Whole Food, Plant-Based Recipe Chickpea Tomato Shawarma Pita Pockets with Tzatziki

Ingredients

For the shawarma spice mix*

• 2 tsp ground cumin
  

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
  
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  
• 2 tsp garlic powder
  
• 1 tsp ground allspice
  
• 1 tsp ground chili powder
  
• ½ tsp ground turmeric

For the shawarma-spiced filling

• 2 14.5 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (preferably no-salt-added), or 3 cups cooked chickpeas
  

• 2 tomatoes, chopped (or a medley of chopped cherry tomatoes)
  
• 1½ T Shawarma spice mix (adjust to taste)

For the tzatziki

• 1 cucumber, seeded and grated
  

• 2-3 garlic cloves, finely minced
  
• 1 T fresh lemon, or more to taste
  
• ½ cup unsweetened plant-based yogurt or cashew sour cream
  
• 3 T chopped fresh dill, mint, or a combination of both

For serving

• 6 pita bread rounds or any flatbread suitable for rolling, or alternatively, prepare as a bowl over greens
  

• 2 cups (or more) shredded greens (mixed lettuce, arugula, or spinach)
  
• ½ cup pickled red onions
  
• 2 radishes, thinly sliced
  
• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine all the shawarma spices together, mix well, and set aside.
2. For the tzatziki, in another bowl, grate the cucumber and squeeze out as much juice as possible. Add cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, yogurt (or cashew sour cream), and herbs.
3. Stir the tzatziki well and refrigerate while preparing the filling.
4. For the chickpea filling, heat a dry skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the tomatoes and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Season the filling by adding 1½ T of the Shawarma spice mix and the chickpeas. At this point you may need to add a splash of water to keep the filling from sticking or burning.
6. Cook the filling for about 5 minutes.
7. To assemble as a pita pocket, cut each pita in half to create two pockets, or simply
spoon the filling onto a whole pita and fold it in half.
8. Fill each pita pocket with greens, the chickpea filling, red pepper strips, and any other desired toppings.
9. Top with a dollop of tzatziki and some pickled onions.
10. Serve immediately. Refrigerate all leftovers.

Chef's Notes