If you liked following along to our post on how to make tempeh hot wings, then you are going to love this Vegan Tempeh Gyros recipe with Tzatziki Sauce. The hot wings were good, but I have to say these gyros are better! If you’re in the mood for a great Greek dinner sans any meat or dairy, these are the way to go.
What You’ll Need:
- 1 8oz package of tempeh
- 8 pita bread
- 2 tomatoes
- ½ red onion
- 2 cups of lettuce
- 3 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp thyme
- 3½ Tbs lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 cup and 2 Tbsp vegetable broth
- 1 cup cashews
- ¾ cup water
- 1 cucumber
- 2½ tsp vinegar
- 1½ Tbsp dill
- 2 red potatoes
The day before…
This is a rich recipe, and for optimum richness, you’re going to want to marinate the tempeh and whip up the tzatziki sauce the night before. Marinating the tempeh for at least four hours before moving forward with the recipe will really help the flavors pop in the final product. The tzatziki sauce gets thicker the longer it chills, so it’s a good idea to let it sit in the fridge overnight as well.
Boil the Tempeh
Cut the block of tempeh in half along its width and boil it for 20 minutes. Once the timer is up, remove the tempeh from the pot and let it cool down for 10-20 minutes off to the side. Once it’s cooled, cut it into thin strips.
Make the Marinade
The marinade consists of 1 cup of vegetable broth, 1½ tsp minced garlic, 2 tsp thyme, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sea salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Combine those ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Add the tempeh slices and let the mixture marinate in the fridge overnight (or a minimum of four hours).
Make the Tzatziki Sauce
Peel the cucumber and grate enough to fill one cup. Pat the cucumber gratings dry with a paper towel. Blend one cup of cashews, ¾ cup of water, 1½ Tbsp of lemon juice, 2½ tsp of vinegar, 1½ tsp of garlic, and ½ tsp of sea salt together until fully pureed into a liquid. Add the cucumber and dill and blend lightly, so there are some small chunks of both. Refrigerate it overnight for optimum thickness!
Bake the Tempeh
After letting the tempeh marinate overnight, heat the oven to 350 degrees and spread the slices in a casserole dish. Pour ¼ of the leftover marinade over the tempeh and pop the dish in the oven for 35 minutes. Once finished, set the tempeh aside and cover the dish with foil to keep the heat in.
Potato Patahto
Wash the two red potatoes and slice them into straw style fries. Fill a bowl with water and let the potato slices soak for 10 minutes. Once they’ve soaked, drain the water and in the same bowl toss the fries with 1½ tsp of sea salt and 2 Tbsp of vegetable broth. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spread the fries on the pan. Pour the remaining salt and broth mixture over the fries. Increase the oven temperature to 420 degrees and bake the potatoes for 25 minutes. Chop up the tomatoes, onion, and lettuce while the potatoes bake. When there are only 3 minutes to go, wrap the pita bread in a paper towel and pop them in the oven for the remaining time.
Make Your Gyro!
Spread tzatziki sauce on your warmed up pita bread and add tempeh, tomato, onion, potato, and lettuce. Top it all off with some tzatziki drizzles and go to town! This recipe is loved by meat and plant eaters alike–it’s a crowd pleaser. If you’re curious to learn more about tempeh and all the health benefits that come with it, check out our blog post!
