Cauliflower Shawarma Recipe

I wanted to create a vegetarian shawarma that is as fragrant, juicy, and delicious as the meatier versions I remember from my childhood in Port Said, Egypt. So I replaced the meat with vegetables and this cauliflower shawarma recipe was born! If you like the robust flavors of shawarma, but want to pack extra vegetables into your diet this vegetarian Cauliflower Shawarma is for you. First, I season the cauliflower with a shawarma spice blend of cumin, turmeric, coriander, garlic, paprika and more, then I it roast until it’s caramelized, slightly charred, super flavorful, and incredibly tender. While the cauliflower roasts in the oven, I whip up a batch of 3 ingredient Mediterranean Salad (or just slice up some tomatoes and cucumbers) and Tahini sauce to drizzle over the top. Both the salad and the sauce only take minutes to come together. I typically serve cauliflower shawarma in a pita, but you can skip the pita and serve it salad-style like I do in this Chicken Shawarma Bowl.Serve shawarma for lunch, dinner, as a late night snack, and everything in between. Check out my tips and tricks for making this delicious vegetarian shawarma below!

Ingredients for Cauliflower Shawarma

The key to making this Cauliflower Shawarma the vegetarian sandwich of your dreams is all the fixings. Make sure to whisk up your Tahini sauce, stock up on your favorite pickles, and grab some fluffy pita.

Homemade Shawarma Spice Blend: My secret to taking a simple head of cauliflower and making it flavorful and delicious is a magical blend of spices—cumin, turmeric, coriander, garlic, paprika, cloves, and cayenne. Most of them are probably in your spice cabinet already, if not you can find them in our shop. Tahini Sauce is made from garlic cloves, salt, tahini paste, freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice, water, and parsley. This sauce is delicious drizzled on just about everything–especially salads, sandwiches, or on top of roast veggies. Cucumber pickles: I like to grab Quick Picked Cucumbers from my fridge for this shawarma, but if added steps aren’t your thing, store bought works well too. Or, if pickles aren’t your thing, you can leave them off! Pita bread: Fresh homemade pita is worth every minute of extra work when you have the time, but store bought pita works well here too. I try to find the softest, fluffiest option at my grocery store or Middle Eastern market. Mediterranean Salad: Using just tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, salt, pepper, sumac, olive oil, and lemon juice, this salad is a must. 1 red onion or pickled red onion: Red onion adds a nice bite to the sandwich. If you prefer a milder flavor, try quick pickled onions. Kosher salt and black pepper: Salt and pepper bring out the flavor of the cauliflower shawarma. Cauliflower: A large head of cauliflower (about 1 1/2-2 pounds) is the main ingredient in this dish. Yellow onion: Yellow onions are sweeter and more flavorful than white or red, so they caramelize well. If you have white or red on hand, you can feel free to substitute. Extra virgin olive oil: Use a high quality extra virgin cooking olive oil, like Koroneiki Organic Greek EVOO from the shop.

How To Make Cauliflower Shawarma

This cauliflower shawarma is simple: the cauliflower is oiled, spiced, roasted on a sheet pan, and done in no time. Follow my step-by-step guide for how to make Cauliflower Shawarma so it’s super tender and flavorful.

Get ready: Preheat your oven to 450°F. While your oven is heating, break up the cauliflower into florets. Put the florets into a large mixing bowl as you go. Halve the onion, peel, and slice it into half moons. Add to the bowl with the cauliflower. Season the vegetables: Toss the cauliflower and onions in a large bowl with the Shawarma Spice Blend and a large pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and toss to make sure florets are coated. Roast the vegetables: Spread the seasoned cauliflower and onions in one single layer on a large sheet pan. Cover the sheet pan with a large piece of foil. Bake, covered, on the center rack of your heated oven for about 15 minutes. Caramelize the vegetables: Carefully remove the foil and allow the cauliflower to roast for another 25 to 30 minutes. Check occasionally to rotate the baking sheet and turn the cauliflower over using a pair of tongs. (Cauliflower should be very tender and caramelized or even charred in some parts). Make the Mediterranean salad and the tahini sauce: While the cauliflower is roasting, make the salad and tahini sauce. Serve: Pile the roasted shawarma cauliflower on a pita. Top with the salad, some pickled red onion, cucumber pickles (if using), and a drizzle of Tahini Sauce. Wrap the pita up and enjoy!

What Is Shawarma?

Traditionally made with chicken, beef, or lamb, shawarma is meat that’s seasoned and slow-roasted on a spit–think of those towers of meat slowly turning in Middle Eastern restaurants or al pastor in Mexico (I have my own home-style version of a grilled chicken shawarma on the spit as well). That delicious slow cooked meat is shaved very thin and served wrapped in pita with a various sauces and vegetables. Here, I use cauliflower in place of chicken or beef, and there is no slow-roasted spit required! Just a sheet pan and your oven. I season the cauliflower with fragrant Mediterranean spices and then slowly roast it until the florets become caramelized and tender, with just the right amount of char. How delicious the humble cauliflower is when treated right never ceases to amaze me—I could truly eat this cauliflower shawarma at any time of day!

How to Break Up Cauliflower into Florets

First let’s take it back a step: what is a cauliflower floret? If you think of cauliflower like a tree, the florets are the branches: it’s the bumpy piece of cauliflower that’s attached to the stem. How to easily break up cauliflower into florets:

Set the cauliflower on its stem and cut in half from top to bottom. Put each half on its side so you’re looking at the core. Slice through each core to make 4 quarters. Cutting at a diagonal, slice off the core (very thick white center) of each quarter. Use your hands to break off the florets into bite-sized pieces.

What to Serve with Cauliflower Shawarma

Cauliflower shawarma–especially with all the extras–is a full meal by itself.If you’re serving cauliflower shawarma for a party and want a few more things going on, I love to get my favorite mezzes ready and have them on my table when my friends arrive. The shawarma alone is filling, so a variety of light and fresh dips served with raw veggies–like carrots, radishes, and cucumber–is perfect here: Zaalouk (Moroccan Eggplant Salad), Loaded Hummus with Shallots and Shishito Peppers, and Easy Tzatziki Sauce are some of my favorites.