Chickpea Shawarma Sandwich, DIY Shawarma Spice Blend

Chickpea Shawarma Sandwich

Amazing, 30-minute Chickpea Shawarma Sandwich with spicy baked chickpeas, a creamy Garlic Dill sauce, and lots of fresh vegetables. A healthy, quick, and satisfying plant-based meal!

Author Minimalist Baker

Servings4 (sandwiches)

CHICKPEAS

·        425 g can chickpeas (rinsed, drained and patted dry)

·        15 ml grape seed or avocado oil

·        1 tsp each cumin and garlic powder

·        1/2 tsp each sea salt + black pepper

·        1/2 tsp smoked (or regular) paprika

·        1/4 tsp each ground coriander + cinnamon

GARLIC DILL SAUCE

·        60 g hummus (or tahini*)

·        15 ml lemon juice (juice of 1/2 lemon as original recipe is written)

·        3/4-1 tsp dried dill*

·        9 g garlic (minced)

·        30-45 ml water or unsweetened almond milk (to thin)

·        Sea salt to taste (optional // I didn’t need any)

FOR SERVING

·        Vegan pita or flatbread (ensure gluten-free for GF eaters)

·        Sliced tomato (optional)

·        Sliced red onion (optional)

·        Romaine lettuce or fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

·        Chilli garlic sauce (optional )

Instructions

1.               Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and line a large baking sheet (or more if making larger batch) with foil or parchment paper.

2.               In a small mixing bowl toss rinsed and dried chickpeas with oil and spices* and spread on baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until slightly crispy and golden brown. Once slightly cooled, sample and adjust seasonings as desired (I added a bit more sea salt, cumin and garlic powder for extra flavor).

3.               While the chickpeas are roasting, prepare your sauce by adding hummus, lemon juice, dill and garlic to a mixing bowl and whisking to combine. Add enough water or almond milk to thin so it’s pourable (~2-3 Tbsp as original recipe is written // adjust amount if altering batch size).

4.               Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add more garlic for more zing, salt for savoriness, lemon juice for freshness, and dill for a more intense herb flavor. I found mine didn’t need anything else.

5.               To serve, warm pitas or flatbread in the microwave for 15 -30 seconds (or the still warm oven for 1 minute) and top with desired amount of chickpeas, sauce, and vegetables of choice.

6.               Best when fresh, though leftover chickpeas and sauce will keep well stored separately in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Notes

*You can sub 2-3 tsp fresh dill per 3/4-1 tsp dried dill
*In place of the individual spices you can add an equivalent amount of our DIY Shawarma Spice Blend!
*If you don’t have hummus, tahini will make a great base substitution for the sauce - just adjust the seasonings to accommodate the lack of flavour tahini provides.

 

 

DIY Shawarma Spice Blend

A quick and flavorful take on the classic Middle Eastern shawarma spice blend that's smoky, spicy, and incredibly versatile! Perfect for seasoning crispy chickpeas, falafel, curries, scrambles, vegetables, and more!

Author Minimalist Baker

Servings 4 (1-Tbsp servings)

·        1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

·        1/4 tsp cardamom (or cloves)

·        1 tsp ground coriander

·        1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

·        1/2 tsp ground ginger

·        2 tsp smoked paprika

·        2 Tbsp ground cumin

·        1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or 1/2 tsp ground black pepper // amount as original recipe is written)

 

1.               Add all spices to a small jar and shake or stir to combine. Will keep at room temperature for several months.