Healthy Baked Falafel Bowl with Tahini Dressing

Healthy baked falafel nestled in a bowl with crisp fresh veggies and crunchy pistachios. Drizzled with the most amazing tahini lemon dressing. Vegan, gluten-free, and ready in 30 minutes or less!

Hae you ever tried falafel? It is so good and actually pretty easy to make at home. That is if you bake it instead of frying it, like in this healthy baked falafel bowl recipe.

This falafel recipe is one you absolutely need to try! These falafel patties are baked, not fried, made from real ingredients and are so simple to make! Mixed in with fresh veggies and topped off with the most creamy tahini lemon dressing.

Plus this buddha bowl is also both vegan and gluten-free and is a recipe you will want to make for lunch or dinner any day of the week! You may also love this incredible Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl with Black Beans that is equally on the same level as this recipe.

What is falafel?

Falafel is a Middle Eastern dish that is composed of chickpeas blended with herbs, garlic, and other spices then formed into patties or balls and usually deep-fried.

Typically you will see falafel served in pita bread topped with diced veggies and paired with some sort of sauce.

To keep this falafel recipe on the lighter side, I omitted the deep-frying part and baked these in the oven. Then layered them into a bowl with veggies. I finished this recipe off with a slightly tangy, creamy tahini dressing that you will want to put on everything.

Why you will love this recipe

• Perfectly baked tasty falafel without all of the oil and frying
• Crisp veggies that are packed with nutrition and add a nice crunch to this dish
• Hearty and so satisfying
• Perfect for lunch or dinner any day of the week!
• Simple to make in 30 minutes!
• Vegan and gluten-free

Ingredients needed to make this recipe

How to make this Healthy Baked Falafel Bowl

Start with making the baked falafel. A keynote to this recipe is that you will need to use dried chickpeas that have been soaked in water for at least 6 hours or overnight.

I know, I know, but TRUST it is well worth it and will take you just a few minutes of advanced planning. You can find dried chickpeas in almost any grocery store or online.

1. To soak the chickpeas: Place 1 cup of chickpeas into a bowl, fill the bowl with enough water to cover the chickpeas. Place a plate or something over the top to cover them and place them in the fridge for at least 6 hours. That’s it! Then drain them and follow the rest of the recipe.

This will help make the falafel nice and crunchy and crispy when baked. Canned chickpeas are cooked and hold more water which makes the falafel mixture too wet and will not yield the crispy result you want.

2. Once the chickpeas are ready, place them into the bowl of a food processor with the rest of the falafel ingredients.

3. Pulse for 15-20 seconds to combine everything into a delicious, wet, slightly crumbly batter.

4. Then form the mixture into patties that are about 2 ½ inches wide and ½ inch in thickness, and place them onto a baking sheet that has been brushed with enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. A couple of tablespoons should do the trick

5. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, carefully turning them over halfway through the cooking time.

While the falafel is baking, you can prepare the rest of the ingredients.

To make the creamy tahini dressing, simply add all dressing ingredients (tahini paste, lemon juice, maple syrup, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper) to a small bowl and whisk well to combine. Add in some water to thin out, if the dressing is too thick.

Then start to build your bowl. Arrange the spinach in the bottom of the bowl, then layer in the diced peppers and onions, sliced cucumber, carrots ribbons, and a handful of pistachios.

Add in the baked falafel after it has cooled for a few minutes.

Finally, drizzle on the creamy tahini dressing. It’s soooo good!!!!

Recipe tips

• Use dried chickpeas that have been soaked for at least 6 hours, as noted in the post. TRUST ME this is so worth it!
• If you decide to use canned chickpeas (still not as good as dried + soaked but it still works) – make sure to drain and rinse them, then dry them very, very well in some paper towels. When you add them to the food processor, add the rest of the ingredients as stated in the recipe + 1 tbsp chickpea flour. This will make the mixture less wet and yield crispier falafel.
• Add more spice – you can add in coriander, chili powder and more garlic to the falafel mixture if you prefer more spice.
• Switch up the veggies – feel free us use other veggies like kale, cherry tomatoes, cabbage, or even roasted cauliflower.

Did you make this recipe? If you did then please leave a comment and rating below!

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