Crispy chickpea shawarma bowls
These vegan shawarma bowls roast canned chickpeas and red onion with a cumin, paprika and cinnamon spice mix at 425°F until crisp, then pile them over rice with cucumber salad and a garlicky tahini lemon sauce.
Published . First sent in issue 1.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Serves
- 4
- The vegan swap
- Roasted chickpeas take the place of shawarma meat and soak up the same spice mix.
- Make ahead
- Store the chickpeas, salad and sauce separately for up to 4 days. Re-crisp the chickpeas in a hot oven or air fryer for 5 minutes.
Ingredients
Chickpeas
Tahini sauce
Bowls
How to make it
Heat the oven
Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a large sheet pan with parchment.
Season and roast
Toss the dry chickpeas and onion wedges with the olive oil, all the spices and the salt. Spread them out in one layer so they are not crowded. Roast for 25 minutes, shaking the pan halfway, until the chickpeas are crisp and the onion is charred at the tips.
Whisk the tahini sauce
While they roast, whisk the tahini, lemon juice and garlic. It will seize and thicken at first; keep whisking in cold water a tablespoon at a time until it is smooth and pourable. Season with salt.
Make the salad
Toss the cucumber, tomatoes and parsley with the lemon juice, olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Build the bowls
Divide the rice among four bowls. Top with the chickpeas and onion and the salad, then drizzle generously with tahini sauce.
Why this works
Shawarma is really about the spice blend: warm cumin, smoky paprika and a little cinnamon. Put that on chickpeas, give them a hot oven and enough room on the pan, and they come out crunchy on the outside and creamy inside.
The tahini sauce is the part people ask about. It looks broken when you first add lemon. Keep whisking with cold water and it turns silky.
Tips
- Dry chickpeas crisp; wet chickpeas steam. Roll them in a clean towel after rinsing and pull off any loose skins.
- Use two pans if one is crowded. Space is what makes them crunchy.
Questions about this recipe
How do I get roasted chickpeas really crispy?
Dry them thoroughly, give them space on the pan and roast at 425°F (220°C). They crisp further as they cool for a few minutes.
Is shawarma vegan?
Traditional shawarma is made with meat, but the spice blend is plant-based, so it works just as well on chickpeas, cauliflower or mushrooms.