Cauliflower Shawarma with Red Pepper Sauce (Vegan)

Open pita bread with orange sauce, fresh herbs, cauliflower and chickpeas.

Cauliflower Shawarma with Red Pepper Sauce (Vegan)

Spiced cauliflower shawarma with chickpeas and a creamy red pepper yogurt sauce—an easy, plant-based twist on the classic Turkish street food.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Turkish

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Resting Time 10

Total Time 1 10

Servings serves

Calories 418kcal

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.

Notes

Chickpeas in oven - if you don't have an air fryer, you can cook the chickpeas in the oven. They won't get quite as crispy, but will still be delicious. Roast chickpeas on a separate lined tray at 425°F for 20–25 minutes, shaking halfway through.

Nutrition