Pita is a hiding place, a sleeping bag, an edible bowl. Anything you tuck into a pita will be delicious. No wonder Eyal Shani’s Miznon restaurants are so successful. He didn’t invent pita sandwiches, but he showed the world that, except for soup, pita can hold anything—including campfire potato and cauliflower.
My boys would almost always prefer a meaty meal over a vegetarian meal, unless I’m making a pita meal. In fact, pita meals are their favorite. Mine too, when I manage to keep it simple: roasting only one or two vegetables, making a basic salad, tahini sauce, and use store-bought pitas. Buying the pitas makes it much easier. Cambridge Farm market in the Valley, where I live, sells excellent chubby fluffy pitas.
While we love the chubby, soft pitas I buy, for health reasons, I prefer to make my own pitas. I make them more fibrous, with organic spelt and whole wheat flours. Usually I make a large batch and freeze them. They freeze well.
Bottom line, the simpler you keep your pita sandwiches, the better. You don’t want to overload your pita with too many elements. I mean, you can do whatever you want, but in my case, I don’t like to overwhelm my sensitive palate.
A few notes before you begin:
- Cook the potatoes while the cauliflower roasts to save time.
- If you have a cast iron skillet, use it for roasting the cauliflower—it caramelizes the vegetables beautifully and adds extra umami.
- Add pickled onions, fresh herbs, or cucumber for extra crunch and freshness.
- If you don’t have or eat pitas, serve this over rice, quinoa, or any grain you like.
Easy Cauliflower Pita Sandwiches
Ingredients
For the Roasted Cauliflower:
- 1 medium cauliflower head - sliced into florets
- 1 medium onion - sliced (optional)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 6 sprigs fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried oregano - optional
- Salt to taste
For the Potato Salad:
- 4-5 medium potatoes - peeled and diced
- 3-4 scallions - sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the Radish Salad:
- 6-8 baby radishes - thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley - chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon za’atar
- Salt to taste
For the Tahini Sauce:
- ¼ cup tahini
- Juice of ½ lemon - about 2 tablespoons
- ¼ cup water
- Pinch of salt
For Serving:
- 4-6 fluffy pitas - optional
- Harissa or schoog
Instructions
- Roast the cauliflower: Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Toss cauliflower and onion with olive oil, smoked paprika, oregano, and salt in a roasting pan. Roast until golden-brown, about 20 minutes.
- Cook the potatoes: Place diced potatoes in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil for 1 minute, then reduce heat to medium and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well.
- Make the radish salad: Combine sliced radishes and parsley in a bowl. Toss with olive oil, lemon juice, za’atar, and salt.
- Prepare tahini sauce: Whisk together tahini, lemon juice, and water until smooth and creamy. Add more water if too thick, or more tahini if too thin. Season with salt.
- Finish the potato salad: Toss warm drained potatoes with scallions, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Assemble: Serve components in warm pita pockets or arrange on plates. Drizzle generously with tahini sauce and add a dollop of harissa if desired.
Notes
- Cook the potatoes while the cauliflower roasts to save time.
- If you have a cast iron skillet, use it for roasting the cauliflower—it caramelizes the vegetables beautifully and adds extra umami.
- Add pickled onions, fresh herbs, or cucumber for extra crunch and freshness.
- If you don’t have or eat pitas, serve this over rice, quinoa, or any grain you like.
