Given that a gyro is usually made by carving chunks off a tower of rotating meat it might not be your first thought for a vegetarian meal. However, all that’s required to turn the recipe meat-free is a little imagination, and this mushroom-based gyro is no less satisfying than the original.
The recipe comes from BISH BASH BOSH!, the second vegan cookbook from Henry Firth and Ian Theasby – the men behind BOSH!, which dishes up recipe videos on all your favourite social media platforms.
To make this dish you’ll need a grater, a couple of frying pans, four squares of parchment paper and a clean tea towel. Emphasis on clean there – you’ll be squeezing cucumber chunks in it so don’t just grab the one you used to mop up your spilt coffee this morning. We recommend doubling up on the tzatziki so you have a ready supply of the stuff left in the fridge for future meals and don’t have to sacrifice another tea towel.
Ingredients (Serves Four)
For the gyros
- 2 red onions
- 2 garlic cloves
- 400g shiitake mushrooms
- 3tbsp olive oil
- 2tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2tsp dried oregano
- 1tsp dried thyme
- 1tsp dried rosemary
- ½tsp smoked paprika
- ½tsp sugar
- 1tsp salt
- 1 large tomato
- ½ head baby gem lettuce
- 4 pitta breads (roughly 20cm in diameter)
For the tzatziki
- ½ cucumber
- 1½tbsp salt
- 1 lemon
- 1 small garlic clove
- 4 fresh mint leaves
- 10g fresh dill
- 200g thick coconut yogurt
- a drizzle of olive oil
- salt and black pepper
Method
- Peel the cucumber and grate it into a bowl. Sprinkle over the salt and stir to coat. Set aside for 15 minutes.
- Peel and thinly slice the onions. Peel and grate the garlic. Cut the mushrooms into 1cm-thick strips.
- Place a frying pan over a medium heat and pour in 2tbsp of the olive oil. Add half the sliced onion and fry for three to four minutes. Add the garlic and stir for two minutes. Add the remaining olive oil. Tip in the mushrooms, mix well and cook, stirring, for three to four minutes. Add the vinegar, oregano, thyme, rosemary, paprika, sugar and salt. Fold everything together and cook for seven to eight minutes. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm, stirring occasionally.
- Tip the cucumber into the middle of a clean tea towel, gather up the edges and squeeze out the excess water. Put the strained cucumber back into the bowl. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze over the juice of one half, catching any pips in your other hand. Peel the garlic and finely grate it into the bowl. Finely chop the mint leaves and dill and add them to the bowl. Pour over the yogurt and mix everything with a spoon. Taste and season with more lemon juice, if necessary, plus salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Thinly slice the tomato and shred the lettuce.
- Place the second frying pan over a medium heat and gently warm the pita breads in the pan for a minute on each side.
- Lay the squares of parchment paper on a clean surface and put a pita on each one. Spread with a generous helping of tzatziki. Top with the lettuce, tomato slices, an equal serving of the mushroom mixture and the rest of the sliced onion. Wrap your gyros up in the parchment paper and serve immediately.
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