These hearty savory Vegan Gyros with Tzatziki will become a new favorite. Served with vegan tzatziki, this is sure to please.
Many moons ago, before I was vegan, I went to Greek restaurants and ordered gyros with tzatziki. Since going vegan 16 years ago, I knew I would need to come up with a similar version in vegan form, so here is my Vegan Gyros with Tzatziki.
I am a huge fan of dips and sauces in most forms, and this was no exception. I don't miss the meat or the yogurt part of the tzatziki. I miss the cucumber combined with the sourness of the yogurt - not the Greek yogurt per se. I love garlic, dill, cucumber, and lemon juice, so this is the perfect dip to replicate.
I have been working on the tzatziki part of this recipe for many years. Have I perfected it? I hope so. You never know, I may come back with another version in the future, but for now, I think I have come close.
I used half unsweetened plain coconut yogurt and half Tofutti sour cream. I wanted the tangy, sour flavor you get from yogurt - yes, non-dairy yogurts have a tangy sour flavor too.
It is really important to get the unsweetened plain soy or coconut yogurt. I made the mistake of buying the sweetened plain yogurt before because it was the only one available and had to mask the sweetness with other flavors.
I added Tofutti sour cream because of it's thickness, which mimics the thickness of Greek yogurt, and it has a sour taste as well.
It is important to grate the cucumbers instead of chopping them. You don't want all the water from the cucumbers, and after grating them you'll want to squeeze out the excess moisture. It makes for a better consistency in your tzatziki.
The olive oil adds a bit more creaminess and flavor. It is also important to use fresh dill instead of dried. There are recipes where you can swap fresh out for dried, but I wouldn't in this recipe. Fresh is best.
I used brown rice tortillas, because my diet is gluten free by necessity. They are the closest type of bread product I could think of that is close to pita (and that's vegan). If you find a vegan gluten free pita, please let me know. I miss pita bread!
I chose soy curls because they have a meaty texture, but the tzatziki would work well with falafel or grilled veggies. I seasoned the soy curls slightly, just to add some extra flavor. You may want to taste as you go, or change out the seasonings to your liking. I like to make the whole package at once, and use them in wraps with BBQ sauce or on pizza.
Vegan Gyros
Even if you are vegan and gluten free, you can still have Vegan Gyros! The Vegan Tzatziki will be a recipe you come back to again and again.
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Here are the soy curls I used to make the vegan gyros.
Vegan Gyros
Ingredients
Vegan Gyros
- 8 ounce package Butler soy curls
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 2 pinches cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- brown rice tortillas or gluten free pita
- sliced tomato I used Hot House
- sliced onion
Vegan Tzatziki
- ¾ cup seeded, peeled, and grated English cucumber
- ½ cup unsweetened plain coconut yogurt
- ½ cup vegan sour cream - I used Tofutti
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Vegan Tzatziki: Put cucumber into a strainer and strain out all the juice. After the cucumber is strained, it will measure ½ cup.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and put in the fridge for 1 - 2 hours so that the flavors combine.
- Vegan Gyros: Soak soy curls in hot water for about 10 minutes. Drain water.
- Heat oil in pan and add soy curls and spices.
- Cook until soy curls get slightly crispy.
- Heat brown rice tortilla over stove or for about 15 seconds in microwave.
- Build wrap with soy curls, tomato, onion, and tzatziki.
Nutrition
*Note: Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only. Different nutrition calculators give you different results.
Ann says
I love cooking with soy curls! Tzatziki used to be one of my favorite things to order at Greek restaurants. Glad to see a vegan version!
brad says
when do ya add the spices to the soy curls? D:
Willow Moon says
After you drain the water, heat the soy curls in oil and add spices - #4 in instructions. Hope that helps!
Jack says
The sauce is incredible. Perfect sauce. The soy curls needed more of a seasoning throughout. I added soy sauce and liquid smoke which helped get the flavor down into the soy curl.