I am a huge souvlaki fan. I live a block away from a pizza place that also serves souvlaki and I think I’ve ordered that more than anything else. To save some money, I asked a friend who is a cook how I could make an easy version at home. This is what we came up with for a twist on Shish Taouk/Chicken Shawarma.
Shawarma Inspired Wrap
Ingredients
1 Head of Garlic (or more if you’re a Garlic Lover like I am)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Cup Mayo
3 Tomatoes Sliced or Diced
Shredded Chicken
1/4 – 1/2 of a Head of Lettuce, Chopped
1/4 of a Red Onion, Sliced
A Handful of Mint Leaves
Marinated White Turnip
Za’atar Bread (we used store bought but making it at home is very simple too!)
Instructions
For the Garlic Sauce:
Set the oven to 400 degrees. Take off the papery outer layer of Garlic skin. Cut 1/4 inch off of the top of the garlic to expose the top of the cloves. Drizzle the olive oil over the garlic head. Be sure to wrap the garlic in tin foil and keep it in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. Keep an eye on it towards the end so it doesn’t burn.
Remove from the oven, extract the cloves from the skin, and mix in the cup of mayo. You can also use tahini or plain Greek yogurt. I just used what I had in my pantry. I don’t have a mortar and pestle, so I used a potato masher instead- it does the job.
For the rest:
Prepare all of the ingredients. We took the lemon chicken that I had made earlier, shredded it and reheated it in a pan with some salt. For a more authentic taste , use this recipe for the chicken!
Coat the Za’atar bread with the Garlic Sauce, layer the other ingredients, roll it up and you’re done!
It’s that simple!
While it is not an “authentic” Lebanese meal because we are missing the proper spices and the preparation is different, it is still super delicious. Add the fact that it’s quite quick to make (minus roasting the garlic) and it makes a great meal.
You can also make a vegetarian version by omitting the chicken. Simply replace it with your favorite vegetarian friendly protein.