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Vegan Shawarma

Vegan Shawarma

This Vegan Shawarma recipe is all your Middle Eastern dreams packed into a pita! This recipe is super easy to make and can either be presented really simply in a pita on a platter with a variety of pickles, olives and dips.

It’s really up to you how much time you would like to spend presenting it but the beauty is, it can be really simple! In some countries, Shawarma is also referred to as a vegan doner kebab.

Shawarma is typically made with meat, and of course, it’s our job as vegan recipe makers to veganise classics! Traditionally, the meat is sliced from a rotisserie and served with tzatziki sauce, pickles and a variety of salad including pickled red cabbage and Israeli salad.

Ordinarily, shawarma is served in a cone shape, wrapped in a warm flat bread, or in some cases, a pita pocket.

Check out this vegan Greek salad recipe, Middle Eastern eggplant sandwich, or our split pea hummus recipe!

VEGAN DONER KEBAB

A lot of my dishes are inspired by travelling and I really loved the food in places like Turkey, Israel and Jordan. I have used this inspiration and made my own take on a vegan shawarma recipe.

I couldn’t believe how well oyster mushrooms could replicate kebab meat in this vegan doner kebab, or in this vegan shredded chicken!

I am a firm believer in making it taste and look as close as possible. With a non vegan husband, I am forever trying to make dishes that will blow him away and make him realise we don’t need meat in our diet. I am finding oyster mushrooms to be one of the best raw ingredients to recreate this dish with vegan kebab meat.

Vegan Doner Kebab Recipe

Spices are everything when it comes to Middle Eastern food and flavours. In this dish I use a tonne of spices and herbs mixed in with the mushrooms to create the ultimate taste.

vegan shawarma
Spices to create Middle Eastern flavours.

I used smoked paprika, coriander seeds, cloves, onion granules, garlic salt and garam masala. I used a pestle and mortar to grind the cloves and coriander seeds before mixing them all up together.

You can actually store the mix together and use it later for your very own Middle Eastern blend. If you need help figuring out how to use up the spices, check out this spice combinations guide for leftovers.

I sautéed the oyster mushrooms and added all of these spices. You could add a dash of soya sauce if you want a slightly wetter consistency, however, I was quite happy with the mushrooms having a flavour rather than being in a sauce.

vegan doner kebab
Mushrooms at the end of cooking infused with all of the flavours!

Whilst the mushrooms were cooking, I prepped some salad. Typically iceberg lettuce, raw onion, pickled cabbage and sliced tomatoes are put inside a vegan shawarma kebab.

It’s also served with pickled chillis and tzatziki. Tzatziki is surprisingly easy to make, It only takes a few minutes and 5 ingredients. No vegan shawarma kebab is complete without this condiment! Get the full recipe for Tzatziki here.

I used 1 clove of garlic, a handful of dill, a squeeze of lemon and some grated cucumber mixed in a bowl with natural soya yoghurt. It was so good! As well as Tzatziki, I added a teaspoon of chilli inside the pita when it was ready to serve.

vegan tzatziki

Vegan Pita Pocket Recipes

We had pita on the day I was making this recipe, however as previously mentioned warm flat bread is also fine. Top tip, I always dampen my pita slightly before warming it so it doesn’t go too crispy.

First, I started by adding the chilli sauce and layering iceberg, onion, tomatoes and red cabbage. I topped it with the spiced oyster mushrooms giving a true appearance of a typical vegan shawarma kebab.

I served it on a wooden board with a pot of tzatziki, olives and pickled chillis! Hubby and I really enjoyed it!

vegan shawarma vedan doner kebab recipe
Vegan Shawarma Kebab!!!!

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Yield: 2 persons

Vegan Shawarma Kebab

vegan shawarma vedan doner kebab recipe

Tantalising middle eastern flavours packed away in this pita pocket. Vegan shawarma is the ultimate pita sandwich!

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 125g of Oyster Mushrooms
  • Tsp of smoked paprika
  • Tsp of onion granules
  • Tsp of garlic salt 
  • Tsp of garam masal 
  • 2 cloves
  • Tsp of coriander seeds 
  • 2 Pitta pockets 
  • 1 large tomato
  • Iceberg lettuce 
  • 1 onion 
  • Pickled red cabbage 

For the Tzatziki

  • 1 cup of natural soy yoghurt 
  • Half a cucumber
  • Handful of dill 
  • Half a lemon 
  • 1 clove of garlic 
  • Drizzle of olive oil 

Optional garnish

  • Pickled chillis 
  • Olives 

Instructions

  1. Start with preparing the salad. Chop thin slices of tomato. onion and shred enough iceberg lettuce to for 2 sandiwches. You can either use fresh red cabbage or pickled red cabbage from a jar depending on your taste preferences. Put the salad to one side in the fridge until you are ready.
  2. Next, prepare the tzatziki yoghurt dip. Crush a clove of garlic, squeeze half a lemon, grate half a cucumber. Add to a bowl with a handful of dill before adding the cup of natural vegan yoghurt. Mix everything together, drizzle with olive oil and put in the fridge until it is time to serve.
  3. Heat a pan with a drizzle of oil. Chop the mushrooms and add to the pan. You don't want to overcook them as we want them to keep a nice texture. Add all of the spices at once and mix them in. Cook until golden brown, turn the heat off whilst you prepare the vegan doner kebab.
  4. Dampen the pita bread and heat. once it is warm and soft, cut it open and pack with the salad, (chill sauce if you want), top with the oyster mushrooms.
  5. Serve with the tzatziki sauce, pickled chillis and olives on the side!

Notes

If you don't have pita bread you can also use flat bread wrapped up into a cone.

Likewise, shitake mushrooms are also a suitable alternative to oyster mushrooms due to their texture and consistency.

Oncr youve grinded all the spices together, you can store it for other dishes. This can be your very own homemade Middle Eastern spice mix for other dishes! Make double if you fancy storing the mix.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 746Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 2202mgCarbohydrates: 97gFiber: 12gSugar: 28gProtein: 33g

Sharing is caring!

Nicola

Saturday 14th of January 2023

Very tasty, thoroughly enjoyed.

kudrat kart

Friday 18th of June 2021

Such a classic recipe and you have made it so well. I am so tempted to make some soon. Looks fabulous!

Ashok

Thursday 26th of November 2020

Thanks Guys, Your Recipe Was Too Fantastic. Me and My Family Loved it. I Will Share your Rrecipe with my friends. Hope they will love it too.

Plant Based Folk

Tuesday 12th of November 2019

This looks so good Karen - being of Mediterranean descent myself, I totally can relate to missing so many foods...

Karen Edwards

Wednesday 13th of November 2019

Thanks so much for your feedback : )

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