Name: Rice Bowl with Shawarma Spiced Mushrooms and Chickpeas
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 cup Basmati rice; 1/2 tsp salt; 2 tsp black sesame seeds (optional); 2 tsp shawarma spice mix ( homemade or store-bought), divided; 1/2 tsp sea salt; 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided; 3 large portobello mushroom caps or 2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms; 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained; 1 large vine ripe tomato, diced; 2 Persian cucumbers, sliced; 1/2 cup corn kernels; Spicy Tahini Sauce (or your favorite dressing); Schug (optional)

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·5 from 1 review

This vegan, gluten-free Rice Bowl with savory shawarma mushrooms and chickpeas is filled with warm spices and fresh veggies! It is sure to become your new favorite Mediterranean-inspired rice bowl.

Side View of shawarma chickpea rice bowl

How to make a Shawarma Chickpea Rice Bowl?

For this rice bowl recipe, we started with our Crazy Good Shawarma Spice Mix and things just got better and better! Our homemade shawarma seasoning blends to perfection with Sautéed shiitake mushrooms, portobello mushrooms and chickpeas. Add your favorite veggies and bring it all together with our Spicy Tahini Dressing!

Ingredients for this Vegetarian Rice Bowl

Basmati rice. You can also use brown rice, jasmine rice, long-grain white rice, or specialty rice. You can even use cauliflower rice!
Black Sesame Seeds.
Shawarma Spice Mix. Homemade or store-bought.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Shiitake Mushrooms or Portobello Mushrooms: seasoned mushrooms are so flavorful! Use your favorite kind.
Canned Chickpeas.
Vine Ripe Tomato, grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
Persian Cucumbers.
Corn Kernels.
Spicy Tahini Sauce. You can use any of your favorite dressings to change things up. I also enjoy a lemon tahini dressing.

overhead shot of several small bowls containing the ingredients needed to make rice bowls with shawarma spiced mushrooms, each labeled with white text

Make it a Vegetarian Shawarma

You don’t have to eat chicken or any other meat to get your favorite shawarma flavors! We used our classic Crazy Good Shawarma Spice Mix to bring the spice to chickpeas and mushrooms. Chickpeas are an excellent plant-based protein, while mushrooms have vitamins B and D.

Are Rice Bowls Healthy?

Yes! Rice is the base of this vegan bowl, and all of the toppings are plant-based. This is giving you a boost of energy and all of the important nutrients from the veggies! It’s a nutritious meal that will fill you for hours.

How to Build a Rice Bowl

Start by cooking fresh rice. When the rice is nearly ready, sauté the mushrooms and chickpeas with any other vegetables you want cooked, tossing it with the shawarma spices right at the end. If you love garlic, add them during this cooking process. Once everything is cooked and prepped, build your bowl with all your favorite ingredients!

overhead shot of a skillet cooking sliced shiitake mushrooms tossed with shawarma spice mix

Spicy Vegan Bowl

This is a gluten-free, vegan bowl that is flavored with all of our favorite spices! Of course, you can customize it in any way your family prefers, but this recipe as a base is very allergy-friendly.

More Rice Bowl Options

You can make this spiced bowl your own! Instead of shawarma spice mix, you could try it with our easy Homemade Garam Masala Spice Mix. This is a flavorful, warm spice that awakens the flavors in the bowl! This rice bowl is exceptionally good served with Spicy Tahini Dressing and Schug.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I prepare my rice bowl ahead of time?

Yes. Meal prep any or all of the ingredients and reheat as needed.

Can you eat a rice bowl cold?

Yes. All of the ingredients in our rice bowl can be eaten cold.

Are rice bowls gluten-free?

Yes. None of the ingredients in our recipe contain gluten. If you are purchasing a rice bowl at a restaurant, you should check whether or not the soy sauce they use (if any) is gluten-free.

Tips for Prepping Rice Bowls

I recommend preparing any or all of the cold ingredients ahead of time. Anything you want warm, such as rice and protein, is best prepared at the moment. However, all ingredients can be reheated and assembled at any point to form a rice bowl. What I like to do is rinse, chop, peel, dice, or prepare all of the ingredients I want cold and then refrigerate them in separate containers so that they do not get soggy.

What to Serve on a Rice Bowl with Shawarma Chickpeas

Any of your favorite bowl fillings would be delicious here! The sky is truly the limit. You can meal prep ahead of time and keep these ingredients ready for a whole week's worth of rice bowl meals and change it up with each bowl. What can you put in a rice bowl? Rince, chop, peel, or prepare any or all of the following:

Tomatoes, fresh or roasted tomatoes
Cucumbers
Corn fresh or roasted
Artichokes
Spinach
Kale
Roasted butternut squash
Bell Peppers fresh or roasted
Avocado
Raw or roasted veggies
Cilantro
Tofu
Salsa
Broccoli
Carrots raw or roasted carrots
Black Beans
Sweet Potatoes (diced and roasted.)
Shredded Cabbage.
Tempeh Bacon
Snap Peas
Green Onions
Sunflower Seeds

Bird's eye view of a sharama chickpea and mushroom nourish rice bowl

More Bowls We Love

Did you like our Shawarma mushroom and chickpea Rice Bowl?

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