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Falafel Quinoa Bowls

Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Author: Taylor Ellingson

Ingredients

For the falafel:

  • 1 15- ounce can chickpeas rinsed, drained and patted dry
  • ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 small white onion roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
  • ¼-1/2 teaspoon each sea salt and black pepper depending on taste preference
  • 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 4-6 tablespoons grape seed oil or canola oil
  • ½ cup Panko bread crumbs for coating

For the tzatziki:

  • 1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 small cucumber shredded in a cheese grater or food processor
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

For the bowls:

  • 1 cup dried quinoa cooked according to package instructions
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ head red cabbage chopped
  • 8 ounces cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 cucumber diced (I used mini cucumbers which worked well)
  • 1 cup kalamata olives
  • Hummus for serving
  • Pita for serving

Instructions

To make the falafel:

  • To a food processor, add chickpeas, parsley, onion, garlic, tahini, cumin, salt, pepper and mix/pulse to combine, scraping down sides as needed until thoroughly combined. You want a a crumbly dough, not a paste.
  • Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time and pulse/mix to combine until no longer wet and you can mold the dough into a ball without it sticking to your hands.
  • Transfer to a mixing bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to firm up. If you need to skip this step, the falafel will be a little more fragile when shaping and cooking.
  • Once chilled, scoop out rounded tablespoons and gently form into 11-12 small discs.
  • Sprinkle on panko bread crumbs and gently press to adhere - flip and repeat.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add enough oil to generously coat the pan - about 2 tablespoons.
  • Once the oil is hot, add only as many falafel as will fit very comfortably in the pan at a time.
  • Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, flipping when the underside is deep golden brown.
  • Repeat with all falafel.

To make the tzatziki:

  • In a large bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, diced cucumber, lemon juice garlic and dill.
  • Stir to combine.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Serve immediately or store in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.

To assemble bowls:

  • Prepare the quinoa.
  • Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
  • Add cabbage, and season with salt and pepper according to your taste.
  • cook for ~10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cabbage has softened.
  • Once quinoa and cabbage are cooked, assemble your bowls with your desired amounts of quinoa, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, hummus, falafel, and tzatziki.
  • Serve with pita and enjoy!