Mushroom & Soy Shawarma Sub
Prep. Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
60 minutes
Servings
4 plates
Difficulty
Challenging
Nut-Free, Gluten-Free, dairy-free, egg-free
This shawarma-style sub leans on pantry-friendly ingredients that don’t need refrigeration — dried oyster mushrooms and soy chunks. Once rehydrated, they soak up the Middle Eastern spice blend and deliver a rich, savory umami flavor that carries the whole sandwich. Sautéed peppers and onions add sweetness and texture, and the long sub roll ties everything together into a hearty plant-based meal.
It’s a recipe that fits everyday cooking and travel alike. The dried ingredients are easy to stash in the pantry or RV bin, and the finished subs wrap neatly to take along for lunch on the go. Filling, flavorful, and travel-ready — exactly the kind of sandwich we repeat often.
Ingredients
1 cup dried oyster mushrooms
1 cup soy jock
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 bell pepper (any color), sliced
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp consomme powder
2 tsps salt
1 garlic clove, minced
Instructions
Place the mushrooms and the soy jock in 2 separate glass bowls, and pour boiling water to cover. Add consomme powder to the water and mix.
Meanwhile, preheat a skillet to medium, and drizzle 1 tablespoon of cooking oil.
Slice the onion and pepper, and add to the skillet. Stir occassionally, and cook for 10 minutes.
Drain the mushrooms and the soy, and slice them (thinly or to chunks, if you prefer a more noticeable texture, but that means a little longer cooking time).
Add them to the skillet together with the seasoning.
Lower the heat, and cook for about 45 minutes, with occassional stir. The mushrooms will take a while to soften. Undercooking will result in a too-chewey texture, which isn't complimenting this dish.
Spread your choice of condiment(s) on a sub (I love vegan mayo in this context), and add the shawarma mix.
Serve hot!
Notes
For a GF option, use a GF sub.
For a soy-free option, do not add the soy jock. A decent substitute would be jackfruit strips/pieces.
Instead of oyster mushrooms, you can use fresh lion's mane mushrooms, or Maitake (hen of the woods) mushrooms. Those need to be refrigerated though, as they are bought fresh.
The Latest Bite
Wonderful Parsley Salad
I usually buy parsley with the idea that I’ll use “just a little” in a recipe, and then I’m left with a big bunch staring at me from the fridge. This salad is my solution. Instead of letting those greens wilt away, I chop the whole thing and make it the main event. It’s fresh, full of flavor, and takes almost no effort.
The best part is how forgiving it is. Walnuts give it crunch, but almonds or pecans work if that’s what’s in the pantry. Cheese adds creaminess and the dressing is quick to whip together with what we usually have on hand, and it makes the parsley feel less like “just herbs” and more like a real salad.
This isn’t a kid-friendly dish in our house (the parsley is just too “green” for them), but it works great for the adults. I’ll make it at home when dinner needs something light on the side, or pack it into a container when we’re traveling in an RV and want an easy salad to balance out heartier meals. Since it’s dairy-free and plant-based, it holds up well for hours on the road without the stress of refrigeration worries you get with mayo-based dressings.
It’s fast, flexible, and keeps parsley from going to waste—a little grown-up salad that travels well.