Vegan Gyro

Gyros – One of the staple foods of a college student.  Since I didn’t eat beef I ordered other greasy items on the menu while my friends got their gyros.  I never thought to order one since I didn’t have it before.  My husband picked up a vegan gyro from Harrison Street Coffee Shop, our dating digs when we lived in Richmond.  He gave me a bite of his gyro, and let me tell you, it didn’t end up to be a bite.  There’s an explosion of flavors coming from the seitan (wheat protein) with creamy tzatziki sauce oozing out of the pita.  It was phenomenal!  As I took bites out of my husband’s gyro the experience took me back to college, but this time I’m actually eating a gyro (a non-meat gyro that is).  Since we don’t live in Richmond anymore Harrison is a hike to get to, so I made my own version of a gyro.

By Shelly Chiang, Makes 2 gyros 

Ingredients

• 2 pita bread
• ½ onion
• 1 tomato
• 8 oz WestSoy seitan strips
• 1 tablespoon tamari sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Splash of red wine

Tzatziki Sauce

• 6 oz So Delicious coconut milk “plain” yogurt
• 1 cucumber
• ½ squeezed lemon
• ½ teaspoon of dill
• 2 cloves of minced garlic

Gyro Mix

• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 teaspoon marjoram
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• ½ teaspoon ground mustard
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon cumin

Directions

Tzatziki Sauce

1. Peel, un-seed, and grate cucumber

2. Drain and squeeze the water out of the grated cucumber

3. Mince 2 garlic cloves

4. Blend or combine cucumber, soy yogurt, garlic, lemon, dill

5. Place tzatziki in fridge for about 30 minutes for thickness

Seitan

1. Mix spices – oregano, rosemary, marjoram, garlic powder, thyme, ground mustard, paprika, and cumin in a small bowl.  Set aside

2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat

3. Sauté onions and then add seitan

4. Stir and then add tamari sauce.  Cook until tamari is distributed throughout seitan

5. Add gyro mix and splash of red wine

6. Stir until seitan is golden brown

Gyro

1. Cut tomatoes in slices

2. Spread tzatziki sauce, add seitan, and add tomatoes in pita bread

3. I like to squeeze a little sriracha in my gyro, so feel free to add for a kick

4. Enjoy!