Moroccan Chickpea and Roasted Carrot Wraps with Harissa
Harissa-glazed carrots and crisp-edged chickpeas are tucked into warm tortillas with a creamy harissa-tahini sauce, bright preserved lemon, fresh cilantro and quick-pickled red onion. Fully vegan, big on flavor, and ready in about an hour.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Wait
- 5 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Makes
- 4 large wraps
Steps
Before you start
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the center before you start cutting carrots.
- Check the tortilla label: most flour tortillas are vegan, but some contain lard or dairy.
- Preserved lemon is salty, so use only the rind and taste the filling before adding extra salt. Find it in jars near the olives or in Middle Eastern shops.
- Harissa varies a lot in heat. Start with the amounts given and add more at the end if you like it hotter.
Heat oven, cut carrotsOven 425°F / 220°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F (220°C).
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
- Peel the carrots and cut them into sticks about 3 inches (7.5 cm) long and ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick; if the thick tops are wider, halve them lengthwise so all pieces are a similar size.
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Ready when: Carrot sticks are roughly uniform in thickness so they cook evenly.
Tip: Uneven pieces mean some burn while others stay hard, so take a moment to match sizes.
Dry the chickpeas
- Spread the drained, rinsed chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and pat until the surface looks matte and no longer wet.
- Rub off any loose skins and discard them.
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Ready when: Chickpeas feel dry to the touch, not slick.
Tip: Wet chickpeas steam instead of crisping in the oven.
Season the carrots
- In a large bowl, whisk 2 tbsp (30 ml) of the olive oil with the 2 tbsp harissa for the roasting, the maple syrup, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, cinnamon and ½ tsp of the salt.
- Add the carrots and toss with your hands until every stick is coated in a deep red paste.
- Tip them onto the baking sheet in a single layer with space between pieces.
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Ready when: Carrots are evenly coated with no dry patches of spice.
Tip: Don't crowd the pan. Use two sheets if the carrots overlap, or they will steam rather than caramelize.
Roast carrots firstOven 425°F / 220°C
- Slide the baking sheet into the 425°F (220°C) oven and roast for 15 minutes, until the edges just begin to darken.
- While they roast, toss the dry chickpeas in the same (now empty) bowl with the remaining 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil and ¼ tsp salt.
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Ready when: Carrot edges are starting to brown and the kitchen smells of toasted spices.
Tip: Use the roasting time to do the next two steps.
Add chickpeas, finish roastingOven 425°F / 220°C
- Pull out the sheet, add the oiled chickpeas around the carrots, and shake the pan to rearrange everything into one layer.
- Return to the oven and roast 15 minutes more, shaking the pan once halfway through.
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Ready when: A fork slides easily into a carrot, the edges are browned and slightly sticky, and the chickpeas are golden with a firm, crisp-looking skin.
Tip: If the harissa glaze darkens too fast, lower the rack one position.
Quick-pickle the onion
- While the vegetables roast, put the sliced red onion in a small bowl with 1 tbsp (15 ml) of the lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
- Press the onion down and toss every few minutes until it turns bright pink and softens slightly.
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Ready when: Onion slices are bright pink and limp enough to bend without snapping.
Tip: Drain before assembling so the wraps don't turn soggy.
Whisk harissa-tahini sauce
- In a small bowl or jar, stir together the tahini, 2 tsp harissa for the sauce, the remaining 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice, the grated garlic and a pinch of salt.
- The mixture will seize and look thick; keep stirring while adding the cold water 1 tbsp at a time until it becomes smooth, creamy and pourable like heavy cream.
- Add another splash of water if it is too thick.
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Ready when: Sauce is smooth, pale orange-pink and falls from a spoon in a thick ribbon.
Tip: Seizing is normal with tahini. Keep adding water gradually and it will loosen.
Cool and toss filling
- Let the roasted carrots and chickpeas cool on the pan for 5 minutes so they firm up and are comfortable to handle.
- Transfer to a large bowl, add the chopped preserved lemon rind and half of the cilantro, and toss gently.
- Taste and add a pinch of salt only if needed, since the preserved lemon is salty.
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Ready when: Filling smells bright and citrusy and tastes balanced between sweet, salty and spicy.
Tip: Reserve the other half of the cilantro for the wraps themselves.
Warm the tortillas
- Heat a large dry skillet over medium heat.
- Warm each tortilla for 20–30 seconds per side, until soft, flexible and lightly blistered.
- Stack the warmed tortillas in a clean kitchen towel to keep them pliable.
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Ready when: Tortillas bend without cracking and have a few light brown spots.
Tip: Cold tortillas crack when rolled, so don't skip the warming.
Assemble and roll
- Lay a warm tortilla flat.
- Spread about 1 tbsp of the sauce down the center, leaving a 2-inch (5 cm) border.
- Top with a small handful of arugula, one quarter of the carrot and chickpea filling, a few drained pickled onions and a sprinkle of the reserved cilantro.
- Drizzle with a little more sauce.
- Fold the sides in, then roll up tightly from the bottom, tucking as you go.
- Slice in half on the diagonal and serve with the remaining sauce for dipping.
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Ready when: Wrap is snug, holds its shape when cut, and no filling spills from the ends.
Tip: Keep the filling in a compact line about 4 inches (10 cm) wide. Overfilling makes the wrap tear.
Good to know
Tips
- Roast on parchment and keep pieces in a single layer for browned, caramelized edges rather than steamed ones.
- Lightly crush a few of the roasted chickpeas with a fork before assembling so they help hold the filling together inside the wrap.
- For a crisp exterior, toast each rolled wrap seam-side down in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until golden.
- Add a pinch of sugar or a bit more maple syrup if your harissa is very hot and you want to balance the heat.
Make ahead
"Roast the carrots and chickpeas up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container. Make the sauce up to 4 days ahead and the pickled onions up to 5 days ahead. Reheat the filling on a baking sheet at 400°F (200°C) for 8 minutes to re-crisp the chickpeas, then assemble the wraps fresh."
Storage & reheating
"Assembled wraps keep for up to 4 hours at room temperature wrapped in parchment, or up to 1 day in the fridge (the tortilla softens). Store components separately in airtight containers in the fridge for 3 days; the chickpeas lose their crispness but stay tasty. Reheat the filling in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 8 minutes. The roasted carrot and chickpea filling freezes for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Don't freeze the sauce or assembled wraps."
Substitutions
- preserved lemon → 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest plus an extra ¼ tsp salt. Gives similar brightness but lacks the fermented, mellow flavor of preserved lemon.
- harissa paste → 1 tbsp tomato paste plus 1 tsp chili flakes. Use in place of the 2 tbsp harissa, and add 1 extra tbsp water to the tomato paste mixture for coating.
- tahini → unsweetened plain dairy-free yogurt. Makes a tangier sauce; skip the water and whisk until smooth.
- large flour tortillas, 10-inch (25 cm) burrito size → large whole-wheat wraps or lavash. Warm as directed; gluten-free wraps work too but may need an extra minute to become pliable.