This vegan version of chicken shawarma is totally satisfying and has just the right combo of spices and seasonings to trick the senses!
To make the pickled onions, combine vinegar, sea salt, and sugar in a bowl or large jar. Add the onions and fill with water to submerge and cover all the onions. Refrigerate for as little as 2 hours, but overnight is best if you can prepare ahead.
To make the vegan chicken shawarma, preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, add soy curls and cover with water and hydrate for at least 10 minutes. Using your hands squeeze out the moisture from the soy curls. Reserve 1 tsp of the residual water and drain the rest.
In another bowl, add reserved soy curl water, vegan beef flavored bouillon, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, dried oregano, turmeric, ground black pepper, and vegetable oil. Add the drained soy curls and coat evenly in the paste using your hands.
Place soy curls on a baking sheet lined in parchment paper. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway to roast the other side.
To prepare the farro, rinse farro grain under cold water to remove the starch until the water runs clear. Add it to a sauce pan with the water, over medium heat. Add olive oil, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt. Once it begins to simmer, cover the pot with a lid and lower heat to continue simmering for 25 to 28 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the grains are tender and cooked.
To make the tabbouleh, add lemon juice, red chili flakes, and sea salt to bowl. Then add kale. Massage the kale using your hands to soften its texture. Then add parsley, mint and green onion and toss well to combine.
To make the maple tahini dressing add tahini, water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, garlic powder, and sea salt to a blender and combine until smooth. If you don’t have a blender, use warm water to whisk up the tahini until smooth, before adding the remaining ingredients.
To assemble the bowl, place 1 cup of farro for each serving. Top with cucumber, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, kale tabbouleh, pickled onions, and vegan chicken shawarma. Drizzle with maple tahini dressing.
The maple tahini dressing is adapted from the falafel sliders recipe. If you want the onions to be darker in color, prepare them 1 day in advance. Overnight is best. Pickled onions should be consumed within 2 weeks.