1 January 2023

Vegan Gyros Bowl


Happy new year and happy Veganuary!

Make this Greek-inspired bowl with vegan gyros strips (I used Oumph), crispy air-fried garlicky sweet potato fries, fresh veggies and vegan feta, all brought together with some gorgeously creamy and fresh tzatziki.



One of my favourite things about 2022 - and something I hope to do even more of in 2023 - were the trips I got to take. My visit to Crete was a solo trip and one of the best holidays I've been on. Besides the obvious beautiful sights and incredible food, something that made this trip so special were the people I connected with along the way, from a coincidentally private walking tour and beer with a local, to a wine tasting, surfing and paddle boarding, to trips up the mountain to hidden gem spots and dinners with new friends. Travelling solo I felt like I took more time to experience the true magic of the place, that only comes through connecting with new people. The same sentiment can often be true for everyday life, where we're so busy rushing onto the next destination, we forget to connect with those around us - to share a meal, a coffee, a conversation or even just a smile as we walk down the street, and we can forget how important these little things can be to both our own and everyone else's wellbeing.


Food is such a great way of connecting us all and this dish is inspired by a Greek one, but also one I ate recently in Stockholm with my mum. I then enjoyed this meal over a glass of wine, catching up with a friend about their Christmas, and will be sharing the recipe with you all to cook, perhaps for yourself or to share with someone else too. I love that about food and will be sharing lots of new recipes in the year to come.


If you make any of my dishes do snap a pic and tag me @euphoricvegan.


Vegan Gyros bowl | Serves: 3-4 | Time 30-40 mins

You'll need

  • Air fryer or baking tray + greaseproof paper
  • Grater
  • Chopping board
  • Knife
  • Measuring cups & spoons
  • Frying pan
  • Mixing bowls

Ingredients

Tzatziki:
  • 1 medium cucumber
  • Good pinch salt
  • 70g fresh herbs (I used parsley, mint & dill)
  • Juice half lemon
  • 250g vegan Greek yogurt
  • Pinch cumin seeds
Sweet potato fries:
  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 2 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • Zest 1 lemon
  • 1 tap garlic powder
  • Good pinch salt
  • Good drizzle olive oil
Gyros:
  • 100g mixed salad leaves
  • 300g vine salad tomatoes
  • 1/2 medium cucumber
  • 1/2 red onion
  • Vegan gyros/kebab meat (I used Oumph)
  • 1 tbsp capers 
  • Fresh oregano
  • Sumac
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Method

  1. Grate a cucumber into a bowl and season generously with salt. Allow to stand to draw out the water.
  2. Then pre-heat the air fryer to 200°C or fan oven to 220°C. Wash the sweet potato, leave the skin on and chop into 1cm thick fries. Add to a mixing bowl with the cornflour, oregano, lemon zest, garlic powder, salt and olive oil. Toss together and spread out in a flat layer in the air fryer/baking tray. Air fry for 20 minutes until crispy, mixing up halfway through to cook evenly, or bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and crisp.
  3. Chop up the cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion and crumble up the vegan feta.
  4. To finish the tzatziki, squeeze as much water out of the cucumber as you can, then finely chop the herbs and add these along with the juice of 1/2 a lemon, vegan Greek yogurt, and a pinch of cumin and mix together well.
  5. Then heat up a pan on a medium heat, add a splash of oil and fry the vegan meat until crisp.
  6. Arrange the bowls starting with the salad leaves, veggies, fries and gryos pieces around the bowl, with a generous amount of tzatziki in the centre, top with fresh oregano leaves, capers, a generous amount of sumac and a good drizzle of olive oil.
  7. Serve up and enjoy!

Cassidy xx