Summer vegetables like zucchini, yellow squash, and red bell pepper are the star of these roasted vegetable gyros. Complete with pesto aioli and a sprinkle of feta, these vegetarian gyros are delicious and nutritious!
In college, I worked at a Mediterranean restaurant that served the best vegetarian gyros with pesto aioli. I really never got tired of the shift gyro that I always ate with a side of roasted potatoes doused in lemon juice and oregano.
This is by no means an authentic Greek recipe, it's more of a recipe inspired by a Mediterranean restaurant that's already not very authentic.
When I stopped working at the restaurant and moved to a new town, I had to find a way to make my own version of vegetarian gyros at home. This version is made in the oven instead of on a grill and is a little healthier than the restaurant version because it's lower and salt and uses less oil.
While the veggies roast, you'll have plenty of hands-free time to assemble the pesto aioli. Get ready for a flavorful summer meal!
Jump to:
Recipe features
- Veggie-packed: Filled with summer veggies like zucchini, yellow squash, and red pepper.
- Easy to make: Just slice veggies, toss in oil and Greek seasoning, and roast. The pesto aioli adds a lot of flavor to these vegetarian gyros and takes just a few minutes to mix up.
- Perfect for a family dinner or a few days of meal prep. Pair with crispy chickpeas or baked tofu for extra protein.
Ingredients
- Vegetables: Zucchini, yellow squash, and red bell pepper are roasted until golden and tender. Red, orange, or yellow bell pepper work.
- Greek seasoning: You can purchase a premade Greek seasoning in the spice aisle at most grocery stores or make your own. Greek seasoning usually includes oregano, mint, thyme, basil, marjoram, onion and garlic.
- Pita: The fresher, the better! I usually stick to whole wheat flatbread but pita also works well.
- Pesto aioli is made with fresh basil, Greek yogurt, and lemon juice. As the name implies, it's basically pesto and mayonnaise.
Steps to make
- Start by prepping the vegetables. I use zucchini, yellow squash, red bell pepper, and red onions. Other additions like eggplant or mushrooms also work well.
- Toss the veggies in olive oil and Greek seasoning. You can add the red onions now if you like roasted red onions, or leave them raw if you prefer a crunch.
- Spread the seasoned vegetables evenly on a large sheet pan. Line the sheet pan with foil for easy cleanup or just use an unlined sheet pan.
- Roast for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F. Remove from the oven and stir. Return to the oven and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Toss the roasted vegetables with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Meanwhile, make the basil pesto aioli. Blend together fresh basil, lemon juice, garlic cloves, and Greek yogurt until smooth.
To assemble one vegetable gyro, take a warmed flatbread (you can warm it in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop) and spread with 1-2 tablespoons of aioli. Add ⅕ of the lettuce and roasted veggies and 1 tablespoon of feta.
These gyros go very well with my roasted breakfast potatoes recipe. You can roast the potatoes while the veggies are roasting, then add a sprinkle of dry oregano and fresh lemon juice when the potatoes are done.
Variations
- Vegan option: You can make these veggie gyros vegan by omitting the feta cheese and replacing Greek yogurt with plain coconut yogurt or vegan mayo.
- Greek seasoning alternative: If you don't have Greek seasoning on hand, try just coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. The simplicity of salt & pepper complements roasted veggies well.
- Other topping ideas: Try a variety of toppings like banana peppers, kalamata olives, sliced tomatoes, jalapeno hummus, or spinach.
- To make a higher protein meal, add a can of chickpeas to the sheet pan with the vegetables to make roasted chickpeas.
More vegetarian summer recipes
Did you try this recipe? You can leave a star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ in the recipe card or a review down in the comments section. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow along on my YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest or sign up for my newsletter!
📖 Recipe
Vegetarian Gyros with Roasted Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 pound zucchini, cut into spears ~2 medium zucchinis
- 1 pound yellow squash, cut into spears ~2 medium squash
- 1 large red bell pepper, cut into wedges
- 1 medium red onion, sliced thinly
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Greek seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt adjust to taset
- 1 cup fresh basil loosely packed
- 6 ounces plain Greek yogurt
- 2 medium lemons
- 3 cloves garlic
- 5 slices of pita or flat bread
- 5 tablespoons feta crumbles
- 2 ounces romaine lettuce 2 loosely packed cups
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. For easy cleanup, line a sheet pan with foil (optional).
- Combine the olive oil, Greek seasoning, and salt in a large bowl. Toss the sliced zucchini, squash, bell pepper and red onions in the olive oil until evenly coated.
- Evenly spread the vegetables on the sheet pan so that they aren't overlapping. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven when the veggies are tender. Toss with 2 tablespoons of lemon jucie from one of the lemons. Taste for salt and pepper.
- While the veggies are roasting, make pesto aioli. Combine basil, Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons lemon juice from the other lemon, and garlic cloves in a blender or small food processor. Blend until smooth.
- To assemble one gyro: Warm flatbread on the stove or in the microwave, then spread with 1-2 tablespoons of pesto aioli. Layer with ⅕ of the lettuce. Top with ⅕ of the roasted veggies. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of crumbled feta. Enjoy warm with optional toppings.
Notes
- Greek seasoning: You can purchase a premade Greek seasoning in the spice aisle at most grocery stores or make your own. Greek seasoning usually includes oregano, mint, thyme, basil, marjoram, onion and garlic.
- To make vegan: Omit the feta cheese, or use a vegan alternative. Choose your favorite vegan mayo for the pesto aioli instead of Greek yogurt.
- Choose your bread: You can use flatbread or pita bread. I prefer to use whole wheat flatbread for a serving of whole grains. Warm the bread in a pan on the stove or in the microwave before serving.
- Optional toppings: Some of my favorite add-ins are romaine lettuce or spinach, sliced tomatoes, kalamata olives and banana peppers.
Leave a Reply