Lentil Shawarma Pitas (2024)

You are here: Home / Main Dishes / Lentil Shawarma Pitas

LAST UPDATED: January 28, 2022 • FIRST PUBLISHED: January 12, 2018

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Lentils are quickly cooked up with spices and stuffed into pita bread with zesty salad and tahini sauce to make these mouth-watering vegan shawarma wraps.

My posting schedule got a little screwy this week. I hope you guys don't mind! I skipped a couple of days in the middle of the week and then I went for a Thursday-Friday double whammy. I'm trying not to work on weekends these days, and with my current level of organization that sometimes means scrambling to get the last post of the week in by Friday.

Also, it's been a pretty meaty week, for a vegan website anyhow. Not real meat, but vegan versions of meaty dishes. We had gumbo with meatballs, spaghetti with meat sauce, and now shawarma made from lentils.

This might look similar to my eggplant gyros, but the flavor is way different. The awesome thing about shawarma as opposed to gyros, is that the flavors are super versatile. I had a hard time figuring out what to make my vegan shawarma out of just because there are so many options. Seriously take a look at the recipe: cumin, paprika, cinnamon, garlic, lemon. Those spices work with so many things!

I'm glad I went with lentils though, because lentils also happen to go deliciously stuffed in pita bread with all the shawarma fixings.

To make this all you need to do is throw some cooked lentils in a skillet with a bunch of seasonings. It's really easy and a great way to use up leftover lentils if you've got them on hand (use about 3 cups).

I whipped up a quick fattoush-ish salad to go with my lentils, and it's really delicious, but you can always use your favorite veggies and dressings instead. This one is pretty adaptable, so feel free to make the recipe your own! The lentils would go great with just about anything, so don't feel obligated to eat them in a pita. They'd make an awesome salad topper, or go great in a big rice or quinoa bowl.

4.93 from 13 votes

Lentil Shawarma Pitas

Lentils are quickly cooked up with spices and stuffed into pita bread with zesty salad and tahini sauce to make these mouth-watering vegan shawarma wraps.

CourseEntree, Sandwich

CuisineAmerican, Middle Eastern

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 547 kcal

Author Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

For the Lentil Shawarma

1cupdried brown lentils
1tablespoonlemon juice
2tablespoonssoy sauce
1tablespoontomato paste
2tablespoonsolive oil
1small onion, diced
2garlic cloves, minced
2teaspoonsground cumin
1teaspoonground coriander
1teaspoonpaprika
¼teaspoonground cinnamon
¼teaspoonground cloves
¼teaspoonblack pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper

For the Salad

1large tomato,diced
1medium cucumber, diced
2tablespoonslemon juice
1garlic clove,minced
2scallions,chopped
2tablespoonchopped fresh mint
½teaspoonsumac(optional, but really nice)
Salt and pepper to taste

For Serving

4pitas
Tahini or hummus
Kalamata olives(optional)

Instructions

Place the lentils into a medium saucepan and cover with a few inches of water. Place over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Lower the heat and allow to simmer until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes, adding water to the pot as needed. Drain the lentils when finished cooking.
While the lentils simmer, combine the soy sauce, lemon juice and tomato paste in a small bowl.
Coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Sauté about 1 minute more, until very fragrant.
Add the lentils and the soy sauce mixture to the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the lentils are heated throughout and the liquid has dried up.

To Make the Salad

Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl.

To Assemble the Pitas

Slather pita bread with hummus or tahini and stuff with lentils and salad. Dress each pita with a few Kalamata olives. Serve.

Recipe Notes

Nutrition information includes 1 tablespoon of tahini per serving.

About Alissa Saenz

Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

Subscribe for email updates and receive a free copy of my veggie burger e-book!

Reader Interactions

Comments

Chelsey @ Chelsey Crafts says
January 12, 2018 at 10:48 pm

Happy new year Alissa!
These look delicious. I love cooking with lentils and haven’t tried a recipe like this one before so thank you for the inspiration.
Reply
Carra says
January 22, 2018 at 3:33 pm

Awesome recipe. I did not have all the ingredients but was so eager to try the lentils that I made do with what
I had. I was able to make the lentils as directed. I used homemade tahini made with roasted sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and hemp seed and olive oil. I used a fresh flour tortilla and tomatoes. Even this simple it was awesome. I can only imagine how much better it would be if I had everything listed.
Reply
- Alissa Saenz says
  January 24, 2018 at 4:25 pm
  Way to improvise! Those additions actually sound delicious! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Carra!
  Reply
- Patricia says
  January 26, 2020 at 4:16 pm
  How did you make your tahini? I'm allergic to sesame so no tahini but I'd LOVE to make my own for use in so many recipes.. I always have an assortment of seeds and definitely have a bag of hemp hearts in my fridge.
  Reply
  See Also
  Enchiladas Rezept mit Linsen | vegan, glutenfrei - Elavegan
Sara says
January 24, 2018 at 7:57 pm

