A fresh and savory gluten free, vegetarian meal that also doubles as a mini meal prep for us because we have falafels left for another day
Mediterranean Falafel Bowl
Simple, Nourishing and Delicious!
If you’ve been following me a while, or even follow my Instagram stories for a short while, you know my husband and I love Mediterranean flavors! I think we could live on Greek-ish salads of all kinds.
This Mediterranean Falafel Bowl takes it to the next level by adding Crispy Baked Falafels.
The Falafel recipe is from The Fit Fork Feed (with a few adaptations) and it is the falafel recipe we keep going back to!
Gluten-free, Vegan and packed with herbs (parsley, cilantro, garlic, scallions) and superfoods (hempseed, chia seeds, flaxseeds), they have the BEST flavor! And while they are hearty and satisfying, they are not heavy.
And so easy to make! The falafel mix comes together in a food processor, then the falafels are baked to crispy perfection!
Here we’ve paired the falafels with our favorite Greek-ish salad: greens, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onions, a big scoop of hummus (we used store bought but you could make your own hummus), kalamata olives, a touch of feta, an Herbed Yogurt Sauce for the falafels and a simple big drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for the rest. Super simple and so delicious!
As a bonus: the falafel recipes yields 18 falafels so we always have extra which double for lunch or dinner another day. They can be eaten again in a bowl like this; dipped in another sauce such as a simple Tahini Sauce or Cilantro Lime Cashew Dressing (one of our faves from The Crunchy Radish) ; or even made into Falafel Tacos!
For the recipe below, I’ve provided the Falafel recipe and Herbed Yogurt Sauce recipe, plus approximate measurements for one bowl. It is the type of bowl, you can add more or less of any of the ingredients and it will be perfect for you!
Scroll down for recipe and leave a comment if you try.
A fresh and savory Gluten-free Vegetarian (vegan optional) meal perfect for lunch or dinner. Falafel recipe yields about 18 falafels so perfect for feeding a crowd or meal prep as they store well in the refrigerator for several days. Baked Superfood Falafel recipe adapted from The Fit ForkFeed.
Author: Healthy Gluten-Free Family
Recipe type: Dinner, Veggies
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan optional
Serves: 18 falafels
Ingredients
Crispy Baked Falafels (recipe with a few adaptations from The Fit Fork Feed), Makes approximately 18 patties or balls.
2 cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup gluten free oats OR gluten-free flour with xanthum gum (I used GF Jules - affiliate link)
¼ cup parsley, packed
¼ cup cilantro, packed
2 scallions (white and green parts)
½ carrot, cut into a few pieces
2 garlic cloves
2 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon salt
Herbed Yogurt Sauce (makes 1 cup sauce -- scale up or down depending on how many bowls)
1 cup greek yogurt (or Greek Almond Milk Yogurt if dairy free or vegan)
3-4 teaspoons lemon juice (or more to taste)
1½ tablespoons dill, finely chopped (or more to taste)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped (or more to taste)
Herbed Yogurt Sauce for dipping the falafels (see below)
Balsamic Vinegar and EVOO to taste
handful of micro greens for garnish, optional
Instructions
Crispy Baked Falafels
Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place oats or flour, parsley, carrot, garlic,scallions and cilantro in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is roughly chopped. (do not over process)
Add in the rest of the ingredients and pulse until the mixture comes together. Roughly about 10 to 15 pulses. If the mixture seems too dry, you can add another tablespoon of olive oil or water. You may have to scrape down the sides as the mixture will be thick-- You want the mixture to be combined but thick and a bit coarse.
Form the mixture into patties or balls, whichever you prefer. We've done both. To make the patties, form mixture into a ball then gently press down to form a patty.
Spray the patties or balls with olive oil spray and bake for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes remove them from the oven and flip over and spray the other side with olive oil spray and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Can be made ahead. Store well in the fridge for several days.
Herbed Yogurt Sauce
Mix all ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl. Taste and add more herbs or lemon juice to taste. Lemon juice will also thin the sauce. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Keeps well for a few days.
Assemble
In each bowl, add greens, cucumber, tomatoes, onions, olives, feta, hummus, herbed yogurt sauce and falafels. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil to taste over veggies and hummus.
Hi! My name is Karen, and I’m the mom in our Healthy Gluten-Free Family. My posts and pictures here and on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter are labors of love that allow me to share a very personal journey with you, one our family has taken together — learning, experimenting and sharing how to raise a healthy happy gluten-free family. Read more ...