This spiced cauliflower shawarma with chickpeas for protein and a creamy red pepper, garlic, yogurt sauce is a delicious plant-based twist on the classic Turkish dish.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick look at everything you’ll need:
- Cumin
- Ground coriander
- Sumac
- Salt
- Cayenne pepper (optional, if you want a little extra zing)
- Cauliflower
- Red pepper
- Garlic
- Canned chickpeas
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Raw cashews
- Natural yogurt (soy or coconut work best)
- Red onion
- Fresh parsley
- Pitas
Instructions
I’ve broken it down into easy steps with photos to help you make my Cauliflower Shawarma with Red Pepper Sauce — let’s dive in!
Step One: Preheat your oven and air fryer. Mix the spices in a small bowl — cumin, coriander, sumac, salt, and cayenne if you’re feeling spicy.
Step Two: Toss the chickpeas with some of the spice mix and olive oil. Pop them in the air fryer and cook, shaking halfway through.
Step Three: Coat the cauliflower florets with the rest of the spices and olive oil.
Step Four: Spread vegetables on a tray along with the red pepper and garlic, and roast. Flip everything and continue roasting until done.
Step Five: Peel the garlic and skin the pepper, then add them to a blender with the lemon juice, cashews, yogurt, and a pinch of salt.
Step Six: Blend until smooth.
Step Seven: To assemble, spread the sauce on your pitas, load them up with cauliflower, chickpeas, red onion, and parsley.
Cauliflower Shawarma with Red Pepper Sauce (Vegan)
Equipment
- Oven
- Blender
- Air fryer
Ingredients
Spices
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp sumac
- 2 tsp salt approx. 12g total
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper Optional
Vegetables
- 1 medium cauliflower broken into large florets; approx. 2½ lb / 1.1 kg
- 1 large red bell pepper approx. 5 oz / 140g
- 3 cloves garlic unpeeled
- 2 15 oz cans chickpeas drained and rinsed; approx. 3 cups / 480g drained
- 3½ tbsp olive oil divided (approx. 50g total)
Sauce
- 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice juice from about 1 lemon; 28–42g
- ⅓ cup raw cashews soaked in boiling water 15 mins, then drained; approx. 45g
- ½ cup unsweetened yogurt plant-based (soy or coconut); approx. 120g
- ½ tsp salt approx. 3g
To serve
- 8 large pita breads warmed
- ½ red onion finely sliced; approx. ½ cup / 70g
- fresh parsley roughly chopped; use as desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and preheat the air fryer to 390°F (200°C), if using.
- In a small bowl, mix the cumin, coriander, sumac, salt, and cayenne pepper (if using).
- In a medium bowl, toss the chickpeas with 1 tablespoon olive oil and about one-third of the spice mix. Transfer to an air fryer basket and cook for 12–15 minutes, shaking halfway through, until golden and crisp. (For oven instructions, see Notes.)
- Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the remaining spice mix; toss to coat evenly.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Arrange the cauliflower on the tray. Place the red bell pepper and unpeeled garlic cloves on the same tray. Drizzle with the remaining ½ tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.
- Roast for 20 minutes, flip everything, then roast for another 15–20 minutes until the cauliflower is tender and the pepper is blistered.
- Remove the tray from the oven. Wrap the roasted pepper in foil and let it steam for 10 minutes. Then carefully peel off the skin, remove the stem and seeds, and roughly chop. Peel the garlic cloves.
- Add the peeled garlic, roasted pepper, lemon juice, soaked cashews, yogurt, and salt to a high-powered blender. Blend until smooth (30–60 seconds).
- To serve, spread the red pepper sauce on each warm pita. Top with cauliflower, chickpeas, sliced red onion, and parsley. Serve immediately.
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