Falafel Quinoa Salad Bowl (Printable)

Crispy baked falafel over fluffy quinoa with fresh vegetables and creamy garlic tahini sauce

# What you'll need:

→ Baked Falafel

01 - 1.5 cups cooked or canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 0.5 cup fresh parsley leaves
03 - 0.5 cup fresh cilantro leaves
04 - 2 green onions, roughly chopped
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
07 - 0.5 teaspoon ground coriander
08 - 0.25 teaspoon cayenne pepper
09 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
10 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
12 - 3 tablespoons chickpea flour
13 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Quinoa

14 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
15 - 2 cups water
16 - 0.25 teaspoon salt

→ Salad

17 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
18 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
19 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced

→ Garlic Tahini Sauce

20 - 0.33 cup tahini
21 - 1 clove garlic, minced
22 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
23 - 2 to 3 tablespoons water
24 - 0.25 teaspoon salt

# Method:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a food processor, combine chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, green onions, garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and chickpea flour. Pulse until the mixture is mostly smooth but still slightly coarse, scraping down the sides as needed.
03 - Using damp hands, form the falafel mixture into 12 balls or patties. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil.
04 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crisp.
05 - In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
06 - Whisk together tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and 2 tablespoons water until smooth. Add more water as needed to achieve desired consistency.
07 - Divide cooked quinoa among 4 bowls. Top each with diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced green onion, and 3 falafel pieces. Drizzle generously with garlic tahini sauce.
08 - Serve immediately, optionally garnished with fresh herbs or lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Every bite gives you crunch, creaminess, and freshness all at once.
  • It's filling enough to keep you satisfied without feeling heavy or sluggish.
  • You can prep components ahead and toss everything together in minutes.
  • The tahini sauce is so good you'll want to drizzle it on everything else too.
02 -
  • If your falafel mixture feels too wet and won't hold a ball shape, add another tablespoon of chickpea flour and pulse again.
  • Don't skip flipping the falafel halfway through baking or the bottoms will get too dark while the tops stay pale.
  • Let the quinoa rest covered after cooking, it finishes steaming and becomes perfectly fluffy instead of gummy.
  • Tahini can seize up when you first add lemon juice, but keep whisking and adding water and it will smooth out beautifully.
03 -
  • Pulse the falafel mixture in short bursts so you don't overprocess it into a paste, you want some texture.
  • Wet your hands before shaping the falafel so the mixture doesn't stick to your palms.
  • Double the tahini sauce recipe because you'll want extra for drizzling on everything later.
  • If you don't have a food processor, mash the chickpeas with a fork and finely chop the herbs, it takes longer but still works.
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