Made the recipe exactly as written. It was amazing. Every single ingredient really adds to the flavor. I couldn't imagine this dish being as good if just one of the ingredients was omitted.
Reply
- Alissa Saenz says
  January 25, 2018 at 8:58 pm
  I'm so glad you enjoyed it!!
  Reply
Chelsea says
January 29, 2018 at 6:27 pm

I don't usually leave reviews for recipes (because I'm lazy) but this is seriously soo soo good! It is our new go to recipe for weeknight dinners. My husband and I love indian and middle eastern foods so we are constantly seeking flavor and spice. This definitely fits the bill! It's super easy to make and is full of complex flavors and textures Unlike most recipes I find online, I wouldn't change a thing about this. It's perfect the way it is!
Reply
- Alissa Saenz says
  February 01, 2018 at 3:18 pm
  Awesome!! I'm so glad you're both enjoying it! Thanks Chelsea!
  Reply
kristin says
February 08, 2018 at 6:25 am
definitely making this! thank you!
Reply
- Alissa Saenz says
  February 08, 2018 at 3:54 pm
  I hope you enjoy it!
  Reply
Todd says
May 25, 2018 at 2:11 pm

Wow this was unexpectedly delicious! I've made many of your recipes and they never let me down, but this one REALLY stands out. Top notch.
Reply
- Alissa Saenz says
  May 26, 2018 at 10:45 am
  I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks so much Todd!
  Reply
Hayley says
September 14, 2018 at 2:47 pm

I made these just now and my boyfriend loved them. I used spicy tahini and spicy hummus as condiments and then added parsley, pickled radish, and olives to the salad mixture. I put these on elavegan's spinach tortillas and my boyfriend literally said it was his favourite meal ever... hahaha we've eaten some pretty good food, so that's saying a lot. I just found that the lentil mixture needed a little bit of sweetness to round out the spices a little... maybe that is just because i don't use olive oil in my cooking ?? not sure... it was still amazing.
Reply
- Alissa Saenz says
  September 16, 2018 at 3:19 pm
  Awesome!! I'm so glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed them! Pickled radish sounds like a delicious addition! You could absolutely add a bit of sweetness to the lentil mixture with a dash of sugar or maple syrup. :)
  Reply
Olivia says
January 25, 2019 at 12:18 pm

This is one of my go to dinners almost every week, it is SO GOOD and so easy, and amazing as leftovers the next day as well - thank you for this recipe!
Reply
- Alissa Saenz says
  January 27, 2019 at 3:08 pm
  I'm so glad you like it!!
  Reply
CruznV says
February 28, 2019 at 1:47 pm
Anyone try make the Lentils in the Instant Pot yet?
Reply
Rachel B says
July 30, 2019 at 6:51 pm

Though I am not a vegan or vegetarian, this is a staple recipe in our house (I found this recipe over a year ago). My boyfriend and I absolutely LOVE it — and I grew up in the Middle East, so my standards are high with this type of food! The spice blend is incredible — I’ve considered blending large quantities to just have on hand. LOVE this recipe!!!
Reply
- Alissa Saenz says
  August 04, 2019 at 11:20 am
  Wow! That's great to hear! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
  Reply
Nicole Boudreau says
August 03, 2019 at 4:32 pm
How much proteins per serving? Thanks.
Reply
- Alissa Saenz says
  August 04, 2019 at 10:38 am
  About 20 grams. Just added it to the nutrition label - thanks for asking!
  Reply
Kelsey says
February 20, 2020 at 1:47 pm
Love, love, LOVE this recipe!!! You said it was adapted from a regular shawarma recipe ? Any chance you have the link?
Reply
suzi says
May 24, 2023 at 10:42 pm

Made this tonight for the two of us and it was excellent!!! Followed exactly but used ours in a bowl with leftover rice, roasted red pepper hummus, chopped lettuce and cucumber, tomatoes and tahini lemon sauce and shatta. Warmed a flour tortilla and wrapped up bits for a deconstructed sort of wrap/pita. Will definitely make again!!
Reply
Ross says
December 03, 2023 at 7:14 pm

Have made this several times now. A quick easy favourite and friends love it.
Reply