Cauliflower Shawarma Bowls with Tahini Dressing

5 from 10 votes

Cauliflower Shawarma Bowls with Tahini Dressing

Cauliflower Shawarma Bowls recipe is a perfect, Lebanese-inspired meatless weeknight dinner that’s healthy and super flavorful.

Prep Time20

Total Time20

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Servings: large bowls

Calories: 491kcal

Author: Agnieszka

Ingredients

For the Cauliflower Shawarma:

1 large head cauliflower
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon juiced
3 garlic cloves crushed or minced
1 ½ teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Tahini Dressing:

¼ cup tahini
Juice from ½ lemon
¼ teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon maple syrup
¼- ½ cup cold water
salt & pepper to taste

For the bowls:

10 oz Mixed greens or more
15 oz can of chickpeas rinsed and drained
2 mini cucumbers sliced
½ pint cherry tomatoes halved
12 kalamata olives halved
¼ of a medium red onion sliced thin
Everything But the Bagel Seasoning or black sesame seeds, optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wash the cauliflower, remove any leaves and core with a sharp knife and divide into florets. I like to have a mix of small and medium size florets.
Make the marinade. Place olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic and all the spices in a large bowl and mix well.
Add the cauliflower florets into the marinade and stir to coat well. If your cauliflower is very large, you can add a little more oil (1 tablespoon or so).
Spray a large baking tray with avocado oil (or other oil spray) and spread the cauliflower florets around. Bake in preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes, until soft and edges nicely roasted. Shake the tray halfway through. Take out of the oven and set aside.
Make the dressing. In a medium bowl place the tahini, lemon juice and maple syrup and stir until combined. The mixture will be thick. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper and add ¼ cup of cold water. Mix with a fork or a small whisk until smooth. If the dressing seems to thick, add more cold water. The amount of water will depend on how thick or thin your tahini is.
Assemble the bowls. Start by soaking the red onions in a cup or bowl with cold water. Let the onions hang out in water while you prepare the bowls. You can skip this step but I highly recommend it, as it takes the sharp oniony taste away from raw onions.
Divide the greens between 4 bowls. Arrange cauliflower on top and add cucumbers, tomatoes, olives and chickpeas on top. Drain the onions on a sieve and add them, as well.
Drizzle with tahini dressing and sprinkle with Everything But The Bagel seasoning (if using).
Serve and enjoy!

Notes

I like serving Cauliflower Shawarma at room temperature for these bowls but you can also serve it hot (slightly cooled to prevent the greens from wilting) or cold. It’s delicious either way!

The bowls are highly customizable and you can adjust the amounts however you like. If you love tomatoes, feel free to add more. Don’t like chickpeas? Skip them and add more cucumbers and tomatoes. You can also add other roasted vegetables, such as zucchini or peppers.

If you don’t like tahini dressing, tzatziki will also work well in this recipe.

You can use whatever mixed greens you like. Spring mix, baby spinach, arugula and Romaine will all work. I used Little Leaf Farm mixed greens.

If you don’t have cherry tomatoes, regular diced tomatoes are a good sub.

You can use regular or European cucumber instead of mini cucumbers. Personally, I like the mini ones (also called Persian cucumbers) because they have fewer seeds and more flavor.

The tahini I use for this recipe comes in a squeezable bottle and it’s creamy and pourable. Some tahini brands come in a jar and you may see oil separated from the tahini on top. That is normal. Just give the paste a good stir. If the dressing seems thick after adding water, add more, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency.

Also, tahini dressing from this recipe will thicken if you leave it to sit. To make it pourable, add a little cold water (1 tablespoon at a time) and give it a stir until it has thick salad dressing consistency.

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