Chickpea Shawarma with Garlicky Tahini Lemon Dressing & Fresh Herbs

It's great to have a few meal ideas that are really satisfying, healthy & simple. These vegan shawarma  wraps are just that. Pita bread layered with hummus, baby kale, cucumber, tomato, red onion, cilantro, mint, and warm spiced chickpeas. Then I drizzle all of it with my favourite tahini dressing with lots of garlic, lemon & olive oil. (I could also see dill and mint being a delicious herb combo, I think I want that)

I tried making the chickpeas two ways, once warmed in a pan in which they remain soft, and another time roasted in the oven to make them crispy. I actually prefer them done in the pan for this wrap. The veggies provide a fresh crunch and I find the soft chickpeas give a better sandwich experience.  If you want to try crispy ones just drain & rinse a can of chickpeas...dry them really well toss them with veg oil oil and spice and pop them in the oven at 400 until they crisp up. 25 or more minutes. 

Recipes:

For this wrap I'm sharing 3 recipes. Hummus, the garlicky tahini sauce, and the shawarma spice blend. It might sound like a lot but really it is a breeze to make. The only thing I feel that would make this dish way better is homemade pita bread....store bought just isn't the same...but it's August and I don't have that kind of time. Instead I'll dream of October pita bread and make this whole situation again in a couple of months. 

Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas (540 ml)
• 2 cloves garlic (or more)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup tahini
• s + p to taste

Method:
​

1. Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth. 

Shawarma Spiced Chickpeas 

​**you should have some spice mixture leftover

Ingredients:

•  1 can chickpeas (540 ml)
•  1 tbsp coriander
•  1 tbsp cumin
•  2 tsp smoked paprika
•  1 tsp turmeric
•  1 tsp cinnamon
•  1/2 tsp allspice
•  1/2 tsp ginger
•  pinch cayenne pepper
•  veg oil for cooking

Method:
​

1. In a small bowl mix dried spices
2.  Drain chickpeas and dry well
3. Warm chickpeas in a pan (not too high heat) with a bit of veg oil. After a couple minutes sprinkle in some of the spice mixture to coat (Start with 2 tbsp). Add a bit more oil if necessary. Season with salt & pepper. Taste & add more spice mixture if needed. I find the chickpeas don't necessarily have to be piping hot, just warmed up a bit they are delicious. 

Tahini Sauce

Ingredients:
​

• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/2 cup water (add a bit at a time until desired consistency)
•  2 tbsp olive oil
•  6 tbsp lemon juice
•  3 tbsp white miso paste
•  1.5 tbsp maple syrup
•  3 cloves of garlic (or more, I put more cause I really love garlic

Method:
​

1. Whisk everything together in a bowl until it's a smooth consistency. 

To Assemble wraps

• Warm pita bread in microwave for 10 seconds or in the oven for a couple minutes
•  Spoon some hummus on each pita and swirl it all around
•  Add a small handful of baby kale or mixed greens, a small handful of diced cucumber, tomatoes, red onion slices, warmed spiced chickpeas, fresh mint and or cilantro and finally drizzle the tahini sauce all over everything. 
• Fold it in half with a couple napkins near by and dig in.