below, and be sure to tag your pictures #swoonfood on Instagram or Facebook.  Enjoy!

Moroccan Carrot & Kale Salad with PRESERVED LEMON & SUMAC Dressing

Serves: 4 to 6

Prep time: 20 minutes

3 cups shredded carrot (approximately 4 large carrots)
1 large bunch of kale (curly and/or cavalo nero)
1 handful fresh parsley
1 handful fresh mint
1 handful fresh coriander
1/4 cup activated almonds or slivered almonds
6 Medjool dates (optional)
3 Tbsp dukkah (see recipe below or store bought)

Preserved Lemon & Sumac Dressing:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup preserved lemons (or 1 peeled whole lemon)
1 lemon – juiced
2 oranges – one whole & 1 juiced
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp turmeric powder (or 4cm fresh root)
2 tsp sumac
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pink Himalayan salt & black pepper to season

To shred the carrot you can either use a shredder attachment on a food processor or a standard hand grater. Place the shredded carrot in a large mixing bowl.

Wash the kale, remove the stems, tear into bite size pieces and add to the bowl.

Wash the parsley, mint and coriander. Remove the stems, roughly tear the leaves into smaller pieces and add to the bowl.

If using activated almonds roughly slice and then add to the bowl, otherwise just add the silvered almonds.

Remove the pits from the dates if using, slice into small pieces and add to the bowl.

Lastly add the dukkah and toss everything together until evenly mixed.

Just before you’re ready to serve the salad add a generous amount of dressing and toss until evenly combined. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To make the dressing:

Add everything to a high speed blender (or good food processor) and blend until smooth. Store any leftover dressing in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Almond Dukkah Recipe:
1 cup almonds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp black sesame seeds
1 Tbsp white sesame seeds
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt

To make the dukkah, place the almonds into a 160ºC oven and bake until they just start to change colour, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and roughly chop. Meanwhile, place the seeds in a dry fry pan over medium heat and shake around the pan until you begin to smell the spices, this should only take a minute or two. Remove the seeds from the pan and combine with the salt and chopped almonds. Store in an airtight jar at room temperature.

For more carrot and kale recipes check out this Smoke & Fire Kale Slaw with Coconut, Lime & Ginger or these Carrot & Zucchini Herb Fritters. 

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