Shawarma is rich, spiced and savory, so the best sides do one of three jobs: add something sharp (pickles, lemon, raw onion), something fresh (herbs and salad), or something to soak it all up (bread, rice, fries). Here's what to put on the table.
1. Sauces
- Toum (garlic sauce). The classic with chicken shawarma: a fluffy, egg-free garlic emulsion. Make it with our toum recipe.
- Tahini sauce. The usual partner for beef and lamb: sesame paste thinned with lemon and water. Here's our tahini sauce recipe.
- Amba. A tangy pickled-mango sauce often served with Iraqi and Israeli-style shawarma.
- Hot sauce. A chili sauce or a spoonful of harissa if you like heat.
2. Pickles and fresh vegetables
- Pickled turnips (the bright pink ones) and pickled cucumbers: the crunch and acidity cut through the richness.
- Sliced tomato and cucumber.
- Onions with parsley and sumac. Thinly sliced onion tossed with chopped parsley and a pinch of sumac is a shawarma-shop staple.
3. Salads
- Fattoush: a crunchy salad of greens, cucumber, tomato and toasted pita with a lemony sumac dressing.
- Tabbouleh: parsley-heavy salad with bulgur, tomato, mint and lemon.
- Cabbage salad: shredded cabbage with lemon, garlic and olive oil, common at Lebanese spots.
- Cucumber and tomato salad with lemon and olive oil, when you want something simple.
4. Sides
- Fries. On the side or tucked inside the wrap, Lebanese style.
- Rice. Vermicelli rice or plain basmati makes a shawarma plate.
- Hummus and baba ghanoush for dipping and spreading.
- Falafel if you're feeding a mixed crowd.
5. Bread
- Thin pita for classic rolled wraps.
- Saj or markouk, very thin flatbreads that wrap tightly and toast well.
- Lafa or tanoor bread, larger and chewier, for big wraps.
Warm bread in a dry pan for 20 to 30 seconds per side so it's soft and pliable.
How to build a shawarma plate
- Start with a scoop of rice or a stack of warm pita.
- Add a generous pile of sliced shawarma.
- Spoon on hummus and a salad such as fattoush or tabbouleh.
- Add pickles and onions with parsley.
- Finish with toum for chicken or tahini for beef and lamb.
Make the shawarma