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Keeping things healthy and delicious with this Cauliflower Shawarma with Green Tahini and Fried Halloumi. Middle eastern seasoned cauliflower, roasted with chickpeas, and served up bowl style with hummus, fresh naan, arugula, and even some fried Halloumi cheese. This quick-cooking, easy sheet pan dinner comes together in under forty-five minutes. It’s colorful, healthy, and beyond good. Incorporate this into your weekly dinner rotation or prep ahead of time and enjoy for lunch throughout the week.
Happy Monday! Hoping you’ve all had an amazing weekend. It’s March, it’s a new week, I’m off to LA tomorrow, and we have such a delicious recipe to be talking about today! Can you tell I am excited? I’ve personally had some harder days recently (as have some family members). All is fine, it’s just life running its day to day course, but it’s been a mix of emotions over here. That said, I’m coming off of a couple of good days and feeling my confidence slowing building itself back up. I’m a little anxious about all the upcoming travel and time away, but certainly nothing new there. I guess I’m learning to live with being uncomfortable a bit.
Now, moving onto today’s recipe. It’s almost vegan, extra delicious, easy to throw together, and what I’m calling the ideal Monday night dinner. And you guys? This is how cauliflower should taste. It should be seasoned up perfectly with middle eastern spices, roasted until crispy, and finished with a little extra salt. And then…add in all the other extra-delicious elements to this bowl.
It’s as close to perfect as it gets…and honestly, it’s just another way to enjoy a bowl of hummus and middle eastern-inspired “street food” for dinner.
Plus, it’s healthy too!
Shawarma is a middle eastern street food made with roasted meat. Originally lamb was used, but it’s often made with chicken, beef, or pork as well. The meat is then seasoned well and usually served inside a pita, or on a plate with hummus. There is no meat involved in today’s Shawarma, but instead, we’re using a head of cauliflower and a can of chickpeas.
Is this traditional? No, not at all. But is this delicious and a fun vegetarian twist on classic street food? Yes, absolutely.
This dinner comes together quickly and is made almost entirely on one sheet pan. Add the cauliflower and chickpeas and season them well with plenty of garlic, smoked paprika (very important for flavor), cumin, and lemon. Next, add in sesame seeds and toss in olive oil. Yes, toss, toss, toss. Then roast in the oven until the cauliflower is charred and the chickpeas are extra crisp.
While the cauliflower is in the oven, make the tahini. Literally all you need to do is toss everything into a blender and blend until smooth. It’s a mix of nutty creamy tahini, fresh cilantro, and lemon juice. Next add in some honey for a subtle sweetness and then a pinch of salt to tie it all together. Simple, fresh and so good.
Yes, you do. What is Halloumi you ask?
Halloumi is a salty grilling cheese commonly used in Mediterranean cooking. I love incorporating it into dishes like spicy peanut soup, vegetarian tacos, and my peanut noodles. It adds such great flavor and gives the perfect crispy, salty bite. And honestly, what’s better than pan-fried cheese? Not much.
If for some odd reason you can’t find Halloumi. First I would recommend asking your grocery store to special order it for you. They should do this free of charge and trust me, this cheese is worth the extra effort.
Second, if you really can’t get your hands on some Halloumi, swap in feta. Still delicious.
Swirl the hummus in the bottom of a low bowl and then layer in the cauliflower and chickpeas. Add fresh arugula, avocado, and cucumbers. Generously drizzle on the green tahini and finish with naan. You know you can’t forget the naan.
It’s kind of like eating at a middle eastern restaurant, but vegetarian style, and in the coziness of your own home. Personally, I am all about this.
So much color, so much flavor, incredibly healthy. And so, so, SO GOOD!
Oh, and fast and easy too. I mean, come on, you gotta agree…best Monday Recipe!
And the final added bonus? This cauliflower shawarma is perfect for meal prepping and I’ve included all the steps for doing so in the recipe. Enjoy!
Lastly, if you make this cauliflower shawarma with green tahini and fried Halloumi, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
This was a big hit! Adding it to our weekly meatless meal list!
Hi Danielle,
Amazing!! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xx
Not my favorite recipe from HBH. But it was different than anything I have had and not awful. Maybe I’m just not used to the flavors. Tahini was bitter.
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not a fave. Please let me know if there is something that I can help with! xT
We love this! We have a local cheese maker who makes a great halloumi and I’m always happy to have it with this recipe. Even my meat-centric husband likes it.
Apparently I like it so much I commented twice 😂
Lol love it!
Hey Megan,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend:)
My partner and I loved this, great way to use up the arugula I had in the fridge! My only edit was squeezing lemon juice over everything at the end, which really made it perfect. Will definitely be making this again 🙂
Hey Alex,
Fantastic!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! ?Tieghan
Love finding a new recipe. I did however find it a tad bitter? Maybe the tahini, or the arugula? I may take the suggestion of one of the comments and squeeze more lemon on afterwards.
Is there a vegan-friendly substitute for halloumi? 🙂
Hi Maura,
You can try using a vegan cheese that is available at your local grocery store, something like feta would work! Let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Thank you for this recipe. My wife and I are obsessed. We make it all the time. It’s delicious!
Hey there,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great day:) xxT
Can you tell me what naan bread is pictured here?
Hi Krystal,
Here is the recipe for the naan:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/homemade-naan-step-step-photos/
Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! I’ve never left a comment before but it’s about time I said THANK YOU for all the lovely recipes! I made this last night with your homemade naan and we loved it, so flavourful! But really, I have no idea how you come up with a new recipe everyday, and every one I’ve tried has worked. That’s so rare on recipe blogs. So thanks! You’re really great at what you do! :))) x
Thank you so very much Elsa❤️❤️
Too much liquid for the cauliflower and chickpeas which wash away the flavor of the spices. Also, the cook time is not remotely close to accurate and leaves a crunchy under done texture. Maybe 450F at 20 mins and skip the lemon but drizzle once baked.
Hey Andrew,
Sorry you had issues with the recipe, let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
SO good. This is going into my regular dinner rotation.
Hey Randi,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a go! I am thrilled it was enjoyed. xTieghan
I made this and it was fabulous! Any idea what to eat the leftover green tahini sauce with? How long will the sauce last?
Thanks again for a wonderful recipe
Hey Emma,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, the sauce would also be great with this recipe:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/sesame-falafel-melts/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Delicious! I had some locally made halloumi and this was the perfect way to use it!!
Hey Megan,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a go, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan