Tofu Gyros Pita with vegan tzatziki

A few years ago, I was on holiday in Athens and was surprised by how incredibly easy it was to eat vegan there. Of course, you generally find more options in big cities, but even on trips to smaller towns or the countryside, there was always a not insignificant selection of side dishes, some of which are naturally vegan (and which I've never seen in Greek restaurants in Germany), as well as plant-based versions of Greek classics. I still dream about the vegan gyros pita I ate on that holiday. Luckily, you can easily make it at home, too.

What exactly is gyros – and how do we make it vegan? Gyros refers to the cooking method that results in the typical, flavorful meat. Common spices include garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper, but sometimes also cumin, marjoram, or rosemary. Of course, we don't use meat, but tofu – although the recipe would also be delicious with mushrooms. We prefer to crumble the tofu by hand to create small, irregular pieces. Once mixed with vegan quark and spices, all you have to do is fry the tofu in a pan.

A good pita is essential! What else do you need for gyros pita? Pita, of course! And today we're using Schär's gluten-free pita. You can warm the pita in a toaster, pan, microwave, or oven until it's soft and warm. Like on my vacation, we'll fill it with the ingredients, but you could just as easily cut it open and fill it (without it breaking). They're made with their own gluten-free sourdough, cornstarch, rice flour, and buckwheat flour, and are perfect if you're vegan and gluten-free yourself or cooking for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. In this case, make sure to use only clean utensils, as traces of gluten can collect in the cracks of used plastic or wooden surfaces, for example.

Tzatziki, fries, coleslaw: anything goes! The pita bread is ready, the tofu gyros is fried, what's missing? Fresh ingredients, of course! You can basically use anything you have and like: coleslaw, fresh lettuce, red onions, cucumber, tomatoes, even red cabbage, black olives, and so on. We also like a vegan feta alternative, and of course, a generous amount of vegan tzatziki, which we make with vegan skyr. It's important to squeeze the cucumber really thoroughly, otherwise the dip will be too watery. On top of that, there are fries, which you can eat as a side dish or as a topping.

And if you want to immerse yourself even deeper in the holiday-in-Greece feeling after this recipe, why not try our vegan Greek mince and pasta bake or create a large Greek mezze platter with dips, olives and bread?