Pita Pockets with Roasted Veggies and Hummus

Pita Pockets with Roasted Veggies and Hummus Recipe: Healthy and delicious lunch meal you will look forward to. These vegan rainbow pita pockets are very easy and quick to make and can be eaten warm or cold.

It's hard to believe that the last month of summer has started! Which means, soon it's back-to-school time and people are searching for creative and healthy lunchbox ideas. Everybody can make a sandwich but why not take your lunch to the next level?

Here is my suggestion to you: Pita pockets with roasted veggies and hummus. Delicious, healthy, packed with nutrients, vegan and super easy to assemble. Can be eaten warm or cold. Perfectly portable. Did I mention they are delicious?

It's a fun lunch meal you or your kids will look forward to. Just like my perfect vegan sloppy joes, Mediterranean couscous salad and vegan wraps, these pita pockets are everything but boring.

Middle Eastern-spiced roasted veggies, creamy hummus, chewy baby spinach and crunchy pita bread...

A perfectly balanced dish for kids and adults. Just don't hesitate to add more chili pepper or a spoonful of green harissa paste if you like it spicy 😉

Health Benefits of Pita Pockets with Roasted Veggies and Hummus

Pita bread

It is surely healthier than toast bread and brings a nice diversity to the usual diet.

High in carbs necessary for a busy day, fiber (especially if you use whole wheat pita bread!), vitamins and minerals like magnesium, selenium and calcium, pita is a good choice to be a part of your or your kids' lunch menu. Bonus point if you use whole grain pita.

Roasted veggies

Roasting is one of the healthiest ways to cook your veggies and you know that they are good for you, right? Eggplants, bell peppers and carrots are nutrient-dense and rich in plant-based protein.

Hummus

Quality store-bought or homemade hummus is a healthy choice for your lunch meal. It's rich in protein and fiber, as well as healthy fats and carbs.

Since it's usually made of chickpeas, garlic, tahini paste, olive oil, lemon juice and salt, it has anti-inflammatory properties, as well as unique supply of antioxidants. It lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels, while decreasing cardiovascular risks and digestive problems.

Make sure there are no additives in your store-bought hummus. I make mine myself but it's perfectly fine to buy good quality hummus once in a while! I like to add extra spices to it like cumin, turmeric, paprika and Ras-el-Hanout. That's why it looks yellow on my pictures 🙂

Other ingredients include raw baby spinach, pomegranate seeds and parsley (the last two are optional, however recommendable for the best taste).

How to Make Pita Pockets with Roasted Veggies and Hummus

Start by julienning and roasting your veggies. Cut your eggplants, carrots and bell peppers in 10 cm (4 inches) long strips and arrange them on a baking tray spayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with spices, salt and black pepper and roast for about 25 minutes or until eggplants are tender.

As for the spice selection, I usually use my Moroccan blend with some variations. I've recently published a recipe for a vegan roasted carrot soup with lentils that uses this blend. It basically contains three main spices: Ras-el-Hanout, turmeric and sweet paprika. You can wary them to your taste.

Meanwhile, make the hummus if you want to make it yourself. Combine chickpeas, olive oil, tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic, spices and salt and pepper and blend until smooth. A small hack: if your kid wouldn't eat eggplants, sneak them into hummus!

Bake pita breads as per instruction on the package and cut them in halves. They will form pockets, so you can stuff them with about 2 tablespoons hummus each, a few strips of roasted veggies and a few leaves of baby spinach.

Lastly, sprinkle your pita pockets with pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley. If you don't follow a vegan diet, it's nice to drizzle them with a bit of Greek yogurt.

Serve warm or cold. These pita pockets pair great with a glass of refreshing  ayran (Turkish yogurt drink).

If you are looking for more vegan lunch ideas, check out my healthy vegetarian lunch box ideas and best vegan sandwiches collection.

Here is the full recipe. You can adjust it to your taste or depending on what you have in your fridge. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below!

If you made these pita pockets, I'd like to hear from you! Leaving your feedback below will mean a world to me!

Print

4.84 from 6 votes

Pita Pockets with Roasted Veggies and Hummus

These pita pockets with roasted veggies and hummus make for a healthy and delicious portable lunch meal and can be eaten warm or cold.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4 people

Calories 382kcal

Author Elena Szeliga

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

For the pita pockets:

• ▢ 1 eggplant
• ▢ 2 carrots
• ▢ 1 red bell pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Ras-el-Hanout
• ▢ 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ▢ ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 4 loaves pita bread preferably whole grain
• ▢ 1 cup or 160 grams good quality store-bought or homemade hummus for homemade hummus, see the ingredient list below
• ▢ a handful baby spinach
• ▢ pomegranate seeds, to garnish
• ▢ chopped parsley, to garnish

For the hummus:

• ▢ 1 cup or 160 g chickpeas
• ▢ juice of ½ lemon
• ▢ 1 ½ tablespoons tahini paste
• ▢ 1 small garlic clove
• ▢ 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Ras-el-Hanout (optional)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric (optional)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika (optional)
• ▢ a dash of chili flakes (optional)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons water start by adding 1 tablespoon, then continue adding 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency
• ▢ salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 200 °C or 400 °F. Julienne your veggies: Cut the eggplant, carrots and bell peppers in 10 cm (4 inches) long strips and arrange them on a baking tray spayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with spices (better combine them together in a small bowl), salt and black pepper and roast for about 25 minutes or until eggplant is tender.
• Meanwhile, make the hummus if you want to make it yourself. Combine all the ingredients except water and blend until smooth. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.
• Bake pita breads as per instruction on the package and cut them in halves. They will form pockets, so you can stuff them with about 2 tablespoons hummus each, a few strips of roasted veggies and a few leaves of baby spinach.
• Lastly, sprinkle your pita pockets with pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley. If you don't follow a vegan diet, it's nice to drizzle them with a bit of Greek yogurt. Enjoy!

Notes

A small hack: if your kid wouldn't eat eggplants, sneak them into hummus!

You can adjust the recipe to your taste or depending on what veggies you have in your fridge.

This recipe makes 4 servings, two pita halves per serving.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 407mg | Potassium: 767mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 6270IU | Vitamin C: 43.6mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 4.8mg

Tried this recipe?Follow @happykitchen.rocks on Instagram and show me the recipes you are making from my blog using the hashtag #happykitchenrocks!