Falafel Quinoa Salad Bowl (Printable)

Crisp 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

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. 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 mostly smooth with slightly coarse texture, scraping down sides as needed.
03 - Using damp hands, form falafel mixture into 12 balls or patties. Place on 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 rinsed quinoa, water, and salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with fork.
06 - Whisk together tahini, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt, and 2 tablespoons water until smooth. Add additional water for thinner consistency if desired.
07 - Divide cooked quinoa among 4 bowls. Top each with diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced green onions, and 3 baked falafel pieces. Drizzle generously with garlic tahini sauce.
08 - Serve immediately with optional garnish of fresh herbs or lemon wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's a complete meal in one bowl, so no extra sides needed but you can add pita if you're extra hungry.
  • The falafel bakes instead of frying, which means less oil splatter and a kitchen that doesn't smell like a deep fryer for three days.
  • Everything can be prepped ahead and assembled last minute, perfect for when you want homemade without the stress.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and vegetarian, but doesn't taste like a compromise.
02 -
  • If your falafel mixture is too wet and won't hold its shape, add another tablespoon of chickpea flour and pulse again; I learned this the hard way when my first batch spread everywhere.
  • Don't skip flipping the falafel halfway through baking, because the bottom will brown too dark while the top stays pale if you forget.
  • The tahini sauce is thinner than you might expect, and that's intentional; thick tahini makes the bowl feel heavy, but when it's pourable it coats everything beautifully.
03 -
  • Make a double batch of falafel on Sunday and refrigerate them, then you can assemble bowls throughout the week and just reheat the falafel in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes.
  • If your tahini sauce breaks or looks grainy, it usually means the garlic wasn't minced fine enough; strain it through a fine mesh and whisk again.
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