Being 1st generation Greek and having a mother that is an amazing cook, I figured it was about time to start adding some home style recipes to this site. So a few weeks back, when a friend posted about some gyros made from tempeh, I found the perfect opportunity. Although the recipe she posted looked and sounded delicious, I wanted to stay close to home with my Greek recipes, so I turned to no other than my Greek mother.
It’s no secret that my mom is an expert in the kitchen, my friends loved coming over for dinner when I was growing up. After following her lead on the Tzatziki sauce I made, it was natural to do the same here. Using the basic Greek spices and seasonings turned out to be the way to go. They blended well in the marinade, and with the last minute addition of Tamari for extra flavor, the result was perfect. Although you have to remember to marinate the tempeh the day before (which as a mother of 2 little boys is not an easy feat) once you begin making these, it’s quick and easy! Bonus, kids loved them. Throw in some of my oven fries seasoned with Greek oregano and you’re golden. And if you want to be a true Greek, throw some oven fries in that Gyro, it’s the only way to have it in Greece!
Tempeh Gyros
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh crushed garlic
- 2 teaspoons greek oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 2 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos or Tamari (or soy sauce for non gluten free)
- a dash of Himalayan pink salt and ground black pepper
- 1 cup veggie broth
- 8 oz tempeh (package in block form)
- whole grain or gluten free pita bread
- 2 fresh tomatoes sliced
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- tzatziki (see recipe here)
- oven fries with Greek oregano (optional- see recipe here)
note: Make sure to make marinade and put in tempeh the day before. You can substitute garlic powder for fresh garlic if you don’t have it. I have recently been doubling the marinade (first 7 ingredients) for this recipe because of the size of my marinating dish and it’s been working great. So if it doesn’t seem to be enough marinade, double it. When making the oven fries, follow recipe at the bottom of the link and add Greek oregano for a more Greek style taste.
Instructions:
Day 1- Make marinade by mixing garlic through veggie broth (1st seven ingredients) in a deep dish.
Cut tempeh block in half. Bring a pot of water to a boil, place tempeh halves inside and boil for 10-15 minutes. This removes any bitter taste from the tempeh.
Take tempeh out of the water, and after it has cooled slice it into ¼ inch slices. Place slices in the marinade.
Marinate overnight; mix up the tempeh slices every once in a while to make sure you have all of them covered with marinade.
Day 2- Preheat oven to 400. Remove tempeh slices from the marinade and place on parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and beginning to crisp at the edges. Make sure you turn the slices over half way through.
Once tempeh is done, warm the pita bread in the oven for 3-5 minutes. Assemble gyros by placing tempeh slices, fresh tomatoes, and red onions on pita bread. Cover with Tzatziki and enjoy!
Serve with Greek style oven fries, or to be even more authentic place oven fries inside pita bread.
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