These easy cauliflower and chickpea shawarmas are packed with flavour! They are made with pieces of tender roasted cauliflower and crispy chickpeas in a homemade spice mix, wrapped in warm pita bread with a zesty lemon mayo and fresh salad. These make for the most delicious plant-based weekday meal.
If you’re looking for inspiration for healthy meals that are a little bit different, then I encourage you to bookmark this recipe and give it a go. It’s a simple vegetarian recipe that’s packed full of flavour.
Cauliflower and chickpeas are roasted in the oven in a bunch of different spices and then wrapped up in pita bread with salad, herbs, and a drizzle of zesty lemon mayo. It’s so delicious, not to mention fun and colourful making it a great weeknight dinner idea.
The combination of cauliflower and chickpeas to make a filling and delicious vegetarian meal just cannot be beat. If you agree, then you also need to try my cauliflower and chickpea salad, or these spiced cauliflower and chickpea burgers – they are so good!
What is shawarma?
Shawarma is a popular Middle Eastern dish that is made of seasoned and spiced meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie that is thinly sliced and served in pita bread, or on a plate with accompaniments. In Australia we would associate this as being what we can get from the local kebab shop.
This version uses the traditional shawarma as inspiration but uses a spiced vegetarian filling instead.
Key Ingredients
This is such a simple recipe using a few key ingredients, including a well stocked spice rack, to ensure maximum flavour in these vegetarian pita wraps.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cauliflower – depending on the size of your cauliflower, you’ll need either one small whole one or half a large one, cut into florets.
- Chickpeas – use a can of chickpeas that have been drained and rinsed. Make sure to dry them well to help them get crispy as they bake.
- Spices – to get that classic middle eastern flavour through the vegetarian filling, we are using a combination of smoked paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander, and ground turmeric.
- Garlic – I like the extra flavour of using fresh garlic in this recipe but you can also substitute with ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Vegan mayonnaise – use any brand you prefer or use regular mayo if you don’t need this recipe to be vegan. You can also substitute with a dairy free Greek yoghurt.
- Lemon – both the juice and zest of the lemon are used to create a zesty flavoured mayo.
- Salad – you can use any combination of salad ingredients but I like to keep it simple with some mixed lettuce leaves and sliced cucumber.
- Mint – fresh mint adds so much flavour and works perfectly with the combination of spiced cauliflower and lemon mayo. You can also use some fresh parsley.
- Pita breads – you can make your own like in my Greek lamb pitas recipe or simply use store bought which is what I usually do to keep this recipe simple. I really like the Mission Souvlaki Bread.
Step-By-Step Instructions
I love this recipe because it really is quite low effort as most of the time is waiting for the cauliflower and chickpeas to bake!
Start by cutting up the cauliflower into bite sized pieces. I like to keep mine on the bigger side so I get nice chunk of cauliflower to bite into. You’ll also need to rinse and drain the chickpeas.
🤓Tip! Make sure to pat dry the chickpeas really well as this helps ensure they crisp up in the oven as they bake instead of becoming chewy. If you want REALLY crispy chickpeas, you can also just cook them in the air fryer. Use the method in my crispy chickpeas recipe.
Add the chickpeas and the cauliflower into a large bowl and season with the spices, salt and pepper and the olive oil. Mix everything together well, until coated. Place the chickpeas and cauliflower pieces evenly on a baking tray lined with baking paper and place in the oven for 35-40 minutes, turning half way.
While the cauliflower and chickpeas are roasting, you can prepare your accompaniments. Start with the sauce. Combine the mayonnaise with the zest and juice from one lemon and season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste. You want it to be really tangy!
Slice the cucumber, wash the lettuce and pick the leaves from the mint. Finally, heat the pita bread in a pan on the stove or in the oven.
Once the cauliflower and chickpeas are done, it’s time to assemble. Add the lettuce and cucumber to the pita bread, top with the roasted cauliflower and chickpeas then a generous drizzle of the lemon mayo. Garnish with the mint leaves. Fold up the pita and enjoy!
And yes, these can be a little messy to eat but totally worth it!
Shawarma Variations
This cauliflower and chickpea shawarma recipe can be used as a base for you to get creative and adjust the toppings as you like. Some options include;
- Spread some hummus on the base of the pita bread and use a garlic sauce instead of the lemon mayo.
- Add hot chilli sauce for a spicy version.
- Use roasted sweet potato or pumpkin in place of, or along with, the cauliflower.
- Serve it over rice or quinoa (or any grain) instead of pita for a gluten-free bowl version.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can roast the cauliflower and chickpeas up to 2 days in advance and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the oven or air fryer to restore crispness before serving. The lemon mayo can also be made ahead and stored in the fridge.
You can warm the pita bread in the oven for a few minutes, on a dry frying pan over medium heat, or even wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave for 15-20 seconds. But my preference is to heat them directly over the gas flame on my stove top – but watch them closely as they can burn easily.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More cauliflower recipes:
Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo
Air Fryer Cauliflower Tacos
Vegan Cauliflower Cheese Bake
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
Cauliflower and Chickpea Shawarmas
Equipment
Ingredients
For the roasted cauliflower and chickpeas:
- 500 grams (½ head) cauliflower cut into florets
- 1 x 400gram can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 1½ tablespoon olive oil
For the lemon mayo:
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
To serve:
- Lettuce leaves
- Sliced cucumber
- Fresh mint leaves
- 4 pita breads
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced) or 400°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cauliflower florets, chickpeas, smoked paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, salt, black pepper, garlic, and olive oil. Toss until the cauliflower and chickpeas are evenly coated with the spices.
- Spread the mixture in a single layer on a lined baking tray. Roast in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the cauliflower is golden and tender, and the chickpeas are crisp.
- While the cauliflower and chickpeas are roasting, slice the cucumber and wash the lettuce and mint. Warm the pita breads in the oven or on a pan for a few minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the vegan mayonnaise with the lemon juice and zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread a generous amount of lemon mayo over each pita. Fill with the roasted cauliflower and chickpeas, then top with lettuce, cucumber, and mint leaves.
- Fold the pitas and serve warm. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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