Greek Tofu Pitas with Vegan Tzatziki

Name: Greek Tofu Pitas with Vegan Tzatziki
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 33 min
Ingredients: 1 Block Extra Firm or Firm Tofu; 4 Pita breads of choice (White, Brown or Gluten Free); ¾ cup Store bought or homemade Hummus; 1 tbsp Olive Oil; 4 tbsp Soy Sauce; 2 tbsp Tomato Puree; 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder; 1/2 tsp ground Cumin; 1 tsp dried Oregano; 1/4 tsp ground Cinnamon; 1/4 tsp ground Black Pepper; 1/4 Cucumber ( finely diced); 1/2 cup Plain Unsweetened Non-Dairy Yoghurt ((we use Alpro Plain Soy Yoghurt)); 1/4 tsp Garlic Granules; 1/4 tsp Salt; 1 tbsp Lemon Juice; 1 tbsp chopped fresh Dill; 1 tbsp chopped fresh Basil; 1 tbsp chopped fresh Parsley; ¼ cup Green Olives (,halved); ½ Red Onion (,thinly sliced); ¼ Cucumber (,sliced); 2 Large Tomatoes (,sliced); 1 cup Spinach (,torn or loosely chopped)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

One thing I really missed after going Vegan was Greek food.
I love Tzatziki, I love Gyros, I love(d) Feta, I love it all. Thankfully these Greek Tofu Pitas really hit the spot.

Steve holding a pitta in both hands, loaded with marinated tofu, salad, hummus and tzatziki. — Stuffed Greek Pita

Filled with delicious Greek marinated Tofu, crunchy salad drizzled with plenty of Tzatziki, made using our own amazing Tzatziki recipe.

Jump to:

What You'll Need
How to Make it
Storage
Recipe Tip
Serving Suggestions & Variations
FAQ's
Other Meal Ideas
Recipe
Comments

What You'll Need

Ingredients

Cucumber - If you're finding it hard to get your kids to drink more water, get them to eat it instead. Cucumbers are 95% water! They contain Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium & Zinc. And because of their high B vitamin content, they are a great energy boosting food. So if you've got tired little ones in the afternoon after nursery or school, offer up some Cucumber as a snack.
Hummus - Made from Chickpeas and Tahini (Sesame Seed Butter). Chickpeas are high in fiber and a versatile way to add a lot of plant protein to a meal. Tahini contains healthy unsaturated fats that studies have shown to promote healthy brain & heart function. Tahini also contains a lot of Calcium which is a mineral some people worry about their children getting on a Vegan diet. You can use a store bought version or its cheap and easy to make your own at home. Our recipes for this are coming to the blog soon!
Olives - The wholefood version of Olive Oil. Olives are high in Oleic Acid which helps combat inflammation (think colds and infections), and it also helps facilitate wound healing. They are usually a 'Marmite Food' where you either love them or hate them. Ezra has loved eating them since he was about a year old, and I'm hoping Indie will be a fan of them too.
Pita Bread - We used soft Greek Style Pitas for this, although any that you can get hold of will be fine. The only requirement for the Pitas is that you want them to puff up when lightly toasted so that you can easily cut it open and get your fillings in.
Red Onion - You could switch this out for Spring Onion. Which I tend to find is more accepted by children as the flavour is milder, and it's not as crunchy.
Spinach - A well known Superfood. It's loaded with tons of nutrients in a low-calorie package. Dark, leafy greens like spinach are important for skin, hair, and bone health. They also provide protein, iron, vitamins, and minerals.
Tofu - We used Extra Firm Tofu here as it's the Tofu with the most 'bite' to it. You'll see this used quite commonly as a meat replacement in Vegan dishes. It's a great plant protein that contains all 9 essential Amino Acids, for that reason I try and serve it up once or twice a week to my family.
It also takes on flavour really well when marinated (as always with marinating, the longer you leave it, the more it will take on the flavours).
I've tried this recipe both with and without pressing the Tofu. Personally, I don't mind it when it hasn't been pressed. Although more people may prefer the firmer texture of it after pressing - hence us making this part of the recipe instructions. If you'd like a recipe that doesn't require the Tofu to be pressed then you should give our Satay Tofu Skewers a go, they're also delicious!
Tomatoes - Tomatoes come in such a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. We used Vine Ripened Tomatoes, but you could use another type such as Beefsteak, or Heirloom if they're available to you. They are also loaded with a substance called Lycopene. It gives them their bright red color and helps protect them from the ultraviolet rays of the sun (although a tomato isn't a substitute for using sunscreen).

