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.
- Prep Time:15m
- Cook Time:30m
- Total Time:45m
- Serves: 4 servings
- Category: Entrees, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Ingredients
For The Cauliflower Bowl
- 1 tbsp. curry powder
- 2 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large head cauliflower, chopped into florets
- cooked rice (optional for the bowl)
- chopped cucumbers, (optional for bowl)
- halved cherry tomatoes (optional for bowl)
For the Tzatziki
- 1/2 cucumber, grated
- 1 1/2 c plain coconut yogurt
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 c fresh dill, chopped
- 1 pinch sea salt & black pepper
- 1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
For the Cauliflower Bowl
- Preheat your oven to 425º F. While it is warming up combine the curry powder, paprika, cumin, sea salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Scatter the cauliflower florets across two separate rimmed baking sheets (or one if you have one that is large enough). Season the cauliflower with the spice mixture, drizzle with olive oil, and then toss to coat.
- Place the cauliflower in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Remove the cauliflower halfway through roasting, mix up, and put back in the oven to finish roasting. Remove when perfectly browned and slightly crispy on the outside.
For the Tzatziki
- While the cauliflower is roasting, grate the cucumber with the skin on and then place it in a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Press the water out and then add to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Add the coconut yogurt, garlic, dill, sea salt & pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Taste and adjust flavor as needed.
- Serve the sauce alongside the roasted cauliflower over basmati rice and optional cucumbers and tomatoes. Happy eating!
