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Lentil Shwarama Pitas
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4.93 from 13 votes

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.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Entree, Sandwich
Cuisine: American, Middle Eastern
Servings: 4
Calories: 547kcal
Author: Alissa Saenz

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
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ 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
  • ½ 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.

Notes

Nutrition information includes 1 tablespoon of tahini per serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 547kcal | Carbohydrates: 76.1g | Protein: 20.2g | Fat: 18.4g | Saturated Fat: 2.7g | Sodium: 1070mg | Potassium: 972mg | Fiber: 20g | Sugar: 6.2g | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 8.6mg