Vegetarian Greek souvlaki with beetroot, feta and hummus

Σουβλάκι με παντζάρι, φέτα και χούμους

During the summer, when no one wants or needs to be in the kitchen for too long, it’s always the wise choice to make dishes like this one.

I do love a classic pork souvlaki, either with gyro or grilled skewered cubed pork, but I quite often opt for a different version. A vegetarian take—just as tasty, and, dare I say, it might even give the traditional one a bit of competition.

It’s the perfect dish for summer. Full of all the good and tasty things that are filling yet light.

This vegetarian souvlaki is loaded with beetroot, feta, hummus, tomato, onions, sumac, parsley, dried chilli and lots of olive oil, all wrapped in proper Greek pita, because yes, the right kind of pita makes all the difference.

You may ask, where’s the tzatziki, Magda? Fair question. I wouldn’t dream of having regular souvlaki without it, but I don’t miss it in this one. The combination of ingredients I use here yield a balanced result and the souvlaki works perfectly without it.

There’s no need to overcomplicate things with this dish. Feel free to use ready-made hummus, vacuum-packed beetroot and store-bought pita bread without any guilt. Make sure though to get real Greek feta, not the imitation ones, and pita that is proper Greek for a more authentic flavor and texture.

My son loves eating this kind of souvlaki so rest assured it’s great for toddlers/preschoolers and young kids. And of course, it’s a great one to feed a crowd without much hassle. If you’re entertaining, just lay everything out buffet-style and let everyone build their own vegetarian souvlaki. Easy, fun, and crowd-pleasing.

Vegetarian Greek souvlaki with beetroot, feta and hummus

In Greece, the pita used for souvlakia is a particular kind that is not puffed nor has a pocket, and the way you assemble a souvlaki is laying the pita flat on a surface, placing the ingredients down the center and rolling up your souvlaki before devouring it.

If you have a barbeque, try roasting your beetroot over the flames. It will taste heavenly and add a gorgeous smokiness that’ll take your souvlaki to the next level.

In the spirit of freestyle, laid-back summer cooking I’m not giving you the classic recipe format nor specific amounts for each ingredient, but rather a list and a description of how you will assemble the dish.

Attention! The beetroot and the feta act as your main ingredients. Then comes the hummus. The rest are your additions that play a supportive yet very important role in completing the picture and creating a harmonious flavor profile. So construct your souvlaki accordingly.

Yield: as many or as few as you want

Ingredients

Greek pita bread, grilled or lightly fried in a bit of olive oil in a pan – make sure it remains soft so you can roll it up

Boiled, roasted or barbecued beetroot, vacuum-packed or freshly prepared, sliced (not too thin nor too thick)

Feta

Hummus, homemade or store-bought

Tomatoes, cut into thin wedges

Thinly sliced red onion

Chopped flat-leaf parsley, leaves only

Sumac

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Hot chilli powder

Here’s what you do:

Mix the sliced red onion with some chopped parsley and lots of sumac and let it stand for a few minutes while you cook your pitas.

Take one and lay it down on a piece of parchment paper or on a plate and spread hummus all over it.

Take a few slices of the beetroot and lay them down the center of the pita, followed by some slices of fresh, juicy tomatoes. Season generously with salt and black pepper.

Then crumble some beautiful, creamy Greek feta all over and add some of the thinly sliced red onions with parsley and sumac.

Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a good sprinkle of hot chilli powder and some more salt and black pepper.

Roll your souvlaki and dig in!