Vegan Shawarma Bowl
A hearty, flavorful plant-based shawarma bowl made with tofu – packed with protein, spices, and fresh ingredients for a satisfying and balanced meal.
There’s often a debate about using traditional food names for vegan dishes – but in the end, it’s about describing the experience and flavors. Words like “shawarma” refer to a taste, texture, and way of enjoying food, not just one specific ingredient. So why shouldn’t plant-based versions share the same name?
In this recipe, I used tofu, but I also love making shawarma with soy chunks or seitan. You can serve it the traditional way in pita with tahini and salad, or in a bowl like I did here, with yellow rice and fresh vegetables.
Yellow Rice:
2 cups rice
4 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp turmeric
Salt and black pepper
Salad:
1/2 red onion
20 cherry tomatoes
A handful of parsley
A little mint
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
Shawarma:
300 g tofu
1 tbsp shawarma spice mix
1 tsp paprika
1 white onion
2 garlic cloves
Olive oil
First, we cook the rice – rinse 2 cups of rice thoroughly, then heat a little oil (I use olive oil) in a pot and add the spices. Add the rice and lightly toast it. Pour in the water, stir, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to low heat, cover, and cook for about 15–18 minutes until the water is fully absorbed.
After turning off the heat, open the lid, create 3 small wells in the rice, and pour 1 cup of cold water into them. Let the rice rest while you move on to preparing the shawarma.
Squeeze the tofu well and cut it into thin strips (or shreds). Heat olive oil in a pan, add finely chopped white onion and garlic, and sauté until golden. Add the spices and let them absorb into the onion mixture. Then add the tofu, drizzle a little more olive oil on top, and mix well until the tofu is golden and slightly crispy.
While that’s cooking, prepare the salad – slice the red onion into strips and cut the cherry tomatoes in halves or quarters. Finely chop the parsley and mint, and combine everything in a bowl with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.
Serve the rice, salad, and shawarma in a bowl alongside tahini. Enjoy 🙂
