Do you, a vegetarian, ever find yourself drooling at the rotating cone of meat in the gyro restaurant down the street? No? Just me?
Anyway.
It sucks that vegetarians don’t get good sandwiches! The next time someone hands me a slimy, flavorless portobello mushroom smooshed between two pieces of bread, I might explode. Of course I hated mushrooms growing up – who wants to eat that?
Well, this vegetarian mushroom gyro is a total game changer. I can’t get enough of the savory, meaty quality the mushrooms get after being coated in spices and pan fried. This vegetarian mushroom gyro immediately became a staple, even requested by our carnivorous partners.
It takes a few small steps to get the mushrooms super crispy for this gyro (and for other mushroom dishes!)
- Make sure they are super dry before you start cooking.
- Coat them evenly in oil first, and then toss in the spices.
- Do not crowd the pan – cook it in batches if you need so they don’t overlap much.
- Cook them in a dry pan. We use cast iron for this, but a nonstick would work too.
- Finally, leave them the hell alone.
While you’re waiting for them to crisp up, prepare your greens (we love kale here) by mixing them with oil and lemon juice. Optionally prep a quick tzatziki sauce using plain greek yogurt, shredded cucumber, minced garlic, dill, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.
Flip your mushrooms once they’ve crisped up and let the other side cook. It can take 15-20 minutes for them to cook. Then, remove onto a plate lined with paper towels.
Toast some pita or naan and top with the mushrooms. You can top this gyro with any of your favorite sandwich toppings. We used some lemony kale, tzatziki sauce and pickles, but you could also use tomatoes, onions, greek olives, hummus, crunchy lettuce, or whatever else your heart desires.
Vegetarian Mushroom Gyro
Ingredients
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp za'atar
- 1 tbsp cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp canola oil or any neutral oil with a high smoke point
- 20 oz mushrooms (about 2 standard packages)
- 4 pita breads or naan
- 2 cups shredded kale or sub any other greens
- 1 squeeze lemon juice approx 1-2 tsp
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- toppings of choice (optional) see recipe for ideas
Tzatziki sauce
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- ½ cup shredded cucumber
- 1 clove garlic crushed or finely minced
- 1 and ½ tbsp lemon juice approx 1/2 lemon
- 2 tbsp dill finely chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Clean and dry your mushrooms, and then cut into thin slices (about ¼ inch thick).
- Place the mushrooms into a large mixing bowl and drizzle with 2 tbsp of neutral oil and toss to coat.
- In a small bowl, combine cumin, za’atar, cajun seasoning, paprika, and garlic powder. Pour this mixture into the larger bowl with the mushrooms, and toss until evenly coated.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. (*for oven directions, see notes)Once hot, add mushrooms in a single layer. Do this in two batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan. Let the mushrooms cook undisturbed until they get crispy and brown, and then flip to cook the other side. This takes about 7-10 minutes per side. When done, remove and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Taste for salt (some cajun seasonings have more salt than others) and add a pinch more if needed.
- In the meantime, assemble tzatziki sauce (or use a store bought version). If you are making it yourself, add greek yogurt, shredded cucumber, lemon juice, dill, salt, crushed garlic, and olive oil to a bowl and stir to combine.
- Prepare your toppings. Toss kale or greens of choice with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt. Chop any additional toppings you’d like. Some ideas include pickles, onions, tomatoes, olives, parsley, cilantro, or feta.
- Heat your pita or naan, and then assemble your gyros. The version pictured has naan, mushrooms, kale, pickles, tzatziki, and cilantro. Serve immediately.
