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This vegan shawarma is bursting with flavor. It’s easy to make and a dish we love to eat. Seasoned chickpeas with cabbage slaw and yogurt sauce all wrapped into a soft pita. 

If you love middle eastern food, you will LOVE this vegan shawarma!

Heck, if you don’t know what middle eastern cuisine tastes like, you will still love these.

These are easy to make; however, they are time-consuming and worth every second of prep.

This is one of those meals I like to prep in the morning to let everything marinate and then come at dinner time and cook it up.

These wraps consist of the “meat,” which I chose chickpeas for which are cooked in shawarma seasoning, the yogurt sauce, and the slaw.

I think you need all of these components to make the flavors come together.

I always make my own flatbread because it’s SO amazing.

It’s not my recipe, but I will put the link here if you want to make your own; you don’t have to; you can easily buy it. 

I am always looking for dinners to switch things up, and this one certainly fits that bill. 

My 9-year-old loved these, and my 6-year-old did not. The rest of us LOVED it.

Vegan Shawarma Wraps Recipe Q&A

What are traditional shawarma wraps?

It’s more of middle eastern street food. It’s typically made with either thinly sliced chicken or beef and seasoned with oil, garlic, cumin, lemon, and a shawarma spice blend, wrapped together in a pita with a sauce.

What’s the best bread to use for this vegan wrap?

Like I said above, I prefer to make my own, but you can also get store-bought fluffy pita bread or flatbread.

You could also use regular or whole wheat tortillas, but it’s not the same as what you’d have on traditional shawarma.

Can I use something other than chickpeas?

If you don’t want to use garbanzo beans, you could certainly use soy curls. 

Soy curls are one of my favorite meat substitutes.

I’ve also seen people use portobello mushrooms, cauliflower florets, or vegan chicken. 

If you want to use soy curls;

1. Soak your soy curls for 10 minutes
2. Squeeze all the water out of them after the 10 minutes
3. Add them to a bowl and pour the marinade over them and stir
4. Place them in the fridge to marinate
5. Then cook in the pan like you would the chickpeas

For mushrooms or cauliflower;

• Wash and dry
• Cut into bite-sized pieces
• Pour them into a bowl with marinade
• Cook like you would make the chickpeas

For vegan chicken;

1. Cook the vegan chicken
2. Cut into bite-size
3. Place the vegan chicken in a bowl with the marinade
4. Heat the vegan chicken in the skillet, air fryer, or oven.

Can I make this oil-free?

You can, but it will not be as flavorful; the oil helps this taste more traditional.

I would replace some oil with some tahini which still has fat but not oil.

Can you make this dish ahead of time?

Yes, this is a great dish to mostly make up the morning of and then cook just before serving. Or you can even prep it the day before.

Can I make these gluten-free?

Yes, all you need to do is sub a gluten-free pita or flatbread, and everything else is already gluten-free.

What ingredients do you need to make the best vegan shawarma wraps?

Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.

• lemon juice, fresh
• extra virgin olive oil (or what you have)
• fresh garlic
• coriander
• cumin
• smoked paprika
• salt
• black pepper
• chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and mostly crushed
• Kite hill, plain vegan yogurt
• red cabbage
• parsley, dried
• soft flatbread or warm pita bread
• tomatoes
• cucumbers

Optional: red onion, tahini sauce or garlic sauce, creamy hummus, red peppers, pickled onions.

How do you make this vegan shawarma wrap?

**This meal is best made in the morning and put in the fridge to marinate and finish cooking at dinner time.

Take your rinsed and drained chickpeas and smash them with a potato masher or a pastry cutter.

You want it to be a rough smash. Set these aside.

Take a small bowl and combine the shawarma marinade ingredients and stir.

Now pour your marinade onto the smashed chickpeas and stir until mixed well.

Cover and stick in the fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably all day.

Let’s make the shawarma sauce.

Take a small bowl and combine the yogurt ingredients and stir. Cover this and place it in the fridge as well.

Now make your slaw.

Take a medium bowl, combine all slaw ingredients, and stir until well combined.

Cover and place in the fridge until ready to serve.

Once the marinating time is over, take a medium non-stick skillet, add some oil and place the chickpeas in it on medium heat.

Cook this, stirring as needed until the chickpeas brown a bit; this takes around 10-12 minutes.

Now you are ready to start assembling them.

How do you serve this veggie shawarma?

Take a soft wrap and place some chickpea mixture, slaw, cucumbers, tomatoes, and drizzle with the yogurt sauce and serve.

This tastes great alongside some fresh veggies and hummus, roasted veggies, french fries, salad greens with a garlic creamy tahini dressing, or whatever sides you love with this middle eastern dish.

How do you store leftovers?

It’s best to store the leftovers in an individual airtight container and reheat and assemble them when you’re ready to eat them again.

Can you freeze this healthy vegan shawarma recipe?

You can freeze the chickpea mixture and the wraps, but I would make the yogurt sauce and the vegetables fresh.

Want some other vegan wrap or sandwich recipes?

• Chicken Vegan Caesar Salad Wraps
• Easy Vegan Gyros
• Vegan Chicken Salad Sandwich

If you loved this recipe, then give it a 5 star rating and leave a comment! I love to chat with you all. Please feel free to share on social media and tag #courtneyshomestead. I would love to see you over on Instagram or Facebook. 

Recipe adapted from https://www.melskitchencafe.com/easy-chicken-shawarma/

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