Omek Houria - Tunisian Mashed Carrot Salad

Omek Houria is a Tunisian salad made with mashed vegetables, usually carrots, but zucchini or squash are equally good, and tossed with a harissa caraway dressing. The salad is usually garnished with boiled eggs, Feta, olives, capers or tuna. Spicy harissa, fresh cilantro, lemon juice and caraway seeds add an extra, wonderful layer of flavour, depth, and complexity to this simple salad that is traditionally served as an appetizer, but can equally well be an ideal accompaniment to any grilled meat or pan fried fish.

700 g Carrots, peeled and chopped
3 tbsp Cilantro leaves, chopped
Black olives, for garnish (optional)
Feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

2 Large garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp Freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp Harissa
1/2 tsp Freshly ground caraway seeds
4 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt to taste

Wash, peel, and coarsely chop the carrots. Place them into to a saucepan, then cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the carrots until tender, about 20 minutes. You can also steam the carrots in a steamer until soft, about 15-20 minute.
Drain and mash the carrots with a fork or masher until you get the desired consistency.
Place all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Toss the mashed carrots and chopped cilantro with the prepared dressing. Garnish with black olives and crumbled Feta cheese. Serve with fresh homemade bread and a grilled protein of your choice.

33 comments:

DeniseinVA 4/1/23 21:12: That is such a pretty salad, I love those carrot hearts! Looks delicious too Angie. Thanks for sharing :)
Cooking Julia 4/1/23 23:30: I have a similar recipe on my blog so I can affirm this salad is delicious!
Tom 4/1/23 23:31: ...this sure is something new for me.
Brian's Home Blog 4/1/23 23:57: That is a very pretty salad and carrots are good and good for you!
J.P. Alexander 5/1/23 01:37: Parec e muy rica y diferente. Te mando un beso y gracias por la receta.
Anonymous 5/1/23 05:10: Pretty and delicious -Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com
Veronica Lee 5/1/23 07:03: I'd love to try this. Yummm!

Happy 2023, Angie!
Lola Martínez 5/1/23 08:39: Me encantan las ensaladas, pero con puré de zanahorias u otra verdura es la primera vez que la veo. Tomo nota.
Un beso.
roentare 5/1/23 09:21: This carrot salads look really good. Almost like salmon to me in the first glance
Nancy Chan 5/1/23 09:26: Interesting salad recipe. Sounds refreshing and yummy and looks beautiful too.
DEZMOND 5/1/23 09:58: Olives and cilantro is like garlic to Dracula for me LOL But I do like Tunisia and Morocco!
Rose world 5/1/23 12:29: Hmm. This salad sounds delicious!!
Marcepanowy Kącik 5/1/23 13:53: Pyszna sałatka. Ile serca wkładasz w potrawy.
Jeff the Chef 5/1/23 16:54: Wow, does that sound interesting. I'd have this for lunch any day.
Eva Taylor 5/1/23 17:32: This reminds me of the Moroccan carrot salad we made when we took a cooking class in Marrakech, ours wasn't mashed but it may as well have been because they had overcooked the carrots so they were quite soft. But the spices were the same. I love the crumbled egg and feta in your salad, perfect for a lighter meal after the crazy eating over the holidays.
Bill 5/1/23 19:04: A new salad to me. It does look good though.
Paola 6/1/23 01:14: delicious carri salad!!!
Anonymous 6/1/23 01:15: *carrot
Grace 6/1/23 05:55: Riquísima Angie!; Gracias!!
Una delicada y original variante para comer zanahorias las que son imprescindibles en mi dieta.
Feliz fin de semana!!
Rainbow Evening 6/1/23 08:10: a new kind of salad for me....
thank you for introducing it
thepaintedapron.com 6/1/23 15:18: Wow, how different! You are always making things I've never heard of!
Anonymous 6/1/23 15:45: I love everything in this delicious looking side dish. I've never made anything like it. Thanks Angie- Its Judee from Gluten Free A-Z Blog
lisaiscooking 6/1/23 17:14: This sounds so bright and fresh! Love all the toppings and the mix of flavors.
Neil 6/1/23 17:20: I often have surplus carrots leftover in the fridge and this would be a great way to use them up!
David 6/1/23 18:41: Angie, Very pretty salad indeed! Love carrots and feta cheese too. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
My name is Erika. 7/1/23 14:10: Art those carrot hearts around the salad? Or apricots? Apricots would taste yummy with this salad. It looks pretty and I bet taste excellent also. hugs-Erika
Angie's Recipes 7/1/23 14:18: @My name is Erika. They are carrots. And I like the idea of adding dried apricots in this salad too.
Lowcarb team member 7/1/23 22:50: That does look inviting.
Many thanks for the recipe suggestion.

All the best Jan
Izaa 8/1/23 11:02: wygląda bardzo pysznie i zdrowo
The Yum List 8/1/23 13:08: Nice to see the humble carrot done a different way.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen 10/1/23 13:29: I've never tried (nor heard of) this salad. It looks and sounds great! Perfect post holiday meal :)
Federica Simoni 12/1/23 16:51: Sembra molto buona🤗
Pam 12/1/23 20:29: It looks flavorful, delicious, and pretty!