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Just because you’re vegan, whether temporarily, once a week, or permanently, it doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice flavor. 30 Minute Vegan Mushroom Shawarma is such a wholesome and delicious way to incorporate a plant-based meal into your diet. With apple cider vinegar, olive oil, garlic, Worcestershire, Arabic 7 spices, cumin, Aleppo pepper, and mastic (optional), it’s striking and super simple to prepare. While the sliced mushroom roasts, make a hummus or combine yogurt with cucumbers and mint. You can use it in sandwiches, salads, or rice bowls. Vegan Mushroom Shawarma is super versatile and perfect any night of the week.
The ingredients list might seem extensive, but if you’ve been following this blog, you probably already have most of it. I’ve also included substitutions in case you need them.
Ingredients
Portabello mushrooms — I love to replace meat with portabello mushroom in various dishes. It’s heftiness and umaminess mean you can prepare it for both vegans and omnivores. You’re going to slice them, cover them in the marinade, and then roast for about 30 minutes.
Apple cider vinegar — The acidic component in the marinade. I like acv for its fruitiness, but you can also sub with white vinegar or lemon juice.
Olive oil — Olive oil adds flavor and healthy fat, while also allowing the mushrooms to brown nicely.
Garlic — Mushrooms and garlic are like a match made in heaven. I smash mine with a mortar and pestle, but you can also mince them finely.
Arabic 7 spices — In the Middle East, families traditionally make their own seasoning mixes. For meat, it’s usually a combination of all spice, black pepper, paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, and/or fenugreek. I use the “meat” spice mix to achieve the same flavor profile. You can either buy some pre mixed, or prepare your own using the spices I listed.
Aleppo pepper flakes — I love Aleppo pepper for its mild spiciness and fruitiness. You can sub with crushed red pepper if you’d like.
Black pepper — I like to use freshly ground black pepper, while others prefer already ground because it’s milder. It’s up to you.
Salt — Diamond Crystal kosher salt is my favorite because I find it really easy to control. Its finer granules make it less salty per volume, and it dissolves much quicker than table salt, but any kind of salt works.
Worcestershire — A fermented sauce from Worcestershire, England that includes soy, vinegar, and garlic. A few dashes really amps up the flavor. It can contain added sugar and salt, so if you’re trying to stay away from those (or preparing for babies), you can substitute with coconut aminos. If you don’t have either, sub with soy sauce (although not for babies, because it’s too high sodium).
Mastic — Mastic is the resin from the mastic tree on the island of Chios. It’s dried into crystalized “tears” and is a bit piney in flavor. When it’s chewed, it makes a gum. It’s used in Arabic desserts, like clotted cream (qashta), ice cream, and almond milk pudding (kishk al fuqara). It’s also used in my mom’s meat shawarma recipe. You can purchase it at your local Arabic store or online. If you have trouble sourcing it, Mushroom Shawarma will still be delicious, but it does add a certain je ne sais quoi.
Red onion — Sliced red onion adds color and flavor to your bowls or sandwiches. I like to soak them in vinegar (either apple cider or white) to mellow them out.
Method
This dish a super easy one bowl and one pan meal. I preheat the oven to 425° F/218° C. I first wipe the mushrooms with a damp paper towel and slice them into 1/2” thick pieces. In a medium-sized bowl, I smash the mastic with a mortar. I then add the garlic, and smash that as well. I then pour in the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, Arabic 7 spices, cumin, Aleppo pepper, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire. After transferring the mushrooms to a large roasting pan, I pour the marinade on top and toss to combine. I then roast for about 30 minutes, tossing halfway through.
Meanwhile, I make a cucumber and mint yogurt. If you’re making this vegan, you can also prepare a quick hummus with canned chickpeas. I also slice the red onions and soak them and prepare the base (rice or bread).
By the time the mushrooms are browned and cooked through, the everything is ready for assembly!
I hope you give this recipe a try! If you do, don’t forget to put it in the comments so everyone knows how it worked out. I also love to see your creations! You can tag me on social media at #omayahcooks, @omayah.atassi on Instagram, @omayah on Pinterest, and @omayahatassiphoto on Facebook.
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Vegan Mushroom Shawarma
Ingredients
- 6 portabello mushroom caps, sliced into 1/2" pieces
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed or minced
- 1/2 c apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 c olive oil
- 2 tsp Arabic 7 spices (all spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes or 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp mastic, smashed (optional)
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1 small red onion, sliced soaked in 1/2 c apple cider or white vinegar
- Yogurt, cucumber, mint dressing
- Hummus
- Naan
- Rice
- Bulgur
- Sliced radishes
- Pita bread
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F/218° C. Add the sliced mushrooms to a large roasting pan.
- Combine the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, Arabic 7 spices, cumin, salt, Aleppo pepper flakes or crushed pepper, black pepper, and mastic if using in a medium bowl. Pour over the mushrooms and stir to combine.
- Roast the mushrooms for about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until they're browned and cooked through.
- Meanwhile, add the sliced red onions and vinegar in a medium-sized bowl and allow them to soak for about 10 minutes.
- Make the yogurt, cucumber, and mint mixture or a quick hummus using canned chickpeas.
- Serve immediately with pita, naan, rice, or salad.
