Moroccan Carrot & Chickpea Salad

I fully intended to make the recipe just like Heidi had it. I did! But I wrote down and purchased dried apricots instead. And I found already roasted ground cumin! And then there were the pomegranate seeds that jumped out at me! And I didn't have cayenne! So, yeah, this is another "based on" recipe. Still fucking fabulous though! Something I love is how you get heat from the dressing but it's instantly cooled by the mint and the carrots. Struggles and I enjoyed this with a simple roast chicken.

Dressing:
1 tablespoon roasted, ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1/2 a lemon, more or less)
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
sea salt to taste

10 ounces carrots, thinly sliced on a mandolin
2 cups cooked chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) (aka 1 15 ounce can, drained/rinsed)
2/3 cup dried apricots, quartered
1/3 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds

To serve: toasted almond slices

1) Whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Taste it! Adjust to your preference. It's okay if it's a bit on the strong side, because it's going to be thin on those salad ingredients later.

2) Combine carrots, chickpeas, apricots, mint, and pomegranate seeds. I also threw in a few of the carrot tops, just for a bit of extra fancy greenery. Throw the almonds on right before serving.

3) Eat it!