This vegan shawarma with tzatziki and seitan is the perfect comfort food! You would never guess that it’s totally meat and dairy-free! It’s so delicious and pretty easy to make!
What is Seitan?
Seitan is a meat alternative made from wheat gluten. If you’ve never had seitan before you should really give it a try! It’s crispy, super easy to use, and has lots of protein!
How to Make Seitan:
You can either use store-bought seitan, which is is also called wheat meat, or make it yourself. It’s basically made by washing dough with water until all of the starch granules have been removed, leaving you with only gluten, which you can then cook and season however you want. There are lots of step by step instruction videos on Youtube on how to make seitan, if you’re interested in making it yourself. I usually buy mine at our local Asian market. They have tons of vegan options!
We served the seitan in a Turkish flat bread with sesame seeds and topped it off with vegan tzatziki (looots of garlic!), tomatoes, cucumber, red cabbage, and lettuce. It’s really easy to make and it’s ready in less than 15 minutes. The biggest part of making this vegetarian shawarma, or doner, is actually cutting everything into slices.
Vegan shawarma, döner, doner, or donair?
But what is doner/donair? It’s a traditional Turkish dish (in Turkish it’s spelled döner) with meat (usually lamb but sometimes also beef or chicken) wrapped in a flatbread or pita. It’s commonly served as fast-food in Turkey as well as all over Europa, and sometimes also in Canada and Australia. In Germany, it’s super popular and you can find it at almost every street corner. Most kebab shops also offer vegetarian and vegan options, either doners with feta or falafel pitas and wraps. I just love falafel, but this vegan doner with seitan is sooo good as well and it reminds me very much of the traditional version, just totally meat-free! Shawarma is very similar to doner, however, it’s mostly eaten in Arabic countries. They often serve it with tabbouleh and hummus.
Vegan Tzatziki
I’ve always loved tzatziki and this vegan version is just as good as the original! It’s also great with some oven-roasted potatoes and a green salad or just with bread! Totally YUMMY! You only need three ingredients (not including salt and pepper): Yogurt, cucumber, and garlic. I used soy yogurt instead of regular yogurt and it works really well. However, you should make sure to use unsweetened soy yogurt because you don’t wanna end up with a sweet tzatziki. I haven’t tried it with any other kind of plant-based yogurt, but I guess it would work with cashew or almond yogurt as well.
I seasoned the seitan with paprika powder, soy sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and cooked it for about 5 minutes until it was brown and crispy. You could also use it like chicken and make a vegan chicken sandwich, or actually a seitan sandwich with it.
Let me know if you give this vegan shawarma a try! As always, I love hearing from you! :-)
Have a great week, everyone! xx
Vegan Shawarma with Tzatziki and Seitan
Ingredients
For the vegan tzatziki:
- 1 cup unsweetened soy yogurt
- 1/2 cucumber, grated
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- salt
- pepper
For the vegan shawarma:
- 9 oz seitan, cut into pieces
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- salt
- pepper
- 1/2 Turkish flat brat You can also serve it in pitas or wraps.
- 1 tomato, cut into slices
- 1/4 cucumber, cut into slices
- lettuce, cut into stripes
- red cabbage, cut into stripes
- 1/4 onion, cut into rings
Instructions
- First make the vegan tzatziki. Squeeze the grated cucumber and press out as much water as possible. Place the yogurt in a medium bowl and stir in the minced garlic and the cucumber. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- In a medium pan, heat the olive oil and add the seitan. Season it with paprika and garlic powder, soy sauce, salt, and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes until it's brown and crispy.
- Serve the seitan together with the tomato, cucumber, onion, lettuce, and the red cabbage in a Turkish flat bread (alternatively you can also use pitas or wraps) and top it off with some vegan tzatziki.
Healing Tomato
I have always called it “donair”. I had no idea there were other names. In your recipe, I love how great the Seitan fits in a shawarma. This looks delicious and hearty meal.
Sina
I know, it’s actually a bit confusing with all these different names. I usually call it döner, but shawarma was a better keyword for Google, so I went with that. :-)
Kathy Hester
I want that in my hand right now! I’m off to make some seitan!
Sina
Haha! Great idea, Kathy. :-)
Gin
I would do crazy thing to get my hands on one of these right now. Awesome recipe and DELICIOUS pics Sina!
Sina
Thanks, Gin! :-)
Uma Srinivas
Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing. Had once at friends party!
Sina
Thanks, Uma! So glad you like it! :-)
Howie Fox
Oh dear! This looks absolutely stunning :D
I had one of those in Bremen’s inner city once and they we’re great!
Sina
Thanks, Howie! :-) I know, they’re so good!
mel@avirtualvegan.com
Oh these look delicious and I am really not a seitan fan. I have tried it a few times and not really enjoyed it. You have made me want to give it one last shot though!
Your photos are lovely by the way :O)
Sina
Thanks, Mel. :-) Oh, really? Did you think it tasted too much like meat or why didn’t you like it? I don’t have it very often but when I do I really like it.
The Food Hunter
Your photos are amazing! so vibrant
Sina
Thanks!
Jenn
I want to take a HUGE bite of that!! And your pics are always so gorgeous!
Sina
Thanks so much for the compliment, Jenn! :-)
Linda @ Veganosity
That’s a gorgeous sandwich. I’ve never had a gyro because even when I wasn’t a vegetarian, then a vegan, I couldn’t fathom eating a lamb. This is the perfect alternative.
Sophia @veggies dont bite
This reminds me of the Greek gyro. I’m 100% Greek and have a vegan gyro on my site that we love. This looks delicious and I like the use of seitan! Tzatziki was always around at my house, like water! We had it all the time. It’s one of my faves!!
The Vegan 8
These look so hearty, colorful and filling! Major yum going on here Sina!!
Sina
Thanks, Brandi! :-)
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit
I’ve heard of Shawarma, but never knew what it was, and same thing with seitan actually! Well I knew it was wheat based, but I had no idea how they make it that’s so strange and awesome! But really, how did someone think of that that’s what I always wonder :o Anyways, this beautiful, colorful, flavorful, mouthful of food looks delicious! So “meaty” and off set with those fresh veggies, mmmmm <3 And I love how easy the tzatziki is too! I just learned so much and got really hungry haha :D
Sina
Yeah, I know what you mean, Natalie! It’s the same with aquafaba. Why did someone try backing with chickpea water?! :D But I’m so glad there’re people who actually come up with stuff like this because it’s sooo yummy! Sorry for making you hungry! ;-) Oh, I just love tzatziki and the vegan version is just as good as the original!
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen
OH wow! This look fabulous, Sina. Shawarma with tzatziki and seitan sounds super delish and indulging. Awesome!
Harriet Emily
Woooowww this looks so good Sina! I’m yet to try seitan, but it sounds so delicious, especially in this shawarma. I definitely need to try this recipe! Yum!
Sina
Thanks, Harriet! :-) I don’t have seitan very often, but when I do I absolutely love it.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Well I’m a sucker for tzatziki! What a fantastic recipe Sina!
Sina
Glad you like it, Rebecca! I absolutely love tzatziki! Can’t stop eating it once I’ve started :D