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Vegan Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

August 25, 2017 By Chuck Underwood 49 Comments

Ever had Vegan Gyros?!

(by the way – they’re pronounced (yē-ˌrōs)…….not JIROS …and that sauce?  It’s pronounced zat-ZEE-kee)

However you pronounce it, they really are simple to make, SUPER delicious, and rest assured you’ll be getting your helping of fresh veggies for the day!

Vegan Gyros

After all …. it’s mostly a Greek Veggie Salad Sandwich anyway, just drizzled with that hard to pronounce cucumber sauce that is totally easy to make in your blender.

All I had to do was figure out how to replace the meat – and these smokey Portabello Mushrooms I come up with do the job nicely.

Mmmm……

Fresh Pita Bread
Hummus
Garden Fresh Veggies
Smokey Marinated Mushrooms
And homemade Tzatziki Sauce..?

I guarantee when all those ingredients come together to party… it’s gonna make one TASTY sandwich.

Enjoy!

 

Vegan Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

Vegan Gyros 6

Vegan Gyros with homemade Tzatziki | Brand New Vegan

 

Let’s start with the Tzatziki Sauce...

For my version, I used a 12oz block of Extra Firm Tofu.  If you’re allergic to Tofu – there may be Cashew based versions on the web, but that adds a lot of fat – so your choice. 

Make sure you pat the Tofu dry and then cube it up for your blender.

Now we simply add 3 Tbs Lemon Juice, 1 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar, 2 cloves Garlic, 1 peeled English Cucumber, a heaping Tablespoon of fresh Dill, and ½ tsp Salt.

Blend until smooth stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary.

You may like more Lemon Juice or Dill – so adjust as necessary.

Store this in the fridge until we’re ready for it later.

 

Now the Gyro Meat…

I used two 8oz Packages of pre-sliced Portabello Mushrooms.  Arrange these as best you can in a large skillet.

In a small measuring cup, add ¼ cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce, 2 Tbs Maple Syrup, 2 Tbs Water, 1 tsp Oregano, ½ tsp Garlic Powder, ½ tsp Onion Powder, ½ tsp Ground Cumin, ½ tsp Liquid Smoke, ¼ tsp Black Pepper,  ¼ tsp Rosemary, and 1/8 tsp Ground Cloves.

Whisk this together until it’s smooth and then pour over the mushrooms and turn on the heat.  Cook the mushroom on medium heat, moving them around occasionally so they all eventually spend time in the sauce.

The mushrooms are down when they are reduced in size and most of the sauce has cooked off.

(Optional – if you like your ‘meat’ a little more crispy – arrange the finished mushrooms on a parchment lined baking pan and broil them for 5 minutes or so…until they begin to crisp up….  I used my Toaster Oven which worked perfectly)  

 

And Hummus…

Everyone seems to have a favorite Hummus Recipe now so I won’t dwell on this too much…..

I make a very easy Hummus consisting of 1 can (15oz) Garbanzo Beans, and 1 can (15oz) White Beans….use the LOW SODIUM or NO SALT ADDED variety whenever you can.

Drain the beans and save the juice…..  add the beans to your blender with at least 2 Tbs lemon juice, 2-3 cloves garlic, and maybe ¼ to ½ tsp ground cumin.  Use a few tablespoons of bean liquid to thin it out if it’s too thick.   I don’t really have set amounts …as I just add a little of this – taste, add a little more…… etc.

Just be careful if you buy a store brand of Hummus, as it usually contains a LOT of oil and sometimes sodium.   

 

About Those Pitas…..

I KNOW I’m going to get a lot of questions on the Pitas.

Where do I buy Oil Free Pitas? 

I don’t know.  Really.  I don’t.

Just like hamburger and hot dog buns – any store bought brand is probably going to have oil.  That’s not to say they don’t exist at all….I just don’t know. And I don’t make the trip all the way to Whole Foods every time I cook a new recipe, but if there IS such a creature….Whole Foods is probably where you’d find it.

I DO know Ezekiel Brand makes a wrap…so you could always use those.

