Happy #Veganuary! When’s the last time you had a vegan meal?
Our family is not vegan, but I do try to mix vegan meals into our meal plan regularly. I both appreciate the lessened environmental impact of these meals and like exposing the kids to lots of different cuisine options.

This vegan meal is perfect for a busy family because it comes together in less than 30 minutes and is made with things I always have in the fridge or pantry.
Jump to:
Ingredients
For the shawarma:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
For the bowls:
- 1 bag shredded cabbage
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 1 red onion, sliced thinly
For the tahini sauce:
- 1/3 cup tahini
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- water, as needed
We are big fans of any meals that are “bowls” because it means everyone can build their own! We most often make this with a base of shredded cabbage, but I’ve used brown and wild rice too.
The kids also like to adjust their toppings too. Both frequently opt to skip the tahini sauce and add olives.
Directions
- In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, ginger, oregano, turmeric, and cayenne. Add chickpeas and sweet potatoes to the bowl and toss to coat evenly.
- Pour into the air fryer. Cook at 400 degrees for 11 minutes, tossing halfway.
- While the chickpeas cook, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, salt and water. Add enough water until you get the desired consistency. Set aside.
- To serve, add cabbage to bowls. Top with cooked chickpeas, sliced cucumber, and sliced red onions. Drizzle with tahini sauce and serve.
I love the air fryer for this dish because it cooks so quickly – and the air fryer gives the chickpeas a nice crisp outside. It takes only a few minutes to get the chickpeas and sweet potatoes into the air fryer and while they cook, I prep the tahini sauce and the bowls (or, the assembly line for everyone to make their own).
It’s an easy meal to pull off in 30 minutes, but can be sped up by prepping the chickpea mixture and letting marinate in the fridge. Just dump it into the air fryer when you’re ready to cook!
The tahini sauce can also be made ahead, but you’ll want to add more water or heat it slightly before serving to make it the right consistency to drizzle.

More #Veganuary Recipes
Today, I’m linking up with a group of fabulous bloggers to bring you vegan recipes. While I am not vegan, many of these bloggers are – so if you’re looking to incorporate more plant based meals in your diet, they will be an awesome resource!
- Vegan BLT’s with Tempeh Bacon by The Baking Fairy
- 7 Spice Shiitake Mushroom Soup by PlantCrush
- Breakfast Cookies by Cook with 5 Kids
- Cranberry Coffee Cake by This Wife Cooks
- Creamy Vegan Spiced Carrot Soup by Chickpea & Herb
- Easy Vegan Mac & Cheese with Broccoli by Simple And Savory
- Favorite Pumpkin Quinoa Waffles with Pecans by Melissa Traub
- Hara Bara Kebab by FoodTrails25
- Instant Pot Dal Soup by Palatable Pastime
- Raspberry Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal Muffins by Return to the Kitchen
- Roasted Banana Almond Butter Breakfast Cookies by Shockingly Delicious
- Sweet Potato Patties by Flavours Treat
- Tofu Benedict with Hemp Hollandaise by Upbeet Kitchen
- Vegan Chickpea Shawarma in the Air Fryer by Kate’s Recipe Box
- Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches by My Kitchen Stories
- Vegan Cinnamon Rolls (Tangzhong Method) by The Urben Life
- Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Muffins by Messy Vegan Baker
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 bag shredded cabbage
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 1 red onion, sliced thinly
- 1/3 cup tahini
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- water, as needed
- In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, ginger, oregano, turmeric, and cayenne. Add chickpeas and sweet potatoes to the bowl and toss to coat evenly.
- Pour into the air fryer. Cook at 400 degrees for 11 minutes, tossing halfway.
- While the chickpeas cook, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, salt and water. Add enough water until you get the desired consistency. Set aside.
- To serve, add cabbage to bowls. Top with cooked chickpeas, sliced cucumber, and sliced red onions. Drizzle with tahini sauce and serve.
Recipe

Vegan Chickpea Shawarma in the Air Fryer
Ingredients
For the shawarma:
For the bowls:
For the tahini sauce:
Instructions
Notes
Adapted from Plays Well with Butter
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This looks wonderful. I’ve had tahini on falafel but not on roasted chickpeas. I will love having this for dinner soon!
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if I had an airfryer this is the first thing I would make!
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Lovely recipe, Kate! I agree that using an air fryer gives chickpeas a yummy and crispy taste. This Middle-Eastern delicacy is traditionally made with meat. But, you can substitute meat with vegan seitan strips and it will still taste as good.
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