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You are here: Home / Entrees / Eggplant Gyros

July 17, 2017

Eggplant Gyros

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These vegan eggplant gyros are made with savory pan-fried strips of seasoned eggplant, wrapped up in warm pita bread with creamy dairy-free tzatziki.

Eggplant Gyros

Every now and then I have to post a vegetarian version of a meat-based dish that I’ve never actually tasted. It’s a bit of a conundrum. See, part of why I know what I’m doing when it comes to vegetarian cooking is because I’ve been cooking vegetarian meals for a long time. But the reason I’ve been doing it so long is because I gave up meat at a pretty young age. So, lots of the dishes I’d like to make-over are dishes I’ve never in fact tried.

Eggplant Gyros

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Take gyros for example. I know some parents who are pretty good at getting their kids to eat stuff that might be considered a little exotic, but lamb just wasn’t happening on my dinner plate when I was a kid. So I never tried a gyro. I’ve gone out for Greek food and been served sandwiches with names like “veggie pita.” That, along with some Googling, is about as much as I know about what gyros taste like.

Eggplant Gyros

Setting authenticity aside, you should probably make these, for a few reasons. First, they were delicious. They tasted, to me, what I always imagined a gyro would taste like, you know, except for the lamb part. They do have all of the seasonings you’d normally find in a gyro. Second, despite having never tasted a gyro, I apparently nailed it. My husband (who has had an authentic gyro) confirmed that what I created was, in fact, a gyro, only better, because it was made with eggplant.

Eggplant Gyros

I’ve had tzatiki sauce, so I can say with confidence that if you’re missing dairy tzatiki, this will do the trick for you. In fact, I think I like my vegan tzatziki better than the conventional version. That’s saying a lot. This stuff is super creamy and packed with garlic and dill flavor. With it slathered all over my eggplant and veggies, I felt like I could no longer claim not to know what a gyro tastes like!

Eggplant Gyros
5 from 1 vote
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Eggplant Gyros

These vegan eggplant gyros are made with savory pan-fried strips of seasoned eggplant, wrapped up in warm pita bread with creamy dairy-free tzatziki.
Course Sandwich
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 556 kcal
Author Alissa

Ingredients

For the Vegan Tzatziki

  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours
  • 3/4 cup unflavored soy or almond milk, plus more for thinning
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt plus more to taste

For the Eggplant Gyro Filling

  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium eggplant, 1 pound, cut into 1/2 inch thick stips
  • 1 medium onion, sliced into strips

For Finishing the Gyros

  • 4 pitas
  • 1 tomato, diced, OR 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 large cucumber, diced
  • 2 scallions chopped
  • A few mint leaves, optional

Instructions

Prepare the Vegan Tzatziki

  1. Place the cashews, milk, lemon juice, and garlic into a bleder or food processor and blend until smooth. Thin with additional milk until the desired consistency is reached. Add the dill and salt. Pulse to blend. Taste test and add more salt if you like.

Prepare the Eggplant Gyro Filling

  1. Stir the lemon juice, soy sauce, thyme, oregano, cumin, paprika, and black pepper together in a small bowl.
  2. Generously coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the eggplant. Cook for about 4 minutes, flip and cook 4 minutes more, until the strips are tender and beginning to brown. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the onion. Cook about 3-4 minutes more, until the eggplant and onions have some nice dark spots. Pour the soy sauce mixture into the skillet and flip everything a few times to incorporate. Allow to cook until most of the liquid has cooked off, about 4 minutes more. Remove from heat.

Assemble the Eggplant Gyros

  1. Divide eggplant among pitas and top with cucumber, tomatoes, scallions, mint, and tzatziki. Serve.

Recipe Notes

Recipe and photos updated on July 17, 2017. I think this version is better, but if you're looking for the original, email me at alissa@connoisseurusveg.com. If your eggplant is any larger than 1 pound (assuming you're doubling the recipe or only using part of a larger eggplant), or has a significant amount of seeds, consider salting it before marinading. This will draw out any excess bitterness that the seeds develop as they age. You will likely have more tzatziki than you need. It should keep in the fridge for a few days. You can also seal it up and freeze it, or use it for another batch of these later in the week, or as a salad dressing.

