A Couple Cooks

Falafel Salad

January 24, 2022

There’s nothing more satisfying than falafel salad! Top greens with falafel, crunchy veggies, and a creamy tahini dressing.

Falafel salad

Falafel tops the chart of some of the world’s best vegan recipes, in our opinion. These Middle Eastern chickpea balls are so meaty and satisfying, we could eat them daily. Here’s a way to make part of an everyday plant-based meal: this Falafel Salad! Make a batch of this easy baked falafel, then layer them with crunchy veggies and top with a creamy, zingy tahini dressing. Or, use purchased frozen falafel or even repurpose take-out leftovers! This one is a massive hit with our family: and works for weeknights or dinner parties.

Ingredients in falafel salad

Falafel is a Middle Eastern ball of chickpeas, herbs and spices that’s deep fried. It’s most often served as an appetizer with dip, or in a pita as a falafel sandwich. But an alternative way to eat it is deconstructed, in a salad! It makes a satisfying vegan and gluten free dinner idea, served in a big bowl with a creamy sauce or dressing. Here’s what you’ll need for this falafel salad recipe:

  • Falafel: this Baked Falafel recipe is perfect for easy meals, but you can substitute with classic fried falafel or frozen (see below)
  • Tahini sauce: the zingy Lemon Tahini Sauce ties the salad together with creamy richness
  • English cucumber: English cucumber is key: the flavor is milder and it doesn’t have a tough peel or seeds
  • Carrots
  • Radishes
  • Tomatoes
  • Kalamata olives
  • Salad greens
Baked falafel
Baked falafel is ideal for serving in falafel salad

Options for the falafel

This falafel salad is perfect with our baked falafel, which is quick and easy. You can make it with a can of chickpeas, and bake it up in a flash! Or, it’s excellent with classic falafel: you’ll just have to remember to soak dry chickpeas overnight. Here’s a breakdown:

  • Baked falafel: Baked Falafel is a shortcut for easy dinners, made with canned chickpeas and baked in the oven. Leftovers save well, so consider making a double batch and refrigerating or freezing. Also try them with dip or in kid lunch boxes!
  • Classic falafel: This Classic Falafel recipe uses dried chickpeas, like a traditional Middle Eastern falafel. The flavor is excellent and it’s worth remembering to soak them overnight, and dealing with the tricky elements of pan frying. It’s just that good!
  • Frozen falafel: Many grocery stores carry frozen falafel in the frozen section. Let us know if you have favorite brands (Target has them, which means they’re pretty widely available!)
  • Restaurant falafel: Ordering Greek or Middle Eastern takeout? Here’s a tip: order extra falafel, then serve the leftovers over a salad. It’s a great way to create another meal!
Falafel Salad

Tahini sauce and other dressing ideas

What’s most important about this falafel salad? The dressing brings it all together! The Tahini Sauce in the recipe below is one of our favorite recipes ever: it’s so delicious and versatile! But it works with a few other sauce options that are traditional on a Falafel Sandwich:

  • Tahini Sauce has the best creamy, zingy and balanced flavor. It really brings the elements in this salad together! It also fits many diet options: vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free.
  • Quick Cucumber Sauce or Tzatziki are both full of flavor with Greek yogurt, lemon, cucumber and dill! This first sauce is a shortcut version.
  • Cilantro Sauce is another vegan sauce, deliciously fresh with lots of cilantro and blended cashews as the body.
Falafel Salad

More Mediterranean recipes

This Falafel Salad is a great Mediterranean diet recipe that doubles as a filling vegan dinner recipe! Here are a few more recipes to try:

This falafel salad recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

Print

Falafel Salad

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

There’s nothing more satisfying than falafel salad! Top greens with falafel, crunchy veggies, and a creamy tahini dressing.

Ingredients

For the baked falafel*

  • 15-ounce can chickpeas
  • � cup Old Fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/4 small red onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ½ cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, loosely packed (or fresh parsley)
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper

For the salad

  • 1 recipe Tahini Sauce
  • 1/2 English cucumber, sliced
  • 2 carrots, shredded
  • 2 radishes, sliced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 handful Kalamata olives
  • 8 cups salad greens

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Dab the chickpeas with a paper towel to remove extra moisture and set them aside.
  3. Place the rolled oats in a bowl of a food processor. Process 30 seconds to 1 minute until they are the texture of flour. Pour into a separate bowl and set aside.
  4. Roughly chop the red onion and peel the garlic. Place them into the food processor with the cilantro and pulse until finely minced, stopping and scraping down the bowl once. Add the tahini, olive oil, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper and process until combined, stopping and scraping the bowl once. Then add the oats and pulse until a uniform dough forms. (Be careful not to over-process the dough: you’ll want it uniform and shape-able with a little texture. See the photo below!)
  5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use your hands to roll the dough into 12 balls that are 1 ½ tablespoons each, then flatten them into discs (use a size 40 cookie scoop, if you have it). Place the discs on the baking sheet and brush the tops with olive oil.
  6. Bake the falafel for 15 minutes until golden brown, then flip and bake for 10 minutes, until golden brown on the other side. Allow to cool at least 5 minutes before eating. (Storage info: The baked falafel store very well! Refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months. Consider making a double batch and storing leftovers.)
  7. While the falafel bake, make the Tahini Dressing.
  8. To serve, place greens on a plate. Top with baked falafel, shredded carrot, sliced cucumber, sliced tomato, sliced radishes, and Kalamata olives. Drizzle with tahini dressing and serve.

Notes

*Makes 12 small falafel: consider making a double batch and storing leftovers. To make a short-cut version of this salad, use frozen purchased falafel. Or, it’s a way to repurpose leftover falafel from restaurant takeout!

  • Category: Main dish
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keywords: Falafel salad

Baked Falafel
The dough should be uniformly chopped but still have some texture: resist the urge to over-process!

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

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