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Baked Falafel Bowls with Tahini Sauce

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 People

Ingredients

For the falafel:

  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • ½ yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cups loosely packed fresh herbs parsley, cilantro, and/or mint
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
  • 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

For the sauce and bowls:

  • ½ cup tahini
  • ½ cup water
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • ¾ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 2 heads romaine, thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped about 1 cup
  • 1 avocado, chopped (optional)
  • 2-4 pita bread or 2-3 cups cooked grain
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges
  • ½ cup feta cheese (optional)

For the pickled veg:

  • 1 cups cauliflower florets
  • 1 cup peeled and thinly sliced carrot
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar or maple syrup

Items you can prep ahead (optional)

  • Prep falafel mixture
  • Bake falafels
  • Make pickled veggies
  • Make tahini sauce
  • Cook 1 cup grain (or use pita bread)

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • To make the pickled veg, in a medium bowl, add your cauliflower, carrot, vinegar, water, salt, and sweetener. Let sit for at least 30 minutes or overnight to pickle.
  • Add oats to a high speed blender and blend on high into a flour. Add chickpeas, onion, herbs, garlic, chia seeds, 1 tablespoon olive oil, cumin, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Blend until thoroughly mixed/smooth, using your damper tool to encourage blending. Scrape the side and under the blade as needed.
  • Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil onto the baking sheet and spread it around with your fingers or a pastry brush. Use a small cookie scoop or heaping tablespoon to form your falafels into balls and place on the baking sheet. Flatten slightly with your palm into ½-inch thick rounds. Brush some of the oil on top so it’s coating on both sides. Repeat until falafel mixture is used up.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, or until browned on the bottom, then flip and bake for 6-8 more minutes, or until lightly browned on the other side.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, water, lemon, salt, and pepper until smooth. Thin out with water if too thick. Taste and add more salt or lemon, if needed
  • Add romaine, tomatoes, avocado (if using), rice or pita, falafel, and pickled veggies to your bowl. Squeeze lemon all over, drizzle the tahini sauce over top (save some to have on the side, trust me you’ll want more!), and sprinkle with feta (if using), and black pepper.

Notes

Substitutions:

  • Add hummus to your bowls in place of or in addition to the tahini sauce
  • Use any raw crunchy veggie in place of the cauliflower and carrot
  • I like the freshness of the tomato and crunch of the romaine, but you could use any greens (or grain) or any summer (or leftover) veggies. 
  • If you dislike chickpeas, I feel confident it would work with any other cooked legume (cannellini beans, black beans, pinto beans, etc…)

Storage:

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
    • Falafels: up to 4 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
    • Tahini sauce: up to 6 days in the fridge
    • Pickled veg: up to 7 days in the fridge

Leftovers + Repurposing:

  • Add leftover falafel to any bowl or salad or enjoy as a snack dipped in the tahini sauce. Just warm them up in the microwave.
  • Turn it into a falafel pita by stuffing everything into a pita pocket.
  • Leftover tahini sauce may thicken in the fridge, so just stir in a bit of water to thin it out.
  • Leftover tahini sauce is delicious drizzled over grain bowls and roasted/grilled meats and veggies.