Mushroom Gyro Bowl & Vegan Yogurt Sauce

One of my favorite things to eat as a teenager was a gyro. There was this great little shop within walking distance of our house that sold fried catfish, barbecue chicken and gyros…mostly. Or maybe that’s all I remember because that’s mostly what I ordered.

Every. Single. Time.

Recently I was watching a cooking show that featured different takes on the gyro and I was inspired. So I went to my own personal favorite vegan meat replacement. Mushrooms.

Sure, I like seitan and tofu and even lupine, but nothing is as tasty or as versatile as mushrooms. And best of all, they only require strategic cuts and proper seasoning.

Before you get worried that this is a time heavy dish, don’t. There are just four components and they are all SUPER easy.

The first thing is the rice and I used a basic basmati because its one of my favorites. Follow the instructions and voila, done.

Next you need to tackle the mushrooms because they’re going to take a bit of time to get crispy and even if you don’t want them crispy, you don’t want them mushy. Clean and trim the mushrooms, slicing them fairly thick so you get 3 to 4 slices per crimini mushroom.

Now you’re ready for the spice mixture:

Cumin

Garlic granules

Coriander

Cinnamon

All spice

Smoky paprika

Spicy Paprika

Oregano

Thyme

Salt & pepper

Jerk Seasoning (pinch)

Cook the mushrooms as desired. I like to cook them on high heat for a minute or two so they water cooks out and then I cover them to get ALL the water out…well most of it. Then I uncover and let the water evaporate before I add oil and then onions so they all crisp up together. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how patient you are.

Once the onions and mushrooms have reached desired done-ness, you’re just about ready.

Grab a handful of lettuce, about 50 grams, one juicy tomato and a few olives. Thin slice the lettuce, dice the tomatoes and rough chop the olives. Add them into a small dish with salt, pepper and a dash of balsamic vinegar.

It may seem like an unnecessary step but this little salad is a few fresh veggies for the day plus it adds the perfect amount of freshness to the vegan gyro bowl.

You can’t have a gyro without tzatziki sauce, at least I can’t.

And this is an easy sauce to make that is always worth it, especially if you have a blended spice household. I like it spicy and he doesn’t but when there’s a yogurt-dill-cucumber-mint sauce around, I can make it a little spicier.