Name: Baked Falafel Bowls
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 2 cups of cooked chickpeas*; 1 cup chopped parsley; 3 large cloves garlic; 1 large lemon, juiced; 1/2 tsp sea salt; 1 1/4 tsp cumin; 1/3 cup almond meal (or sub any other flour); 1 cup dry quinoa, cooked according to instructions; 1 large sweet potato, cubed; 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets; 2 tbsp olive oil; sea salt; 4 tbsp tahini; 1 lemon, juiced; 2-4 tbsp water; 1 garlic clove, minced; optional: 1 tbsp za’atar

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You’ll crave these plant-based Baked Falafel Bowls! Made with quinoa, roasted vegetables, greens and of course, baked falafel this vegan and gluten-free recipe makes a complete meal in one.

If you’ve been a blog reader for awhile, you know I’ve dabbled in many different ways of eating. For the longest time I was convinced that I needed animal proteins with every meal. While I felt good physically, I had a feeling that the choices I was making weren’t the best for the world around me. I’ve since changed my tune when it comes to animal products. While I’m certainly not vegan and make no judgement on people who choose to eat meat, I have definitely benefited from incorporating more plant-based options into my diet.

I know vegan meals (even vegetarian meals!) can be intimidating to meat lovers but this recipe is here to prove that vegan food isn’t boring. It’s packed with flavor and nutrients and will leave you feeling satisfied.

What is falafel?

If you’ve never tried falafel before, you’re in for a treat! It is a traditional Middle Eastern dish that is made from ground chickpeas or fava beans. They’re basically rolled bean balls that are packed with herbs and spices and super flavorful! Traditionally, they are deep-fried but I’m making an upgraded version that is baked (and still just as delicious).

Ingredients Needed for This Recipe:

There are three main components to these falafel bowls: the falafel, the dressing and the rest of the bowl ingredients. Don’t let this ingredient list scare you – there are a lot of repeat ingredients!

For the Falafel:

Chickpeas
Fresh parsley
Garlic cloves
Fresh lemon juice
Sea salt
Cumin
Almond meal or flour of your choice

For the Tahini Dressing:

Tahini
Fresh lemon juice
Garlic clove
Water
Optional: za’atar

For the Bowls:

Quinoa
Sweet potato
Cauliflower
Olive oil
Sea salt

Easy Swaps for These Baked Falafel Bowls

Feel free to swap out any grain for quinoa! If you aren’t gluten-free we love making these with couscous
No almond meal? Swap out for flour or bread crumbs in the baked falafel
Prefer different types of veggies? Replace the sweet potato and cauliflower for veggies of your choice – just adjust roasting time accordingly
These baked falafel bowls make a great meal prep meal – just prep all of the ingredients in advance and mix right before eating

Curious how to make baked falafel? Check out this video tutorial