Greek Tofu Pitas with Vegan Tzatziki

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.

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

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

Marinating the Tofu

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

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

Cooking the Tofu

• 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

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

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