This is soy-protein shawarma with garlic sauce and pickles. It is different from our soy shawarma with tahini. The original method is preserved here, just organized more clearly.
Ingredients
- 2 cups large soy protein pieces, soaked in broth and squeezed well to remove the water.
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce.
- 1 tablespoon shawarma spice.
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil.
- A pinch of black pepper.
- Salt, or 1 teaspoon organic vegan Maggi-style seasoning.
- Garlic sauce.
- Pickled cucumber, sliced.
- Shawarma bread or saj bread.
How to Make Vegan Soy Shawarma
- Soak the soy protein for about 20 minutes until the pieces become soft. If vegetable broth is not available, the original recipe suggests making the soaking liquid with water, an onion, a carrot, garlic, a slice of ginger, a pinch of fenugreek and a pinch of salt.
- Once the soy pieces are soft, squeeze them very well and tear or cut them into smaller pieces. They should be soft enough to separate easily by hand.
- Fry them in the vegetable oil, add the soy sauce and mix well.
- Add the organic vegan Maggi-style seasoning or salt, shawarma spice and black pepper, and let the pieces brown slightly.
- Add the lemon juice and mix. Finally, add cardamom, as in the original method. The original ingredient list does not specify an amount.
- When the soy pieces have browned slightly, turn off the heat.
Assemble the Sandwich
- Spread 1 spoonful of garlic sauce on the bread.
- Add 2 spoonfuls of the soy shawarma, or as much as you like, plus sliced pickled cucumber.
- Roll the sandwich and warm it in a sandwich press.
Serve with fries, tomatoes and pickles. Enjoy 🙂
Soy Protein: Stronger Than the Old Myths About Soy
Soy provides complete protein containing all the essential amino acids, and there is no scientific reason to fear it simply because it contains isoflavones.
In a meta-analysis of randomized trials, soy protein modestly lowered LDL and total cholesterol. That is particularly relevant when soy is used to replace animal protein rather than comparing a single nutrient in isolation from the whole meal. Source.
And the phrase “soy estrogen” makes the effect sound much bigger than it is. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 40 randomized trials found no significant effect of soy isoflavones on the studied estrogen-related markers in postmenopausal women, while another clinical meta-analysis covering 41 studies found no effect on testosterone or estrogen levels in men. The presence of isoflavones is not, by itself, a scientific reason to impose a rule that soy should not be eaten regularly. Women, men.
For more detail about soy, hormones and protein, read our soy guide, currently available in Arabic while the English version is prepared.
