Vegan Eggplant Gyros! Za’atar seasoned eggplant stuffed into a warm pita and topped with juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and the BEST hummus-dill sauce. This easy eggplant recipe is perfect for both lunch and dinner!
I’m bringing back this eggplant gyro recipe that I originally shared in 2015. Life was a little bit crazier then; I was living in Stockton, CA in a tiny studio apartment while BL was already in St. Louis. I was finishing up my job at University of the Pacific, getting ready to embark on a new journey of this– working on my blog and nutrition services full-time.
Flash forward six years and I’m a mama to the two sweet toddlers and happy in the midwest. Crazy how things can change so quickly. Anyways, we made these gyros this weekend and I loved them so much, I wanted to put them back on your radar.
This is one of the best vegan eggplant recipes! Refreshing, full of nutrients, and oh, so easy… you will love these simple pita bread sandwiches!
Move over meat, eggplant has taken center stage. As a long-time vegetarian, I am always looking for plant-based alternatives that mimic the same meaty, savory texture that meat provides. While I love the usual suspects: lentils, beans, and tofu, my favorite meat substitutes are actually vegetables.
You will love how easy these vegan gyros are. All you need are just a handful of ingredients. For the full list of ingredients, be sure to scroll down to the recipe card. This recipe is so easy and perfect for any eggplant bumper crops you currently have in your garden.
Eggplants: Any size eggplant will work, though I’m partial to Japanese or smaller Fairy Tale eggplants as I find that they have more flavor.
Za’atar: Za’atar is traditionally earth and nutty in flavor– perfect for these gyro inspired pita breads. You can find a variety of spices in za’atar blends like sesame seeds, sumac and chili pepper. Here is a recipe for making your own blend.
Parsley: Fresh parsley is best for this recipe; I don’t recommend substituting dried.
Tomato: One fresh tomato for these vegan gyros. Any type of tomato will work though if you can get your hands on heirloom tomatoes this time of year, it will put these sandwiches over the top.
Pita Bread: Make your own pita bread or use storebought–either way, the results will be great.
Hummus: You can easily make your own hummus or use storebought. Both options are fine!
For my vegan friends, most the of time, pita bread is vegan-friendly. I often substitute naan in these sandwiches if I can’t find fluffy pita bread, which is usually made with yogurt and therefore not vegan.
The inspiration for these sandwiches came a few years back when I was visiting a friend at the Lodi Farmers Market. In addition to Lodi being one of the cutest towns, it sure knows how to throw a street party. Every Thursday evening throughout the summer, Lodi’s downtown streets are converted to endless rows of vendors selling everything from wine, olive oil, berries and vegetables. Throw in a variety of food trucks alongside beer tents and acoustic music, and it’s a fun way to socialize while also stocking up on just-picked produce.
Drawn in by the garlic-on-everything aroma, we decided to grab a bite to eat from the local Greek food truck. Crispy Falafel, freshly-made hummus, warm pita. Drool. Since I put hummus on my hummus, there really wasn’t any doubt on where I would be sourcing my dinner.
Half-way through stuffing my face with falafel while watching my friend go to town on her gyro, I realized that I have never had a gyro. Like, ever. Since my mission in life is to make vegetables just as appealing (if not more so) than their non-veg counterparts, I ran back to a vendor stall to pick up a few more ingredients: eggplants, tomatoes and cucumber. After all, we had a vegetarian gyro that needed to be made.
Maybe it’s because I don’t have anything to compare it to, but this gyro completely blew me away. It’s packed with incredible flavor, texture, and ALL the vegetables (again). It’s not your traditional gyro, but what’s not to love?
You can eat a variety of things with gyros such as falafel salad, Greek quinoa fritters, and my Instant Pot hummus.
You do not have to peel the eggplant before cooking! Once the eggplant has been cooked, the skin becomes quite tender.
Vegan Eggplant Gyros! Za’atar seasoned eggplant stuffed into a warm pita and topped with juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and the BEST hummus-dill sauce. This easy eggplant recipe is perfect for both lunch and dinner! So easy to make!
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Originally published July 20th, 2015. Updated August 7, 2018 and August 18th, 2021.
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This recipe with the violife vegan feta is amazing
I didn’t have eggplant but I do have tons of zucchini growing in the garden. So other than that I followed the recipe exactly except for using fresh dill instead of dried. My hubby and I LOVED these. Excellent flavors. I think I will try them with eggplant one day as I understand they might add a chewier texture than my zucchini. I really enjoyed the marinated onion in these, the vinegar added a lovely pickled flavor. Great recipe. Thank you!
★★★★★
This is really a great recipe. The combination of ingredients as well as the sauce really elevate this sandwich. We needed more cucumbers and tomatoes. I used Italian seasoning because that was what I had. My family gave this recipe an “A” and it will definitely join the rotation this summer. You really did a fine job with this Alex. Thanks.
So glad you liked them!
These were PHENOMENAL ! Even my non vegan/non vegetarian husband loved them. I’ll be making these a lot.
★★★★★
So glad you liked them! Thanks Diane.
What an easy, delish way to eat eggplant!
I’ll definitely make this again.
This looks amazing, Alex! What a great (and unique) way to use eggplants. Can’t wait to try this – added it tour plant based pinterest board.
★★★★★
Thanks Nicole, hope you try it- it’s a great one!
I made this tonight, and though I rushed and some parts due to two little ones under my feet it was soooooo good. I added roasted red pepper and that helped since I didn’t have time to do the vinegar and onion since I cooked the eggplant in the morning when the house was cool. Thank you!!
★★★★★
Your descriptions alone were enough to make me drool. The gyros look and sound delicious for sure! I love eggplant whether it’s the roasted or pureed avatar. And I love zaatar just as much. Of late, I find myself adding it to most dishes I cook at home. Good quality Za’atar does add a punch to any dish, but only if it is a quality zaatar. Some brands add ground wheat or peanuts for weight. Few people realize that best flavor comes from pure mixes with real zaatar herb, sumac, and sesame, and little of sea salt. That’s why I get mine from https://www.eatzaatar.com which offers blends directly from a zaatar farm in Lebanon.
The pictures look amazing and I recently bought an eggplant so I was looking for a maiden recipe to try it on. I suspect that maybe the eggplant wasn’t fresh enough or something. The flesh become soft but the skin remained almost unchewable. I live in Mexico and our produce quality, sadly, is not what we are used to up North. It looked fine but then, I’ve never bought an eggplant before. On a positive note, I made homemade pitas which were fantastic!! I’m going to serve the leftover pitas with some of my lentil/spinach burger “meat” so it’s not a total loss. Sauce is delish!! I’ll be back to check out other recipes.
★★★
It’s amazing how you made a pita gyros with aubergines. I love the idea! The only thing I would change is to deep fry the aubergines to add some greasiness to them so they would remind gyros a bit more. Thank you for posting this recipe!
Oh, that sounds like a fantastic recipe! Will definitely try that this Summer!
Great idea! Thanks for the comment.