This Tofu Shawarma Bowl brings the savory and smoky flavors of traditional shawarma to your kitchen, but without any meat! Perfect for weeknight meals, meal‑prep, or impressing guests at your next get-together!

Tofu Shawarma Bowls

Shawarma, a popular street‑food of the Levant, traces its roots back to the Ottoman Empire, where thinly sliced marinated meat was slow‑roasted on a vertical spit and served wrapped in warm flatbread. Over the decades, the technique spread across the Middle East and beyond, evolving into countless regional variations.

With these Tofu Shawarma Bowls, you can enjoy the those same bold flavors and textures by swapping meat for thinly sliced tofu. In this recipe, we marry seasoned tofu with turmeric rice, a crisp cucumber‑tomato salad, and crunchy pita chips, creating a wholesome bowl that captures the spirit of classic shawarma while staying totally plant-based.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Meal-Prep Friendly: Prep the rice, cucumber-tomato salad, and tofu ahead of time, and assemble bowls quickly for lunch or dinner.
• Budget-Friendly: Tofu, rice, and pantry spices are fairly affordable and accessible staples; the whole recipe serves 4 to 6 people for under $15, appealing to cost‑conscious cooks.
• Customizable: Swap the cucumber-tomato salad for roasted summer veggies, or add pomegranate seeds in winter! The core flavor profile stays intact while letting you use what’s available seasonally and locally.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare the Shawarma-Spiced Tofu:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, and the cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, cinnamon. Toss the shredded tofu in the spice mixture until every piece is evenly coated. Spread the tofu on a parchment-paper lined baking tray in a single layer, making sure pieces aren’t overlapping (this ensures even browning). Place the baking sheet in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping the tofu halfway through, until golden‑brown edges and a slightly crisp around the edges.

2. Cook the Turmeric Rice:

Place the rinsed rice, minced onion, garlic, melted butter, and turmeric in a rice cooker and mix thoroughly top combine. Pour in the broth, stirring once more to combine. (For stovetop instructions, please see recipe notes below). Place the lid on the rice cooker and set to start. When done, fluff with a fork.

3. Assemble the Cucumber-Tomato Salad:

In a bowl, combine the cucumber, tomato, and onion with minced parsley. Dress with red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper; toss gently.

4. Build Your Shawarma Bowls!

 To build the shawarma bowls, add a base of rice, lettuce and cucumber-tomato salad. Top with a generous amount of tofu shawarma, pickled onions, and garlic sauce. 

5. Serve and Enjoy!

Serve immediately with fresh lemon wedges and enjoy!

More Tofu Recipes

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If you give my Tofu Shawarma Bowls a try and enjoy it, I wanna know! Snap a photo, take a video, or make a story and post it to Instagram or Facebook, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs. I love seeing your recreations of my recipes! xx!

Tofu Shawarma Bowls

Ashley

These Tofu Shawarma Bowl brings the savory and smoky flavors of traditional shawarma to your kitchen, but without any meat! Perfect for weeknight meals, meal prep, or impressing guests at your next get-together!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 7 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course Lunch/Dinner, Main Course, Meal Prep, Vegan

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

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Tofu Shawarma:

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 16-ounce block of tofu, shredded or thinly shaved with a vegetable peeler

Turmeric Rice:

• 1 cup Basmati rice rinsed
• ½ cup minced white onion
• 3 cloves fresh minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon melted vegan butter
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 ½ cups vegetable broth

Cucumber Tomato Salad:

• 1 large English cucumber sliced into ½ – inch thick half moons
• 3 large tomatoes chopped into 1”-inch pieces
• 1 small red onion thinly sliced
• ¼ cup fresh minced parsley
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Shawarma Bowl:

• Shredded Lettuce optional
• Pickled onions or turnips
• Vegan-friendly garlic sauce tzatziki, or hummus (for serving, optional)
• Fresh lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• First, prep the shawarma-spiced tofu. In a large bowl whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, and the cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, cinnamon.
• Toss the shredded tofu in the spice mixture until every piece is evenly coated.
• Spread the tofu on a parchment-paper lined baking tray in a single layer, making sure pieces aren’t overlapping (this ensures even browning).
• Place the baking sheet in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping the tofu halfway through, until golden brown edges and a slightly crisp around the edges.
• While the tofu is in the oven, get started on the rice and cucumber-tomato salad.
• For the turmeric rice, place the rinsed rice, minced onion, garlic, melted butter, and turmeric in a rice cooker and mix thoroughly top combine. Pour in the broth, stirring once more to combine. (For stovetop instructions, please see recipe notes below).
• Place the lid on the rice cooker and set to start. When done, fluff with a fork.
• For the cucumber-tomato salad, mix all the ingredients in a bowl, tossing gently to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Set aside.
• To build the shawarma bowls, add a base of rice, lettuce and cucumber-tomato salad. Top with a generous amount of tofu shawarma, pickled onions, and garlic sauce. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

To make the turmeric rice on the stovetop, heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter it hot, add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Next, stir in the rice and turmeric. Toast the rice for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from heat, let sit 5 min, then fluff.

Keyword budget-friendly vegan meals, easy vegan dinner, easy vegan dinner ideas, gluten-free shawarma, plant-based shawarma, tofu shawarma bowl, turmeric rice, vegan shawarma, vegan shawarma recipe

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