Name: Butternut Squash Shawarma Bowl
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: one 3lb butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 1 inch squares; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp ground coriander; 1 tbsp ground cumin; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper; 2 tomatoes, chopped small; 1/2 cucumber, deseeded and chopped small; 3 tbsp red onion, thinly sliced; 3 tbsp fresh parsley; 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise; 2 tbsp tahini; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 1 clove garlic, finely minced; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/4 cup vegan plain yogurt; 2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise; 2 tbsp tahini; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 1 clove garlic, finely minced; 1/4 tsp salt

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This butternut squash shawarma bowl combines sweet and savory flavors with caramelized roasted butternut squash, adds a satisfying crunch from fresh veggies, and packs in bold flavor thanks to the garlic sauce!

This recipe is inspired by a recipe for a butternut squash gyro in Jillian Harris and Tori Wesszer’s second cookbook, Fraiche Food, Fuller Hearts. Because it’s difficult (and expensive!) to find good gluten free wraps and it’s a lot of work to make them yourself I decided to put all of my favourite shawarma toppings into a bowl over rice and ta da, we have an amazing dinner!

A note on some of the ingredients:

Butternut squash: Butternut squash is definitely the star of the show in this recipe. They are in season in early fall although they can be available at grocery stores year round. Look for a good sized squash that is firm and heavy. An alternative to butternut squash could be sweet potatoes or acorn squash.

Vegan mayonnaise: My preferred brand of vegan mayonnaise is Hellman’s plant based mayonnaise. The consistency is not watery and it is incredibly similar to regular mayonnaise. Use your favourite vegan mayonnaise or substitute it with plain vegan yogurt.

Vegan plain yogurt: I use a vegan plain yogurt that is oat based and gluten free. I find that coconut based yogurt still has a hint of coconut flavour where the oat based one has a very neutral flavour. Use your preferred plain yogurt for this recipe or substitute it with vegan mayonnaise.

Tahini: Tahini is made from sesame seeds and has a slightly nutty flavour. There are many different brands of tahini out there, I prefer one that is on the runnier side as it blends well in recipes. Good alternatives to tahini for this recipe would be cashew butter or sunflower seed butter.

How the Butternut Squash Shawarma Bowl is made:

Peeling the butternut squash is the hardest part of this recipe. You can use a traditional vegetable peeler however I prefer to use a very sharp knife. Slice the top and bottom off the squash, this way the squash will stand steadily on the cutting board. Once peeled, scoop out the seeds and chop the squash into 1 inch pieces. Then toss them with the oil and spices. This can be done up to a few hours ahead of time.

I like to make the sauce ahead of time so that the flavours have time to marry in the fridge. It takes no more than 5 minutes to mix everything together. To mince the garlic, use a small microplane or a garlic press. An alternative would be to mince the garlic with a knife and add it to the sauce. There is a lower fat version of the dressing provided that is just as tasty.

a small dish of mayonnaise, another dish of tahini, another dish of lemon juice, surrounded by parsley, garlic, lemon and a microplane

The cooking time for the rice will depend on the type of rice that you use. I prefer brown jasmine rice which takes about an hour in the rice cooker so I always make sure to get that started first.

Preheat the oven and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the seasoned butternut squash onto the pan in a single layer.

seasoned butternut squash cubed and spread on a parchment lined baking sheet

Bake the squash for 30 minutes, tossing half way through. When the squash can easily be pierced with a knife it is done.

While the rice is cooking and the squash is roasting, prepare the rest of your vegetables. Chop the tomatoes, slice the red onion and deseed and chop the cucumber. Kitchen Tip: The easiest way to deseed a cucumber is to slice it lengthwise and then use a spoon to scoop out the seeds onto a paper towel.

A cucumber sliced lengthwise being deseeded with a spoon onto a papertowel

Serve the butternut squash shawarma bowl over rice, add the veggies and top it off with the garlic sauce and hot sauce if desired.

Enjoy!