Or…you could make your own…..  a bit more work – but guaranteed to be oil-free.

 

The Assembly….  

To make the sandwich, take your favorite Pita, (wrap, whatever), and slather a good amount of Hummus right down the middle…..

Now pile on the mushrooms and veggies.  I used sliced Red Onion, sliced English Cucumbers, Red Cherry Tomatoes, and Romaine Lettuce.  Feel free to add your own favorites.

Wrap your Gyro in some parchment paper (I also used foil on the outside just to hold it together for the photo), and pour on the Tzatziki……

Hope you enjoy and please let me know how you like them in the comments!

Vegan Gyros 7

brandnewvegan

 

vegan gyros

 

 

4.84 from 25 votes
Vegan Gyros 6
Print
Vegan Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

Ever had Vegan Gyros? However you pronounce it, they're simple to make, SUPER delicious, and you'll be getting your helping of fresh veggies for the day!

Servings: 4
Author: Chuck Underwood
Ingredients
Tzatziki
  • 12 oz Extra Firm Tofu (drained and patted dry)
  • 2-3 cloves Garlic
  • 1 English Cucumber (peeled)
  • 3 Tbs Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 Tbs Fresh Dill
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
Gyro Mushrooms
  • 16 oz Portabello Mushrooms (sliced)
  • 1/4 cup Soy Sauce (low sodium)
  • 2 Tbs Maple Syrup
  • 2 Tbs Water
  • 1 tsp Oregano
  • 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
  • 1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke
  • 1/4 tsp Rosemary
  • 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1/8 tsp Ground Cloves
Garnishes
  • English Cucumber (sliced)
  • Cherry Tomatoes (sliced)
  • Red Onion (sliced)
  • Romaine Lettuce
  • 4-5 Pitas (or use Wraps)
  • Hummus
Instructions
Tzatziki
  1. Drain Tofu and pat dry, slice into smaller cubes and add to blender.

  2. Add remaining sauce ingredients to blender and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary

  3. Pour into bowl and set in fridge until ready to serve. 

Gyro Mushrooms
  1. Place mushrooms in large skillet. 

  2. Whisk remaining marinade ingredients together in a small cup (bowl) until smooth and pour over mushrooms. 

  3. Cook mushroom over medium heat until reduced in size and most of marinade has cooked off. 

  4. (Optional: Place mushrooms under broiler for extra crispness)

Assembly
  1. Using your favorite Pita (or wrap) spread some of your favorite Hummus down the middle of each Pita and layer on fresh Veggies and Mushrooms.  Drizzle with Tzatziki Sauce.  Wrap and enjoy!

 

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Filed Under: Featured, Meat Substitutes, Recipes, Sandwich Central

Previous Post: « Spicy Southwestern Black Bean Burgers
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. M Kay Caulk Hill

    August 27, 2017 at 2:22 pm

    You are right-on with the pronunciation of gyros and tzatziki. I haven’t heard anyone say it correctly since I moved away from the Chicago area. I like your easy recipe for oil-free hummus too. The whole wheat pita I found has no added oil but has plenty of sodium. The brand is Toufayan and I bought it at Kroger. I just love this vegan version-thanks Chuck!

    Reply
    • Pauline Kutsch

      November 28, 2017 at 9:27 pm

      Chuck, Thank you for the gyros! I have had some Greek food with my daughter in Vancouver, WA. Since leaving there, I have wondered how I could recreate the taste! I think I have found it!!!!! Thanks again.

      Reply
  2. Judith Foley

    August 29, 2017 at 3:44 am

    Sounds like a dinner for this week. Love the Tofu base for the sauce…. Always looking for a lower fat version of any sauce – i.e. remove the cashews – very expensive in both $$ and calories. Thanks again for your wonderful recipes.

    Reply
  3. Malene Steffensen

    September 17, 2017 at 8:25 am

    Sounds delicious, though I am wondering about using extra firm tofu in the tzatziki. Would it not be easier to use silken tofu?

