Vegan Mushroom Shawarma Recipe With Tahini
Flavored with my homemade shawarma seasoning, and stuffed in pita pockets with tahini sauce and fresh Mediterranean salad, this vegan shawarma with mushrooms and onions is a quick meal you'll be making on repeat! I used portobello mushrooms, which are "meaty" and intensely savory. You can also use oyster mushrooms or other mushrooms of your choice.
Ingredients
For The Shawarma Seasoning:
- 1½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper more to your liking
- ½ tsp ground cloves optional
For The Mushrooms:
- ▢ 4 to 5 Portabella mushroom caps just over a pound, cleaned and sliced into ½-inch thick slices
- ▢ Kosher salt
- ▢ Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large red onion halved and thinly sliced
- ▢ Juice of ½ large lemon
To Serve
- 2 to 3 pitas bread cut in half to make pita pockets (4 to 6 pita pockets)
- ▢ 3-Ingredient Mediterranean salad
- ▢ Tahini sauce
Instructions
- If serving with the tahini sauce and salad, prepare the fixings before you cook the mushrooms.
- Thoroughly clean the portobello mushroom caps, then slice them into ½-inch slices and add to a large mixing bowl. Add the red onion to the bowl. Season generously with kosher salt before drizzling with about ¼ to ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Toss to coat.
- In a small bowl, mix together the spices to make the shawarma seasoning.
- Heat a little bit of extra virgin olive oil in a cast-iron griddle or large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms and red onion. Leave the mushrooms alone to sizzle for 2 minutes, undisturbed, then you can begin to toss them around.
- Generously season the mushrooms and onions with the shawarma spice blend (start with half of the spice blend, then add more after you taste the mushrooms). Toss the mushrooms around again, and if needed, drizzle a little more olive oil to finish cooking the mushrooms. The mushrooms and onions should be cooked down and charred well (about 5 to 7 minutes in total).
- To serve, divide the sautéed mushrooms and onions into pita pockets and top with the mushroom shawarma in pita pockets or wraps (it helps to warm up the pitas so you can easily open them to use as pockets). Add tahini sauce and fresh veggies or my 3-Ingredient Mediterranean Salad. Once warmed, cut the pita in half. Spoon a little tahini sauce into the pita pocket. Add vegan shawarma, some salad, and another drizzle of tahini sauce. Once your sandwich is assembled, enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Mushroom options: If you can't find portobello mushrooms, oyster mushrooms are another "meaty" mushroom that will work. Otherwise, any mushrooms you like will work (cooking time may vary).
- Serving ideas: Serve vegan shawarma in pita pockets with tahini sauce and fresh salad (you can also check out this cucumber tomato tahini salad, which combines both ideas). Or, try shawarma salad bowls with your favorite dip and a Middle Eastern salad of your choice (fattoush or balela are great options). For a fun appetizer, layer the charred mushrooms and onions over a bed of creamy homemade hummus.
- Leftovers and storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for 3 to 5 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat. If it looks dry, you can add a tiny bit of water as it heats up.
- Nutrition information is an estimate for the mushrooms and onions and does not include bread and fixings (each of the fixings recipes will indicate a nutrition estimate as well).