JessicaThis butternut squash shawarma bowl is sweet and savory with the caramelized roasted butternut squash, has some crunch due to the fresh veggies and of course lots of flavour with the garlic sauce!
I have been eating shawarmas for over 20 years. Of course 20 years ago I would go to a fast food place and get a chicken shawarma with extra garlic sauce. Definitely not a meal that is vegan or gluten free! 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!
The hardest part of this recipe is peeling the butternut squash. I have definitely cut my thumb pretty bad while trying to peel one of these suckers so be careful! 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. I like to use a small microplane for my garlic but if you don’t have one you can just mince the garlic with a knife and add it to the sauce. I also have a lower fat version of the dressing provided that is just as tasty.
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. I actually love doing this, I find it so satisfying!
Once the rice and butternut squash are cooked dinner is ready! I serve the squash over rice and have the rest of the toppings on the table so everyone can add what they would like. Enjoy!
Butternut Squash Shawarma Bowl
This butternut squash shawarma bowl is sweet and savory with the caramelized roasted butternut squash, has some crunch from the fresh veggies and of course lots of flavor with the garlic sauce!
4
servings15
minutes30
minutes466
kcal45
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
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
- Alternative sauce (low fat)
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
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the prepared butternut squash in a large bowl with the olive oil, coriander, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Spread the squash out onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, tossing it half way through.
- Mix together the mayonnaise, tahini, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl. You may need to add a tablespoon or two of water to thin it out a little. Place it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Prepare the rest of the vegetables and set them aside.
- Once the squash is cooked serve it over rice or quinoa and top with the prepared vegetables, garlic sauce and hot sauce if desired.
Notes
- Nutritional values based on full fat dressing and includes brown jasmine rice.
Nutritional values are a rough estimate.
Nutrition Facts
- Total number of serves: 4
- Calories: 466kcal
- Carbohydrates: 84.8g
- Protein: 8.8g
- Fat: 12.3g
- Saturated Fat: 1.2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 837.6mg
- Potassium: 1363.6mg
- Fiber: 5.1g
- Sugar: 11.1g