    Reply
    • Chuck Underwood

      September 18, 2017 at 8:44 am

      I bet it would! Unfortunately my grocery store (my close one anyway) only carries Firm and Extra Firm. Try it – I bet it will be better!

      Reply
  4. Melissa

    December 14, 2017 at 2:29 pm

    Whole foods brand and Trader Joes brand have a fat free pita (Ive only bought the whole wheat). They are great for mini pizza’s too! Can’t wait to try this!! Yum!!!

    Reply
  5. Richard Oropeza

    December 18, 2017 at 11:25 am

    What brand name of tofu do you use?

    Reply
    • Chuck Underwood

      December 18, 2017 at 5:32 pm

      Any good Organic Tofu will do. I usually buy Extra Firm

      Reply
  6. Susanna

    January 15, 2018 at 5:09 pm

    Thank you for the outstanding recipe!. Great idea to blend the cucumber in the sauce. I also added some homemade soy yogurt to the sauce. I often sauté mushrooms with onions, garlic, and soy sauce for my salads, but never thought about eating them like this! So simple and so yummy!

    Reply
  7. Jen

    February 20, 2018 at 2:41 pm

    Yet another recipe of yours that I LOVE! Have made this several times it’s so good. The sauce makes a lot so I always double the recipe of the mushrooms and marinade so I can use the sauce as leftovers the next day. I’d rate this more stars if I could!

    Reply
  8. Randy

    February 20, 2018 at 7:47 pm

    I am thinking I will use the Naan bread recipe from Pure Plant Nation Cookbook (WFPB as well)
    for the pita bread. This looks like what’s for lunch in my house tomorrow.
    Thanks Chuck!

    Reply
    • touli

      January 11, 2019 at 4:02 am

      Can we have the recipe for this Naan pita bread please?

      Reply
      • Chuck Underwood

        January 12, 2019 at 3:06 pm

        I bought them in my grocery store

        Reply
  9. Judy

    February 21, 2018 at 9:36 am

    This is the second Brand New Vegan recipe we tried this week. Like the Instant Pot veggie stew, this one is also a home run. We didn’t have onion powder or liquid smoke in the house and the mushrooms still came out delicious. The tzatziki sauce was awesome too. I’m going to use the extra sauce as salad dressing. For those looking for pitas, we used oil-free Ezekiel pitas and they worked well.

    Reply
  10. Russ

    April 16, 2018 at 8:07 am

    I am so intrigued, I will try these tonight.
    One concern: even low sodium soy sauce is loaded, just loaded with sodium.
    ¼ cup of it is going to be 4-5 times my entire daily allowance.
    “low sodium” generally only means “compared to the full sodium version” is what I learned, and a compulsive label reader, I saw that a teaspoon of TJ’s low sodium is still a high sodium food, like ½ a day’s worth, if you need to limit sodium to the maximum daily allowance, which is still considered a generous amount by many nutritionists. Just wanted to alert people to really check the sodium content of ¼ cup, it may surprise you.
    My solution is easy: use less! and leave salt out of the tzatziki as well.
    Thanks so much for this recipe!

    Reply
    • Russ

      April 16, 2018 at 11:15 am

      It’s me Russ, I overestimated! TJ’s low sodium, ¼ cup (4 TBS) is is 80% of the recommended daily sodium, which for me is 100% of my allowance. But I’m not going to be eating all the mushrooms in one day likely, probably ½.. So yippee, if I watch my other salt that day, and check the pita bread (one TJ’s pita is 14% of the daily limit) it’s a reasonable meal for me! I’ll rate it after I make it, but I’m sure it’s great.

      Reply
    • Jeanne

      August 7, 2019 at 9:34 am

      Coconut aminos is a good relatively low sodium alternative.

      Reply
  11. Susan

    April 16, 2018 at 10:49 am

    I just had these for lunch. I followed the recipe except I used cashews rather than tofu for the tzatziki, and I added a little cilantro as a veggie (I guess I was thinking Mexican rather than Greek–lol). They were delicious, and I would recommend them to anyone–even meat eaters. Thank you Chuck.

    Reply
  12. Morga

    April 26, 2018 at 8:52 am

    Can I freeze the sauce? It makes a lot!

