Vegan Gyros (with seitan gyro meat)

2 gyro sandwich on a plate with 2 glasses of water in the background.

5 from 1 vote

Vegan Gyros (with seitan gyro meat)

Greek-inspiredvegan gyros are filled with juicy homemade seitan gyro meat, creamy vegantzatziki, and fresh vegetables. A filling and healthy sandwich that willimpress even non-vegans!

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Cooling time30

Total Time1 45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Greek

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 344kcal

Author: Meesha

Ingredients

For seitan gyro meat

1 medium onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
½ block extra-firm tofu around 7oz/200g
½ cup water
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons marjoram (optional)
11/2 cup vital wheat gluten

For tzatziki sauce

1 block silken tofu around 12oz/340g
3 cloves garlic chopped
½ English cucumber
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped dill (optional)
1 teaspoon salt

For the sandwich

6 pita bread or wrap
1 medium red onion sliced
2 medium tomatoes sliced
1 cucumber sliced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making seitan

Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high. Add onion, and saute until translucent. Add garlic next and fry for another minute.
In a food processor, add all ingredients for gyro meat, except wheat gluten, and blend until smooth.
Next, add vital wheat gluten and pulse until a dough forms.
Transfer the dough to a smooth surface, and knead for 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to overknead as it will yield tough seitan.
Shape it into a loaf, and wrap it with aluminum foil. You can now proceed with steaming the seitan or cooking it in an Instant pot.
Steaming - Bring 1-2 inches of water to a boil in a pot with a steamer basket fitted. Once the water starts to boil, place in seitan, and steam for an hour.
Instant pot - Place 1 cup of water into the inner pot, then fit in a suitable steamer basket. Cook seitan at high pressure for 40 minutes. Let the steam release naturally for 15 minutes before quickly releasing the remaining pressure.
Let the seitan cool down to room temperature before slicing. Optionally, you can pan-fry seitan strips before serving.

For tzatziki sauce

While seitan is cooking, proceed with making your vegan tzatziki.
Grate cucumber using a box grater. Mix ½ teaspoon of salt with cucumber in a bowl, and let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the cucumber to release water.
Then, place the cucumber in a towel/cheesecloth, and gently squeeze to remove excess water. Set aside.
Place the rest of the ingredients (except cucumber) into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
Transfer the tofu mixture to a bowl, and add grated cucumber. Mix until the cucumber is well incorporated. Chill it in the fridge until ready to use.

Assembling the sandwich

Warm your pita in a skillet for 20-30 seconds on both sides.
On your pita, layer on vegetables and seitan gyro meat, then spoon on a generous amount of tzatziki. Your gyro is ready to be served!

Notes

Helpful tips

Do not overknead seitan – Overkneading will result in tough and rubbery seitan. I find 1-2 minutes to be the sweet spot.
Allow seitan to cool completely- Seitan cooled to room temperature will turn firmer with a meatier consistency.
Assemble sandwich only before serving – The sandwich is best served immediately, or the pita might soak up moisture from the veggies and tzatziki and turn soggy.
Other fillings - Feel free to add other fillings to your sandwiches. Some of my go-tos include green peppers, pitted olives, chopped parsley, vegan feta, and my homemade paprika hummus!

Storing leftovers

Vegan gyro meat - Can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for 3 months. I recommend slicing and portioning them using freezer bags before storing them so you will only take out what you need.
Tzatziki sauce - Store it in a sealed container or a glass jar. It can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Seitan gyros - I recommend storing individual components of this sandwich in separate containers and assembling them right before serving. You can chop your veggies beforehand, which will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition