Vegetarian Kibbeh Burrito
A High-Protein Mediterranean Diet-Inspired Vegan Wrap
Prep time 20 minutes | Total Time 35 minutes | Makes 4 Wraps
Bold spices, savory bulgur, fresh vegetables, bright yogurt, and plant-based Impossible Meat come together in this flavorful vegan twist on a favorite Lebanese Food- kibbeh! Kibbeh is traditionally made with Lamb meat but this kibbeh is completely vegetarian and wrapped up with a vegan leban (yogurt) sauce which makes for a delicious handheld meal. Inspired by the national dish of Lebanon, this wrap brings Middle Eastern comfort food to your lunchbox, no meat required.
This Mediterranean wrap is packed with fiber, flavor, and plant-based protein. Part of my “Burritos From Around the World” series, this recipe is perfect for meal prep, picnics, or a fresh take on vegan dinner. Great for anyone following a Mediterranean diet, looking to boost plant-based protein, or craving a vegetarian Lebanese recipe with a modern twist I hope you will give this a try.
Ingredients
For the Yogurt Sauce
1 cup of unsweetened plain vegan yogurt (not vanilla flavored!)
1 cucumber- diced
1-2 teaspoons fresh mint chopped
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
For the Kibbeh
1 package of Impossible Plant-Based Meat- if you can't get Impossible Meat in your area you can try Beyond Meat or any ground meat substitute instead.
3/4 -1&1/4 cup of medium grain bulgur wheat (you need to soak this in cold water)
1/2 cup of chopped parsley - use the flat Italian parsley
1 teaspoon of allspice
1 teaspoon of salt
Small chopped yellow onion- about 3/4 cup
For Serving: Lavash or a Tortilla, chopped tomatoes, chopped lettuce or spinach.
Instructions:
The first step to making Kibbeh is to soak bulgur wheat (see below) while the wheat is soaking I generally make up the yogurt sauce to save time.
To make the Kibbeh:
Soak 3/4 cup of medium grain bulgur wheat in a warm water, for about 20 minutes, it will “puff up” during this time. Do not use the fine bulgur. On the bag it will often say #2 or sometimes, coarse bulgur. *Since you have 20 minutes, this is a great time to make the yogurt sauce and chop the veggies for the burrito.
Put one 12 ounce package of Impossible Meat into a bowl. (see notes and adjustments for other options)
Chop 3/4 cup of yellow onion fairly fine, into diced pieces and add to the impossible meat
Add 1/2 cup of chopped parsley.
Add in 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of all-spice (NOT Lebanese 7 spice).
Mix the ingredients very well, using your hands is the best way to do this as it ensures everything is well mixed. I usually mix it for about 5 minutes.
After about 20 minutes drain the bulgur wheat in a small strainer.
Squeeze the water out of the wheat by squeezing the wheat with your hands, then return it to a container. If this is confusing watch this part of my video tutorial linked in this blog.
Add about 1 cup of wheat to your "meat" mixture and mix it together well. I add about 1 cup to 1&1/4 cups of wheat as you make this you will develop a preference for how much or little wheat you like.
Make small patties about 2 inches across and place on baking sheet - I line mine with parchment paper for easy clean up
Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes until browned but not burnt! You can flip them once if you want. *Kibbeh is often fried, I bake it as it is healthier this way and tastes just as good.
While it is baking chop up about 1 cup of diced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes and 1 cup of spinach or lettuce, these will be the veggies on the wrap.
To make the yogurt sauce:
Chop up 1/2 of a medium sized cucumber into small pieces
Add the cucumber and 1 cup of vegan unflavored, unsweetened yogurt to a bowl and mix well
Add in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
Add in 1-2 teaspoons of fresh mint, mix well and set to the side. If you are not making the wraps within an hour store this in the refrigerator.
Putting it together
On a piece of lavash bread or a tortilla lay down a bed of spinach or lettuce.
On top of the green put down about 3-4 (depending on size) kibbeh patties.
Add some diced tomatoes on top of the kibbeh patties.
Top with your delicious yogurt sauce, don’t overdo it, it is just a garnish!
You can garnish with extra parsley if you want.
Wrap it up like a burrito and -enjoy!
Notes and Adjustments:
Traditionally this type of Kibbeh is fried- if you prefer to fry it my grandmother would fry it in a saute pan in olive oil. It is not deep fried, it is shallow fried. It's delicious when friend but adds calories and fat.
Some people don’t like to use meat replacements in vegan cooking. To be honest, I could never get my Grandmother’s meat based recipes to taste right until Impossible Meat came along. Beyond Meat also works quite well. Some people are concerned that meat replacements are “processed” and contain chemicals. However, the meat consumed in most American diets is also highly processed and also contains chemicals. Impossible meat is a fairly clean food, has no cholesterol, and is lower in fat than traditional beef, also it is delicious!
It is important to use high quality ingredients, like a good allspice. I have included links to Lebanese allspice and bulgur below
Notes and Adjustments:
Order Lebanese allspice here
Order bulgur wheat here
Links: When available I use affiliate links and may earn a commission - this does not add a cost to you as the consumer but it does support my small vegan business. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