    Reply
    • Becky

      May 15, 2018 at 8:24 am

      Hi Morga 🙂
      If I want to know if something can survive freezing, I take a small portion to freeze and see how it works. I hope this helps as I haven’t tried this recipe yet since I came across it. 🙂

      Reply
  13. Cheryl

    April 29, 2018 at 6:16 am

    This tzatziki sauce is phenomenal. I made a big batch and used it in grilled veggie pitas, too. It’s good on anything. I took the seeds out of my cukes and cut some up fine and added to the sauce after it was blended.

    Reply
  14. Kimberly Tonjes

    May 17, 2018 at 2:53 pm

    Love this one!

    Reply
  15. S

    July 6, 2018 at 7:52 pm

    Great pointers, especially the liquid smoke+maple syrup+soy sauce trinity, very important in vegan cooking for that extra depth in flavor when trying to imitate (grilled) meats!

    I have been making mine w/ mushrooms (shiitake and portabella) but also with firm tofu, cut into 2mm slices and fried until light brown in sesame oil (which loses its intense aromatic flavor when overheated, and gives the gyro an animal-grease/protein-like texture and flavor). Adding fresh garlic into the pan right at the end adds a lot to the game.

    Three more things which I find essential in mine, and I didn’t see in your recipe so I can recommend are: finely chopped olives and black raisins slow cooked w/ the mushrooms and tofu. And onions, please onions! Just brown them with everything else. Onion is responsible for so much we like about meat — keep honoring that noble vegetable!

    Thanks for all the recipes, much love!

    S

    Reply
  16. Diane Valentine

    August 9, 2018 at 2:18 pm

    Perfect except I need kalamata olives in that Greek salad and pepperoncini on the side, love, love

    Reply
  17. Kelly A

    August 13, 2018 at 12:03 pm

    I think I died and went to fast-food heaven. This tastes so decadent. My taste buds haven’t been this happy since having your brownies! But I think this is kinda healthy! Mmmm

    Reply
  18. Tasha

    November 6, 2018 at 6:26 pm

    These were phenomenal!!

    How long will the tzatziki sauce keep in the refrigerator?

    Reply
    • Chuck Underwood

      November 7, 2018 at 4:36 pm

      Probably 3-5 days. I don’t trust anything after that.

      Reply
  19. Linda

    December 15, 2018 at 11:08 pm

    What is a possible substitute for mushroom. I like them in small doses.

    Reply
    • Chuck Underwood

      December 17, 2018 at 10:55 am

      Jackfruit or Soy Curls are the first two things that come to mind

      Reply
  20. Jul

    January 13, 2019 at 5:48 pm

    Made these tonight for dinner. I wish you could have seen my DH’s face when I said I was making gyros. That got his attention. They turned out very good. Big thumbs up! I made my sauce with almond milk yogurt and thickened it with oat flour. It worked out just fine. We will definitely put these in the dinner rotation. Thank you for sharing this great recipe.

    Reply
  21. VS

    January 15, 2019 at 5:15 pm

    Made these tonight and loved them! Used coco Simons to reduce sodium. My only problem was stopping myself from eating them all! Needed to save some leftovers for lunch tomorrow. And that year-old sauce is a great alternative to ranch for dipping raw veggies.

    Reply
  22. Carolyn Nowling-Archer

    January 16, 2019 at 10:34 am

    Winner!

    Reply
  23. Kerry

    January 24, 2019 at 8:08 pm

    Quoting my husband “Num!” Very satisfying!
    I had the Tzaktiki cashew sauce on hand already from a Farmer’s Marker, also had the hummus made from another meal, easy peasy! Plus, got my Pita bread at TJ’s Willl be making the full recipe next time, only made half as a test this time.

    Reply
  24. Debra

    February 3, 2019 at 1:17 pm

    This looks amazing. Quick question. Are these full sized portobello mushrooms or are they the baby bella ones? I’m going to make this this week. thanks

    Reply
    • Chuck Underwood

      February 4, 2019 at 7:01 am

      Full sized

      Reply
  25. Lynne

    March 5, 2019 at 4:12 am

    Hey! Wow this recipe is Ah’Mazing! We truly enjoyed the Tzatziki too. The mushroom flavors was really delish. We also made homemade falafel. I will make this again!! Thank you for the recipe.

