Lentils are quickly cooked up with spices and stuffed into pita bread with zesty salad and tahini sauce to make these mouth-watering vegan shawarma wraps.
My posting schedule got a little screwy this week. I hope you guys don’t mind! I skipped a couple of days in the middle of the week and then I went for a Thursday-Friday double whammy. I’m trying not to work on weekends these days, and with my current level of organization that sometimes means scrambling to get the last post of the week in by Friday.
Also, it’s been a pretty meaty week, for a vegan website anyhow. Not real meat, but vegan versions of meaty dishes. We had gumbo with meatballs, spaghetti with meat sauce, and now shawarma made from lentils.
This might look similar to my eggplant gyros, but the flavor is way different. The awesome thing about shawarma as opposed to gyros, is that the flavors are super versatile. I had a hard time figuring out what to make my vegan shawarma out of just because there are so many options. Seriously take a look at the recipe: cumin, paprika, cinnamon, garlic, lemon. Those spices work with so many things!
I’m glad I went with lentils though, because lentils also happen to go deliciously stuffed in pita bread with all the shawarma fixings.
To make this all you need to do is throw some cooked lentils in a skillet with a bunch of seasonings. It’s really easy and a great way to use up leftover lentils if you’ve got them on hand (use about 3 cups).
I whipped up a quick fattoush-ish salad to go with my lentils, and it’s really delicious, but you can always use your favorite veggies and dressings instead. This one is pretty adaptable, so feel free to make the recipe your own! The lentils would go great with just about anything, so don’t feel obligated to eat them in a pita. They’d make an awesome salad topper, or go great in a big rice or quinoa bowl.
Lentil Shawarma Pitas
Lentils are quickly cooked up with spices and stuffed into pita bread with zesty salad and tahini sauce to make these mouth-watering vegan shawarma wraps.
Ingredients
For the Lentil Shawarma
- 1 cup dried brown lentils
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch cayenne pepper
For the Salad
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 1 medium cucumber, diced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac (optional, but really nice)
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Serving
- 4 pitas
- Tahini or hummus
- Kalamata olives (optional)
Instructions
Place the lentils into a medium saucepan and cover with a few inches of water. Place over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Lower the heat and allow to simmer until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes, adding water to the pot as needed. Drain the lentils when finished cooking.
While the lentils simmer, combine the soy sauce, lemon juice and tomato paste in a small bowl.
Coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Sauté about 1 minute more, until very fragrant.
Add the lentils and the soy sauce mixture to the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the lentils are heated throughout and the liquid has dried up.
To Make the Salad
Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl.
To Assemble the Pitas
Slather pita bread with hummus or tahini and stuff with lentils and salad. Dress each pita with a few Kalamata olives. Serve.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition information includes 1 tablespoon of tahini per serving.
Happy new year Alissa!
These look delicious. I love cooking with lentils and haven’t tried a recipe like this one before so thank you for the inspiration.
Awesome recipe. I did not have all the ingredients but was so eager to try the lentils that I made do with what
I had. I was able to make the lentils as directed. I used homemade tahini made with roasted sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and hemp seed and olive oil. I used a fresh flour tortilla and tomatoes. Even this simple it was awesome. I can only imagine how much better it would be if I had everything listed.
Way to improvise! Those additions actually sound delicious! I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Carra!
How did you make your tahini? I’m allergic to sesame so no tahini but I’d LOVE to make my own for use in so many recipes.. I always have an assortment of seeds and definitely have a bag of hemp hearts in my fridge.
Made the recipe exactly as written. It was amazing. Every single ingredient really adds to the flavor. I couldn’t imagine this dish being as good if just one of the ingredients was omitted.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!
I don’t usually leave reviews for recipes (because I’m lazy) but this is seriously soo soo good! It is our new go to recipe for weeknight dinners. My husband and I love indian and middle eastern foods so we are constantly seeking flavor and spice. This definitely fits the bill! It’s super easy to make and is full of complex flavors and textures Unlike most recipes I find online, I wouldn’t change a thing about this. It’s perfect the way it is!
Awesome!! I’m so glad you’re both enjoying it! Thanks Chelsea!
definitely making this! thank you!
I hope you enjoy it!
Wow this was unexpectedly delicious! I’ve made many of your recipes and they never let me down, but this one REALLY stands out. Top notch.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks so much Todd!
I made these just now and my boyfriend loved them. I used spicy tahini and spicy hummus as condiments and then added parsley, pickled radish, and olives to the salad mixture. I put these on elavegan’s spinach tortillas and my boyfriend literally said it was his favourite meal ever… hahaha we’ve eaten some pretty good food, so that’s saying a lot. I just found that the lentil mixture needed a little bit of sweetness to round out the spices a little… maybe that is just because i don’t use olive oil in my cooking ?? not sure… it was still amazing.
Awesome!! I’m so glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed them! Pickled radish sounds like a delicious addition! You could absolutely add a bit of sweetness to the lentil mixture with a dash of sugar or maple syrup. :)
This is one of my go to dinners almost every week, it is SO GOOD and so easy, and amazing as leftovers the next day as well – thank you for this recipe!
I’m so glad you like it!!
Anyone try make the Lentils in the Instant Pot yet?
Though I am not a vegan or vegetarian, this is a staple recipe in our house (I found this recipe over a year ago). My boyfriend and I absolutely LOVE it — and I grew up in the Middle East, so my standards are high with this type of food! The spice blend is incredible — I’ve considered blending large quantities to just have on hand. LOVE this recipe!!!
Wow! That’s great to hear! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
How much proteins per serving? Thanks.
About 20 grams. Just added it to the nutrition label – thanks for asking!
Love, love, LOVE this recipe!!! You said it was adapted from a regular shawarma recipe ? Any chance you have the link?