It’s summer and that means that I am spending countless hours devising new ways to use the ever-growing pile of produce in my frig and on my counter top.
ME: (as I try to find more room in the frig for the newest picking of cucumbers) “We need to eat these cucumbers.”
KIDS: (with mouths full of cucumbers) “Mom, we ate 9 of them for lunch today, 10 yesterday, and 8 the day before. We’re eating them as fast as we can.”
Actually, I love having all this fresh produce available. It makes cooking and eating loads more fun and much more delicious!
This sandwich is one of my favorites! It is full of flavor, easy to make, and so healthy! And it’s great for weight loss.
Here’s what you need to know about this sandwich:
1. You don’t like tofu? No worries. Even the most die-hard tofu hater will like it in this sandwich. DON’T omit it; the tofu mixture is essential for the flavor of the sandwich. Trust me here.
2. The amounts of the other ingredients, like the cucumber, tomato, lettuce, etc. are flexible. It all depends on how you like it.
3. The mashed and seasoned garbanzo mixture is just that – mashed and seasoned garbanzos. It’s not hummus, BUT I do think you could use hummus in this recipe and it would taste very good.
4. I used garbanzos that I cooked in a crockpot for this recipe because I like them better and they’re easier to mash. Canned garbanzos (chickpeas) will probably work too.
Greek Veggie Pita
Ingredients
- 1/3 pound (approximately) extra-firm tofu
- 1 1/2 cups (one 15-ounce can) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, optional – divided
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice – divided
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 teaspoons granulated onion – divided
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 red onion, sliced
- 1 large fresh tomato, sliced
- 1 small to medium cucumber, sliced thin
- 1/2 cup shredded lettuce
- 1/2 cup (2.25-ounce can) sliced black olives
- 2 whole pitas
Instructions
- Drain tofu. Place it in a colander and set something heavy on top to press water out of tofu. Set aside.
- Place garbanzos, 1 tablespoon oil (if using), 2 scant tablespoons lemon juice, crushed garlic, and 1 teaspoon onion powder in a bowl and mash garbanzos with a fork. If garbanzos are unsalted, you may want to add 1/4 t salt. Chill if desired.
- Prepare vegetables.
- Gently squeeze tofu with a clean kitchen towel to remove as much excess water as possible. Crumble tofu into a separate bowl. Mix in remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and oil (if using), remaining 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon parsley, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon basil, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add up to 1/4 teaspoon more of each of the seasonings for a zippier sandwich.
- Spread garbanzo mixture inside each pita half. Fill with vegetables, tofu mixture, and olives. Serve immediately.
Notes
1. I use home-cooked garbanzos for this recipe because they’re softer, have a little better flavor, are less expensive, and are easier to mash with a fork.
If you use canned garbanzos, you may want to use a food processor or a pastry cutter to mash them.
2. If your garbanzos aren’t salted, you may want to add some salt to them.
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Your comments make my day! 🙂
Wonderful place you have here! I was just blog hopping a bit and hoping to ‘friend’ a few fellow vegans and fellow bloggers! I have to say your blog is great and your photos are awesome! Would it be ok if I linked you on my site and visited and commented often!?
Hi Jennifer,
That would be lovely. Thank you for the kind, encouraging words. I’m glad you stopped by. 🙂
Your limas with squash and tomatoes recipe looks yummy. I needed a good way to use up some more of the zucchini in my garden! 🙂
Can’t wait for your cookbook!
Wow! This looks so darn delicious!
This looks great! How many servings does it make? I usually plan on 1/4 lb tofu per serving or 1 cup of garbanzos per serving. Are you counting on 1/2 pita per person for 4 servings? Not clear from the recipe.
Hi Eleanor,
I can easily eat a whole pita (sometimes two). I suppose it would depend on how hungry you are, how much of the other fillings you include, how filling the bread is, how many other foods are at the meal, etc.
If you’re asking for the purpose of cooking for others, I would go with one per person (with other sides available at the meal).
If you’re asking for the purpose of weight loss or maintenance, I suggest eating until you’re satisfied. This sandwich is a healthy food and that’s one of the benefits of my weight loss program – there’s no need for pre-determined serving sizes.
I hope this is helpful!
Jennifer
Thanks! I’ll try the recipe and see how far it goes! Definitely looks yummy.
Hi Jennifer,
I am looking for a print button to print the recipe but I cannot find it. Is there a way to print the recipe? Thanks. It looks delicious and I want to make it.
Your recipe says that you weren’t happy with the gluten-free pitas on the market and so you and your daughter made your own. Could you share the recipe? Yum!
Hi Jennifer, I just discovered your site and am so delighted. It looks like you are mostly plant based and vegan – superb! Your recipes are right up my alley. I’d love to know how you and your daughter created gluten free pitas as I’m GF and really miss bread to hold my burgers and sandwiches. Would you please share one of your bread or pita recipes? I don’t use yeast so pitas are more suitable as they are “flatbread” like.