Vegetarian Mushroom Shawarma Pitas

By Alexa Weibel

Vegetarian Mushroom Shawarma Pitas
Jenny Huang for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
5(3,481)
Comments
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Dusted with smoky spices like cumin, coriander and paprika, these thick-cut roasted portobello mushrooms are inspired by shawarma, Middle Eastern spiced lamb — and they taste surprisingly meaty. The flavors are bold, but the prep is simple: While the mushrooms and onions roast, make an easy turmeric and Greek yogurt sauce, and toss sliced red cabbage with salt. Pile everything into a pita with a flurry of cilantro and mint to freshen things up (parsley or salad greens would also do the job in a pinch). While these hearty pitas are best enjoyed with a knife and fork as open-faced sandwiches, they can also be folded into half-moon parcels and eaten out of hand.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • ¾pound portobello mushroom caps, sliced ½-inch thick
  • 1medium red onion, halved and cut into ⅓-inch wedges
  • 3tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¾teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½teaspoon ground sweet or smoked paprika (optional)
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 4pitas
  • 2packed cups very thinly sliced red cabbage (about 6 ounces)
  • ¾cup low-fat or whole-milk Greek yogurt
  • ¾teaspoon ground turmeric
  • Cilantro or mint, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

328 calories; 17 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 631 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 425 degrees. On a large rimmed sheet pan, drizzle the mushrooms and red onion with 3 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with cumin, coriander, paprika (if using), 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper; toss to coat. Arrange in an even layer and roast until tender and browned, about 20 minutes. Add the pitas directly to the oven rack to warm during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, toss cabbage with remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a medium bowl; toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, stir together yogurt and turmeric; season with salt and pepper.

  3. Step 3

    To serve, slather yogurt over warm pitas. Top with cabbage, mushroom mixture and herbs, and serve immediately.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
3,481 user ratings
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Comments

Kaia

I thought the yogurt with turmeric was a game-changer. That was a subtle flavor that took the dish to another level for me. My kids all ate this, and since I was out of cumin I added extra ground coriander and called it a day. My mushrooms were pre-sliced, and it took me a grand total of 27 minutes to make this dish, start-to-finish, because my oven preheats quickly. I also had time to set the table and pour drinks in that time, and at no point did I feel rushed. EXCELLENT weeknight dinner!

Allie

I made a taziki yogurt sauce instead of just using Greek yogurt. This recipe was delicious.

Rebecca

Great mushrooms! The yogurt sauce wasn’t my favorite...but going to try leftovers with the tahini dressing from the spiced chickpea and pita chip salad

Delicious

I added a few cloves of garlic to the mushrooms and onions, after roasting I separated them, mashed them with a fork and tossed them back in. I added the juice of half a lemon to the cabbage. For the yogurt sauce I doubled the turmeric, added some garlic powder and cinnamon, a little liquid smoke and the juice of half a lemon. Perfection on homemade pitas.

Tante Stacey

Not impressed by this recipe. IMHO, The mushrooms were delicious but were overpowered by the cabbage. The yogurt/turmeric sauce was ok. I think a tahini w/ lemon and garlic would be better. I’m not gonna try it again because we both felt it was underwhelming.

Swainy - A British Veggie Cook in NY

Wow! I love NY times recipes and comments, so helpful, thank you all. I’m the cook for the family. I served this meal for my family and my 25-year old son (meat eater) loved it. He said “best vegetarian meal he had ever had” I’m definitely adding this to the rotation. I used tandoori naan as I didn’t have pita in the house. 5 stars from me!

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