Tofu Marinade & Vegan Tzatziki Ingredients

Marinade Ingredients

Herbs & Spices - Pepper, Garlic Granules, Ground Cumin, Oregano and Cinnamon are all common flavours in Mediterranean dishes. You should find these easily in your local Supermarket.
Olive Oil - We added a small amount of Olive Oil here to stop the Tofu sticking to the pan when frying, and to help get that slightly crisp edge. If you prefer to cook Oil-Free, then you would be best baking the Tofu in the oven (15 mins at pre-heated 180c should be perfect).
Soy Sauce - You can use Tamari or Coconut Aminos here if you want to make this Gluten-Free. We used a low-sodium Soy Sauce for this recipe, which is widely available in Supermarkets.
Tomato Puree - Tomato Puree is a thick liquid made by cooking and straining tomatoes. The difference between Tomato Puree, and tinned Chopped Tomatoes is consistency; Tomato Puree has a thicker consistency and a deeper flavour than tinned Chopped Tomatoes. It's used regularly in Plant Based recipes to make the Umami taste that is often associated with meat.

Tzatziki Ingredients

Cucumber - See our above section on Cucumber for more info.
Garlic Granules - We use Garlic Granules instead of fresh here to give it flavour, without adding the raw Garlic 'spice' that isn't too popular with kids. It's affordable, easily accessible, and great to have on standby in the kitchen for salad dressings and marinades.
Fresh Herbs - It's important to use Fresh Herbs here as they make a huge difference to the taste.
Lemon Juice - Again, this needs to be fresh Lemon Juice that's used. Using any shop bought lemon Juice will alter the taste of your Tzatziki.
Plain Yoghurt - We used Alpro Plain Soy Yoghurt, but any plain or Greek Style Vegan Yoghurt will be delicious. I haven't tried Coconut based Yoghurt but as long as it's Plain it should be usable. .

Equipment

2x Small mixing bowls
A flat bottomed dish to marinade the Tofu in, a plate should be sufficient
Frying Pan
Sharp Knife

How to Make it

Making the Marinade and the Tzatziki

Side by side photos. On the left the marinade being whisked in a bowl, and on the right the tzatziki being made in a glass bowl, heaped with diced cucumber, with a spoon in the centre. — Making the Marinade and the Tzatziki.

Whisk the Marinade ingredients together, stir the Tzatziki ingredients together.

Marinating the Tofu

Side by side photos of a white dish, on the left its layered with some of the marinade, on the right the sliced tofu is placed on top in a line. — Marinating the Tofu.

Put some Marinade in the base of the dish before putting the Tofu in.

Side by side photos of the tofu being topped with marinade and then the marinade being spread evenly over the lined up tofu slices. — Marinating the Tofu.

Spoon over the remaining marinade and make sure the Tofu is well coated, as pictured above.

Cooking the Tofu

Side by side photos of the tofu in a frying pan, on the left before cooking, on the right, the cooked and slightly crispy tofu slices. — Marinated Tofu before and after cooking.

Spread a few slices out in a hot frying pan and cook for approximately 3 minutes on each side.

Storage

Any unused freshly cut veg can be stored in your fridge as you would do normally. The fried Tofu will last 2 days in the fridge in an airtight container or wrapped in clingfilm or similar. If air gets to the Tofu it will dry out and it can harden, so just bear this in mind when choosing what to store it in.

Recipe Tip

When pressing the Tofu, you want to take enough of the moisture out of it that when you squeeze the middle of the block between your fingers a minimal amount of water remains. You will never manage to press all of the liquid out, but you want to make sure that enough has been removed, so that water will no longer drip out when squeezed.

Serving Suggestions & Variations

Two hands holding a pitta, loaded with marinated tofu, salad, hummus and tzatziki. Photographed being held over a plate with another filled pitta, in the background, on a plate, out of focus. — Feeling hungry?

You can swap out and mix these up by simply switching some of the salad items for others you may prefer. Red Onions for Spring Onions. Spinach for Rocket (Arugula if you're American). Or you could add in some shredded lettuce or jarred roasted red & yellow peppers.

Another sauce that we love to have with this is our Garlic Cashew Cream.

FAQ's

How do I know when the Tofu is pressed enough?

How long should I marinade Tofu for?

If you're able to plan ahead of time, then marinade overnight. If not then marinade for at least 10 minutes. As with most marinading though, if you can leave it for longer then the Tofu is going to take on more of the flavour. An hour would be optimum if possible.

Other Meal Ideas

Here are a few of our other Recipes that you might like to try.

If you like these Greek Pitas then you simply have to try our Satay Tofu Skewers. They are another simple, yet equally delicious way to enjoy this versatile vegan ingredient.

Recipe