Vegan Shawarma

Before I was vegan I loved chicken shawarma. Alan and I used to go to this little hole-in-the-wall Middle Eastern restaurant every week where, for about a total of $15 we were served two huge plates of shawarma served with rice, hummus, tahini, and a salad. There aren’t a lot of things that I miss but I’m afraid, shawarma was one of them. Finally, I decided there must be a way to make vegan shawarma. 

It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. Shawarma is generally made with lamb, but it is frequently made with beef or chicken. It’s cooked on a big spit, and the meat is carved off right before it is served. Obviously that would be a difficult thing to do, no matter what protein I used to make vegan shawarma.

I usually use seitan for my protein, but there are many options for plant-based chicken or beef these days so it’s easy to pick your favorite. I love using seitan because it’s easy to make it myself, with only a few ingredients. Of course, you can always buy prepared seitan as well. Sweet Earth is my favorite because it has minimal ingredients (basically the same that I would use).

Here’s my homemade seitan recipe.

To get the best flavor, it is important to marinate the seitan. Overnight is best, but when I’m in a hurry even a half-hour will work.

You will love this delicious vegan shawarma made with seitan and served with hummus, cucumber salad, rice, and warm pita bread. Yum! #MeatlessMondayClick To Tweet

Most recipes for shawarma call for plain yogurt, and that’s the way I usually make it. However, I was unable to find vegan plain yogurt this time around. Instead, I used Trader Joes vegan Garlic Dip. It tasted amazing and that’s what I’ll continue to use in the future. If you’d rather use yogurt, though, just replace the garlic dip and add an extra clove of minced garlic. 

Vegan shawarma is best when it’s served with all the condiments. I love hummus, tahini, more garlic dip, and cucumber salad. The recipes are below, along with a recipe for Shawarma sauce, which I don’t use as often but is very good. Serve with rice and a warm pita or vegan naan and enjoy!

Vegan Shawarma

Vegan Shawarma is Best with:

Hummus

One can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
Two Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Olive Oil (plus another tablespoon to drizzle over the top)
One teaspoon Tahini
Two cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process on high until creamy and smooth.

Shawarma Sauce

Three Tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
Two Tablespoons Rice vinegar
Two cloves garlic, minced
One Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Blend all the ingredients until smooth.

Cucumber Salad

One small tomato, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup cucumber, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
One tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste

Combine the vegetables. Mix the rest of the ingredients and pour over vegetables. Toss lightly.

 

Have you ever tried shawarma?

 

 

 

 

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