Nutrition Facts
Eggplant Gyros
Amount Per Serving
Calories 556 Calories from Fat 258
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 28.7g 44%
Saturated Fat 5.1g 26%
Sodium 1193mg 50%
Potassium 924mg 26%
Total Carbohydrates 64.4g 21%
Dietary Fiber 8.9g 36%
Sugars 10.9g
Protein 16.1g 32%
Calcium 14%
Iron 39%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Eggplant Gyros

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Filed Under: Entrees, Sandwiches Tagged With: dill, eggplant, greek, gyros, pita, tzatziki

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Alissa SaenzKelli M. says

    October 21, 2014 at 3:12 PM

    This sounds pretty tasty! I will have to give this one a try soon.

    Congrats on your marriage!

    Reply
    • Alissa SaenzAlissa Saenz says

      October 23, 2014 at 9:32 PM

      Thank you and thank you!! I hope you enjoy it! :)

      Reply
  2. Alissa SaenzKatie (The Muffin Myth) says

    October 21, 2014 at 4:35 PM

    Congrats on your marriage! Your husband is a lucky man, getting to taste test all this good stuff. I’ve never had a gyro either, so I’ll try yours and just call it authentic. I think that’s the best thing to do!

    Reply
    • Alissa SaenzAlissa Saenz says

      October 23, 2014 at 9:32 PM

      I totally agree with you. I have no problem with my gyro experience being limited to the eggplant variety!

      Reply
  3. Alissa SaenzHeather Mason says

    October 23, 2014 at 11:43 PM

    I love eggplant! This looks delicious! I’ve never had lamb and I never plan on eating it either! I had a friend tell me lamb tastes like blood, No thank you!!

    Reply
    • Alissa SaenzAlissa Saenz says

      October 24, 2014 at 4:39 PM

      Thanks Heather! We’re in total agreement there – I’ll take eggplant any day! :)

      Reply
  4. Alissa SaenzBen Myhre says

    July 19, 2017 at 7:24 AM

    hmmm… hadn’t even thought about eggplant as the meat substitute for a gyro! brilliant. And your Tzatziki sauce looks super interesting as well. With my wife pushing for more vegan meals AND our CSA delivering eggplant, I might have to try this.

    Reply
    • Alissa SaenzAlissa Saenz says

      July 21, 2017 at 2:47 PM

      Thank you! Eggplant is one of my favorite swaps for meat these days. :) I hope you enjoy them!!

      Reply
  5. Alissa SaenzMarry says

    July 20, 2017 at 12:55 AM

    Thanks for this easy and delicious recipe Alissa. Some recipes over power the flavor of the eggplant but not this one, the eggplant really bursts thru. A local vendor was sampling tzatziki that she makes and I ended up buying that since I’m not vegan. I will try your cashew version another time.

    Reply
    • Alissa SaenzAlissa Saenz says

      July 21, 2017 at 2:53 PM

      Thanks so much Marry! I’m glad you enjoyed these!!

      Reply
  6. Alissa SaenzErin Woodward says

    July 20, 2017 at 7:08 PM

    This was so outstanding that I was licking my fingers! I took a picture but don’t know how to post it here in the comments. Incredibly delicious!!!!

    Reply
    • Alissa SaenzAlissa Saenz says

      July 21, 2017 at 2:56 PM

      That is awesome! I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thanks so much Erin!!

      Reply
  7. Alissa SaenzAmy says

    November 12, 2018 at 12:09 PM

    These are AMAZING!! Thank you for the recipe! I cut the tzatziki recipe in half and was plenty to go with the amount of filling generated from one medium to large sized eggplant. It was finger licking, juicy deliciousness.

    Reply
    • Alissa SaenzAlissa Saenz says

      November 13, 2018 at 9:30 AM

      I’m so glad you enjoyed them!!

      Reply

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