Mushroom Shawarma

This recipe, like so many others, has been years in the making. Inspired by different people I’ve met, different moods I’ve been in, and frankly, limited by what’s in the fridge. There is no right or wrong way to do anything; cooking is a wonderful reminder of that. Sometimes part of the fun of cooking is experimenting—trying new things. Sometimes, missing ingredients are what force me to get out of my comfort zone and get really creative. My style in the kitchen draws inspiration from all areas of my life. Places I’ve traveled and people I’ve been lucky enough to meet, and even people I’ve never had the opportunity to meet but can learn from through books. This recipe is inspired by a good old friend in Denver, also an amazing chef who makes the most delicious soy curl shawarma. Her inspiration is from an amazing cookbook called Sababa, which is now one of my top five favorite cookbooks of all time. Soy curl shawarma is amazing, and I’ve made it many times. But when we moved to Maine, Bulter’s soy curls are near impossible to find in the grocery stores. In fact, I haven’t found them anywhere. So I had to pivot. We tried ordering bulk plant protein chunks on Amazon, but I prefer the Bulter’s soy curls. If you live in Denver, Natural Grocers carries them! Anyway, with the star ingredient difficult to source, I had to think outside of the box, and that’s how mushroom shawarma came to be.

How to Make Mushroom Shawarma

Mushroom shawarma is all about a plethora of spices and the toppings. Think of it like a gyro or falafel sandwich and choose your favorite toppings. It is a great summertime meal, especially if you can get those pea shoots right out of the garden. This is also an excellent meal for kids because they can pick and choose what they want, and all options are healthy! I like to serve mushroom shawarma on pitas with lemony hummus, pickled turnips, shredded green cabbage, fresh cucumber, tomato slices, pea shoots, green herb sauce, and Sriracha hot sauce of course! Other great toppings are feta cheese, tzatziki, fresh sliced radishes, and spinach. Otis’ favorite is hummus, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Lucian likes to load up on shawarma, hummus, cabbage, tomatoes, and lots of sriracha. He’s a very unique kid!

Spice Up Your Life

I know the list of spices is long and daunting, but you’ve got to give it a try. It is truly an amazing blend and adds so much flavor! Plus spices are so good for your health. Check out these nifty facts about the health benefits of turmeric. If your spice cabinet is a little light, stocking up on these spices is a worthy investment. We don’t bat an eye at buying a bag of potato chips or a double scoop of ice cream, but we pause at the spice isle? Shift your priorities and load up on those spices! I’m sure you can find many more uses for them.

Mushroom Shawarma

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Try this delicious vegan mushroom shawarma recipe with homemade pickled beets and herby green sauce. The perfect healthy comfort food!

• Author: Erica
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 10
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 8
• Category: Plant based
• Method: Healthy
• Cuisine: Middle Eastern
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

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Shawarma Spice:

• 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1.5 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch of ground cloves

Shawarma:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 6-8 oyster mushroom clusters
• 8 pitas

Toppings:

• Lemony hummus
• Pickled turnips
• Shredded green cabbage
• Green herb sauce
• Cucumber slices
• Tomato slices
• Pea shoots

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Instructions

1. In a medium-sized bowl, add all shawarma spices and mix together.
2. Prep a large frying pan, a cast iron pan works great. Turn the heat up to high and add the olive oil.
3. Wash the oyster mushrooms and remove any hard bits around the stem. Dip the mushrooms in the spice mixture, coat on all sides. Once seasoned, put the mushrooms in the frying pan. Place a heavy smaller frying pan on top of them to smash them down.
4. Let them cook for about 5 minutes, remove the smaller pan, and flip the mushrooms. Put the frying pan weight back on top and cook for another 5 minutes, or until mushrooms are golden brown. Shawarma is ready.
5. Assemble the pitas with your favorite toppings: lemony hummus, pickled turnips, shredded green cabbage, green herb sauce, cucumber slices, tomato slices, pea shoots, and Sriracha—and enjoy!

Notes

You can make up a large batch of shawarma spice so you have this on hand for quick weeknight meals. Shawarma is great for leftovers! We like to make this for a big Sunday evening meal and have shawarma lunch the following day too.

Soy curls variation – swap the mushrooms for soy curls. Soak the soy curls according to the packaging, typically about 10 minutes. Drain and then coat with Shawarma spice mixture and olive oil. Cook in a frying pan on high heat, stirring regularly for about 15 minutes until golden brown.