Cauliflower Shawarma Bowl

Shawarma seasoning isn't just for meat anymore, it's also a wonderful way to flavor cauliflower! This middle eastern Cauliflower Shawarma bowl is bursting with flavor and easy to make in just 30 minutes!

Warm fluffy quinoa is topped with roasted shawarma seasoned cauliflower and chickpeas, fresh veggies and an incredible Garlic Tahini Sauce! This recipe is naturally gluten free, vegan and whole30 approved.

After spending 3 months perfecting my Shawarma Seasoning recipe, I couldn't just use it in this Chicken Shawarma Salad. I had to find a way to use it in a vegan bowl, which is how these Cauliflower Shawarma Bowls were born!

The shawarma spiced roasted cauliflower and chickpeas are so delicious topped with a drizzle of the creamiest garlic tahini sauce. Whatever else you decide to fill the bowl with is totally up to you! It's great with quinoa, fantastic with romaine lettuce (for a low carb option!), wonderful with a little fresh squeezed lemon juice and totally delicious with a scoop of hummus on the side!

Whether you're meal prepping these bowls, preparing them for a Meatless Monday dinner or incorporating them into your plant based diet, I guarantee you're going to love this recipe!

What You'll Need

• Cauliflower Florets - these can be cut from a head of cauliflower or purchased already cut into florets in a bag. I do recommend fresh cauliflower florets over frozen, as the texture will be better when roasting the cauliflower.
• Canned Chickpeas - you'll need one can of chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed from the can. For added plant based protein, add an additional can of chickpeas to the recipe!
• Garlic Cloves
• Olive Oil
• Shawarma Seasoning - you can purchase pre-made shawarma seasoning at the grocery store, but I highly recommend whipping up my homemade Shawarma Seasoning instead! I spent 3 months perfecting this shawarma blend to give you the best Middle Eastern flavor for your shawarma. But don't worry, it will only take you 5 minutes to mix up in your kitchen!
• Cooked Quinoa - follow this link for how to cook quinoa 3 ways, in an Instant Pot (the fastest method & my preferred method!), in a rice cooker or on the stove.
• Cucumber
• Red Onion
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Garlic Tahini Sauce - this creamy vegan sauce is the PERFECT way to finish these bowls, the garlic lemon flavor pairs perfectly with the roasted cauliflower shawarma!
• Fresh Mint - this is an optional topping, but I love the fresh mint flavor to finish off these bowls!
• Sumac - also optional, this middle eastern spice adds a great zest of flavor on top of the bowls!
• Hummus - another optional addition, but one that I personally love! I'll put a little scoop of hummus on the side and mix it in with the quinoa and roasted cauliflower, it's so delicious! Since we already have a garlic tahini sauce on top, I usually go for a different flavor variety with the hummus, roasted red pepper is my personal favorite!

How To Make Cauliflower Shawarma Bowls

• Roast the cauliflower and chickpeas.
  • Toss cauliflower florets, chickpeas and minced garlic with olive oil and shawarma seasoning in a large bowl.
  • Arrange the cauliflower and chickpeas in an even layer on a baking sheet.
  • Place in a 450°F preheated oven and roast for 20-25 minutes.
    • Quick tip! If you'd like to make the cauliflower a little crispy, after the baking time is complete, turn the oven broiler on to high. Leave the cauliflower in the oven for 1-2 minutes, watching the cauliflower carefully during this time to make sure that it doesn't burn.
• Assemble the bowls.
  • Divide the cooked quinoa between four bowls.
  • Top with the roasted cauliflower and chickpeas.
  • Add the sliced cucumbers, red onions and cherry tomatoes to the bowl.
  • Drizzle the garlic tahini sauce over the bowls.
    • Optional: add a scoop of hummus on the side of the bowl, serve with a lemon wedge for juicing over the bowl, sprinkle with sumac or fresh chopped mint.

Easy Cauliflower Shawarma Bowl Modifications

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Make It Vegan

• This bowl is already vegan, so no modifications need to be made.

Make It Low Carb

• Omit the chickpeas and quinoa. Add 1 cup of shredded romaine lettuce to each bowl. This will reduce the total carbs from 48 grams down to 15 grams and the net carbs from 36 grams, down to 10 grams.

Meal Prep It

• For Storage
  • Prepare the roasted cauliflower and chickpeas according to the recipe instructions.
  • Once roasted, divide the cauliflower and chickpeas between four large storage containers, along with the cooked quinoa.
  • Divide the cucumber, tomato and onion between four small plastic zipper bags. Add one bag to each storage container.
  • Place the garlic tahini sauce in four separate small containers and add them to the larger containers with the other ingredients.
• To Reheat and Eat
  • Remove the bag of fresh veggies and container of tahini sauce from the larger container.
  • Reheat the cauliflower, chickpeas and quinoa in the microwave for 2 minutes.
  • Remove from the microwave and top with the fresh veggies and garlic tahini sauce.

Add a Protein

• For a plant based recipe, these bowls are already high in protein at 14 grams per bowl. If you'd like to add more plant based protein, I recommend adding a tablespoon of hemp seeds to each bowl, which will add an additional 3 grams of protein. You can also double up on the chickpeas and roast 2 (15 oz) cans of chickpeas, which will add 5 grams of protein to each bowl.
• For a meat based protein addition to these bowls, add chicken. Visit this post for Shawarma Seasoning, it will walk you through marinating the chicken, then either grilling, searing or roasting it. For this recipe, you can easily roast the chicken at the same time and temperature as the cauliflower to make it easy to add chicken to these bowls!

More cauliflower recipes to try!

1. Charred Cauliflower Bowls with Harissa Tahini Sauce
2. Chipotle Cauliflower Vegan Taco Bowls
3. Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Salad with Poblano Ranch Dressing
4. Mexican Cauliflower Rice - reader favorite!!
5. Greek Cauliflower Rice Salad
6. Indian Cauliflower Bowl with Roasted Chickpeas