Soy-protein shawarma with onion, parsley, pickles and tahini sauce. This is the version for people who prefer tarator with shawarma instead of garlic sauce.
Ingredients
For the shawarma
- 2 cups medium soy-protein pieces; if only two sizes are available, choose the larger pieces
- 4 cups vegetable broth for soaking the soy protein
- 2 large onions, sliced; one for cooking and one for the sandwich
- 1 medium tomato, finely chopped
- 1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tsp seven-spice blend
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sumac
- Salt to taste
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil
- Pickled cucumber, sliced
- Thin whole-wheat saj bread or shawarma bread
For the tahini sauce
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, with more if desired
- A pinch of salt
Method
1. Make the shawarma
- Soak the soy-protein pieces in vegetable broth for 30 minutes, or until soft.
- Once cooled, squeeze out the liquid and tear the pieces by hand, or chop them.
- Heat the oil in a pan, add the chopped soy protein and stir-fry.
- Add the soy sauce, then half the sliced onion and the chopped tomato.
- Cook until the soy pieces brown, then add the seven-spice blend, black pepper, ginger and salt. Turn off the heat once nicely browned.
- Sprinkle the sumac over the remaining onion slices and mix them with the chopped parsley.
2. Make the tahini tarator
Mix the lemon juice and tahini thoroughly with a fork. Gradually add water while mixing until smooth, keeping the sauce fairly thick. Add salt and mix again.
3. Assemble the sandwich
- Fold the thin whole-wheat saj bread into a half-circle.
- Add the soy-protein filling, pickles and tahini sauce, then sprinkle with the parsley-and-onion mixture.
- Roll the sandwich. If the bread is large, cut it so it fits your sandwich press.
- Toast in an electric sandwich press or in a pan until lightly crisp.
Serve with potatoes and tahini sauce or tarator. Enjoy 🙂
Why soy shawarma with tahini is more than “shawarma without meat”
Tahini is not a “calorie problem” we need to apologize for. It is ground sesame, bringing unsaturated fats, protein, minerals and plant compounds such as lignans in a simple, flavorful sauce.
Human trials also offer useful signals: a meta-analysis of 16 randomized trials found sesame intake associated with improvements in several cardiometabolic markers, including blood pressure and some blood lipids. The studies were small and varied, so the strongest claim is that sesame is a nutrient-rich food—not a treatment for hypertension. Source.
The soy protein in the filling provides all the essential amino acids, and a recent analysis of randomized trials found modest reductions in LDL and total cholesterol with soy protein. Source.
So the full package is clearer than simply “shawarma without meat”: soy protein + sesame + parsley and onion, without needing an animal for the protein, fats or nutrients we want.
If you prefer garlic sauce, try soy-protein shawarma with garlic sauce, or try vegan tofu shawarma.
