Healthy vegan Mediterranean pita sandwiches feature lemon-herb soy curls and a quick and refreshing vegan cucumber-yogurt sauce. They're light yet filling and perfect for lunch and dinner.
½teaspoonpoultry seasoning - this is a blend of dried herbs that includes sage, thyme, rosemary
1tablespoonolive oil
teaspoondried oregano
½teaspoondried thyme
3tablespoonsfresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
Yogurt sauce:
½cupplain, unsweetened non-dairy yogurt - see Notes
about ⅓cupfinely diced peeled cucumber
½teaspoongarlic powder
pinch ofsalt
Pita bread and garnish:
3 or 4pita bread rounds - or any bread/wrap you like
1mediumroma tomato, chopped - or other variety
cucumber, chopped or sliced - as much as you like; no need to peel if using English cucumber
fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
Place dry soy curls in a large bowl. Add just enough boiling water. to barely cover (about 1 cup) Add the nutritional yeast, salt, onion powder, and poultry seasoning, and stir well. Let soak for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt sauce ingredients. Set aside.
Preheat a large non-stick saute pan over medium heat. Pick up handfuls of the hydrated soy curls and squeeze out excess liquid. Cook the soy curls for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Slide soy curls to one side of the pan. On the other side, add olive oil directly to pan. Add oregano and thyme to the oil, and let sizzle for 10 to 15 seconds. Stir to incorporate with the soy curls. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the soy curls are golden brown.
To assemble the sandwiches, spread a layer of yogurt sauce on (or in) the pita, followed by soy curls, cucumber, tomato, and more sauce. If desired, add fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
Notes
If you have trouble finding plain vegan yogurt in stores, it's easy to make at home. Try one of these recipes: tofu yogurt, cashew yogurt, almond milk yogurt.Variations
gluten-free - soy curls are naturally GF, as are all of the seasonings. Pair them with your favorite gluten-free wrap or bread.
oil-free - the only added oil in this recipe is 1 tablespoon of olive oil. It enhances the flavors of the dried herbs in the saute. If you strictly avoid oil, feel free to omit. As needed, add a splash of vegetable broth, water, or extra lemon juice to the saute pan.
Mediterranean bowl - pair the cooked vegan "chicken," veggies, and yogurt sauce with pasta, rice, potatoes, or roasted root vegetables.
stuffed potatoes - roughly chop the sauteed soy curls and pile on top of a baked potato. Drizzle with yogurt sauce and dig in!
Store - Refrigerate the cooked soy curls separately from other components . Keeps for up to 5 days. Reheat or serve cold. May also be frozen for longer storage.