If you love Mediterranean food, then you are going to love this recipe. Spiced to perfection, this cauliflower shawarma bowl shows you that vegan entrees are filling, tasty, and may sway you away from meat-centric options. Serve the roasted cauliflower over rice and with optional sides, such as cucumbers, roasted chickpeas, chopped tomatoes, fresh herbs, and vegan tzatziki.

To get that classic shawarma flavor, you have to mix several spices together. Curry powder, paprika, cumin, and an optional dash of cayenne pepper take this cauliflower to the next level. To get the perfect cook on the cauliflower, roasting is the way to go. Roasting perfectly crisps up the exterior of the florets, while bringing out the veggie’s natural flavor. Plus, roasting cauliflower helps establish two textures: caramelized on the outside and soft on the inside.

Should you so desire, add a can of chickpeas to the cauliflower and roast both of them together in the spice mixture. While the cauliflower is roasting, cook the rice and prepare the vegan tzatziki sauce. The key to a great tzatziki is to grate the cucumber with the skin on and then strain the water out through a cheesecloth or fine mesh sieve. That step will keep your sauce nice and thick, as opposed to watery. It pairs beautifully with the roasted cauliflower and rice.