    Reply
  26. Debra

    April 6, 2019 at 1:48 pm

    Thanks for another wonderful recipe Chuck!

    Reply
  27. patricia jones

    July 11, 2019 at 4:07 pm

    homemade falafel recipe please??

    Reply
    • Chuck Underwood

      July 14, 2019 at 7:12 am

      Use the search box on the top of my page – I have a Falafel Recipe.

      Reply
  28. Patricia Jones

    July 11, 2019 at 4:09 pm

    Chuck….LOVE LOVE LOVE ur recipes!!!! I took some of the garlic aioli and added it to the rest of the ingredients (I love garlic) and it ca,e out beautifully!!!

    Reply
  29. Kevin Price

    August 4, 2019 at 7:09 am

    I just use vegan dad’s recipe for sausage and then instead of using the seasoning he flavors his sausage with, use the spices from a gyro recipe. DEE-LICIOUS.

    Reply
  30. Patty

    August 24, 2019 at 11:08 am

    This is amazing! We cooked and served this recipe (all credits to your blog) at our Community Chef table today at our local farmers market. I made them as kebabs and served them on a sorrel leaf. Everyone raved about the marinade for the mushrooms and the sauce! Bravo! I made some substitutions in the marinade (for lack of proper ingredients) … nutmeg instead of cloves, Worcestershire sauce instead of liquid smoke, fresh Rosemary instead of dried, and had to omit the onion powder. Still turned out pretty good IMHO. Thank you!

    Reply
  31. Anton Fries

    November 14, 2019 at 10:37 am

    Wow, What a great little meal. My wife and I are working toward a plant based diet and have enjoyed our cooking experiments so far. This was by far the winning meal. We have never enjoyed mushrooms but are giving them a second chance due to their prevalence as a meat substitute.in many recipes. She loved them. The sauce is “the best sauce ever” according to my wife and she was caught dipping roasted carrots into the leftovers throughout the meal.. Thank you for this recipe, it has bolstered our endeavor toward a plant based diet.

    Reply
  32. Dave

    April 2, 2020 at 7:25 pm

    Used Toffutti Sour Scream instead of tofu and apple cider.
    Excellent! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  33. Joanne

    April 8, 2020 at 12:52 pm

    My new favourite vegan dinner! So easy to make and so delicious. Brought me back to eating gyros in Greece before I turned vegan. The tzatziki is a little runnier than I’d like but next time I’ll try shredding the cucumber first and then squeezing out the liquid using a cheesecloth.

    Reply
  34. Marcy C.

    May 11, 2020 at 6:46 am

    This is another great recipe that will take care of your Greek food cravings…especially during quarantine! The entire family enjoyed it. I found it made more than enough marinade giving the mushrooms give off moisture. I will use half the marinade next time on soy curls for the one son that is not a mushroom lover. Thank you for another awesome recipe to share with friends and family!

    Reply
  35. Colleen

    July 20, 2020 at 2:32 pm

    Super delicious! This is a regular dish in our house and especially in this heat! So quick and so flavorful- thanks Chuck!

    Reply
  36. Amanda Voeltz

    August 21, 2020 at 7:24 am

    This recipe was absolutely fantastic. I did not have any mushrooms, so I soaked Butler soy curls in beef like seasoning and then I drained them as best as I could and then let them marinate in the gyro seasonings. My husband loved it and it was definitely a winner.

    Reply
  37. Ann Jahahn

    February 28, 2021 at 6:11 pm

    Came for the carrot dogs stayed for the tzatziki. Thank you for your delicious yet simple recipes Chuck.

    Reply

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    Hi I'm Chuck, and I make switching to a plant-based diet as easy as possible by recreating all of your favorite comfort foods. You're not going to believe how good it tastes and chances are, you're not gonna miss a thing!

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