Vegan Shawarma

This Vegan Shawarma is JAMMED PACKED with flavor thanks to all the spices, not to mention the thick and fluffy Garlic Sauce as well!

Before going vegan I ate the heck out of some Shawarma. Whether it was at Zankou Chicken or one of the many Shawarma spots around Los Angeles, I never met a Shawarma I didn’t like. There are so many spices and sauces and veggies, that you really can’t go wrong! And the good news is, Vegan Shawarma is easy to make thanks to the fact that most of the components are already vegan!

So naturally, we just need to veganize the meat! Now Shawarma means “To Spin” since this is cooked on a vertical spit that spins around. However, I don’t own a vertical spit, and I’m guessing you don’t either, so we’ll be making some adjustments to that.

Also, there are many different variations throughout the Middle East, and even in Los Angeles. Let’s go over some of the may options you have when putting yours together!

Vegan Shawarma Meat

For this version of Shawarma, I’m using SOY CURLS! Yes, if you’ve been here a while you know I’m a Soy Curl Fan Boy. They are relatively cheap, and have a great chew and will take on any flavor you throw at them! You could totally use something like Tofu or Impossible Meat like I did in my Vegan Gyros recipe as well. You could also just use some sliced portabella mushrooms, seitan, or any vegan meat of your choice.

Shawarma seasoning & Marinade

If you have a Middle Eastern market near you, then you can probably find a pre-made Shawarma seasoning. But I really think it’s worth it to make at home. Admittedly, the seasoning blend does require a lot of spices, however, they are mostly pantry staples. So hopefully you have them on hand. If you are missing 1 or 2 it won’t be a deal breaker either! For the marinade, we are simply adding the spice blend to a mixture of lemon juice, garlic, vegan mayo and olive oil. The mayo and oil will not only add some much need fat and flavor to the soy curls, but it’ll help them get nice and browned too!

The bread

I’ve always enjoyed Shawarma with Pita Bread. However recently I came across the Shelby’s of Canada YouTube and learned of Saj Bread. Which is a much bigger, and thinner type of bread. I got some at a nearby bakery and it’s delicious. However use whatever bread you can! Pita works great of course. Heck, worst case scenario, you can just use a large flour tortilla too!

Fresh Veggies & Sauces

For the veggies and sauces, you can really go with whatever you like! When I’ve had Shawarma in Los Angeles, it’s typically served with some pickled onions, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, tahini, hummus and garlic sauce. Maybe a cucumber and tomato salad. At Zankou they give you pickled turnips as well.

Shelby’s turned me onto using some pickles and french fries too! I tried that out and it’s amazing as well. So really, throw in whatever you like! I used Lebanese style pickles, but you can totally just baby dill pickles if you like too.

Toum (Garlic Sauce)

I highly recommend making a garlic sauce (Toum) to go along with this! It’s fairly easy to make with an immersion blender. It’s super GARLICKY so fair warning. Maybe don’t eat it if you’re on a first date with somebody! But it’s super good, and after the actual meat of the sandwich is necessary in my book!

storage

You can store leftover shawarma meat in the fridge for 3-5 days. It reheats well, in fact you can just microwave it for a minute or so and whip up a quick pita with the leftovers for lunch! The Toum sauce should be good for about a week or so!

And of course, you can eat this as a plate too! No need to make it a wrap if you wanna enjoy it with a fork and customize each bite!

handy dandy video here!

Other Recipes You Will Dig!

• Gyros
• Tzatziki
• Halal Guys
• Cheesesteak
• French Dip

Vegan Shawarma

Thee Burger Dude

4.79 from 19 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings 4 – 6 Servings (with extra seasoning)

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 8 oz. bag of Soy Curls
• 4 cups vegan chicken or veggie broth

Shawarma Spice Blend

• 1 Tbsp allspice
• 1 Tbsp garlic granules
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper

Shawarma Marinade

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup vegan mayo
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 3 Tbsp Shawarma Seasoning

Garlic Sauce

• 2 oz. 60g garlic (about 1 head)
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup neutral oil

Instructions

 

Shawarma Seasoning & Marinade

• Simply mix all the seasonings together for the blend. And for the marinade, simply mix and combine everything together. It's that easy!

Garlic Sauce

• Roughly chop the garlic cloves. Even though we are blending this with an immersion blender, we want to give it an easier time. Add the garlic, lemon juice, and salt to a tall glass wide enough for the immersion blender.
• Blend the garlic and lemon juice and salt into a paste. Then add the oil. Blend from the bottom of the glass. After about 10 seconds or so, slowly begin to lift the blender up. It should start to thicken and emulsify. Keep doing this process until you are left with a thick and fluffy garlic sauce!

Soy Curls

• Add the soy curls to a large bowl and then cover them in the 4 cups of vegan chicken or veggie broth. Let them rehydrate for 10 – 15 minutes. Then drain and squeeze out the excess liquid.
• In a dry pan over medium heat, cook the soy curls for about 6-10 minutes, or until they start to brown slightly. This is just to dry them out even more so they have a chewier texture. Remove them from the heat and let them cool.
• Cover the soy curls in the marinade. You can either let them marinade for a few hours / overnight, or you can cook with them right now! I've tried both ways, and they really don't need to marinate all that long.
• To cook them, simply add them to a skillet or griddle over medium high heat. You may need to do this in batches, make sure you don't crowd the pan or they'll steam and not get browned. Let them cook undisturbed for about 4-5 minutes. Then toss them around. Repeat this until they are nice and browned to your liking!
• Heat up a pita or saj bread, and fill it up with the shawarma, some garlic sauce and whatever veggies and sauces you like! Enjoy!

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