Kitchen Adventures || Lentil Falafel Bowls
Definitely stepping outside of my comfort zone this week! Mine and Tim’s favorite food truck is a place on East 6th called Halal Time and they make the BEST Falafels. Mine don’t even hold a candle to those, but they did actually come out falafel like this time! I tried once before to make falafel and it was a big fail. Not because they didn’t taste good… they were just a big mushy mess… This time, consistency was on point! I think traditionally, falafel is made from chickpeas, but this version uses lentils and herbs. I’m sure you could do the same thing with chickpeas, but since I was doing roasted chickpeas in the bowl I wanted to use another source.
While the falafel was my big win for this recipe, they are not the only thing in this bowl. It’s packed full of colorful veggies with rich flavors and all topped with a zingy yogurt sauce. If you’re looking for a tasty, filling meatless option, here ya go! This recipe made 4 large bowls for us this week.
INGREDIENTS
For the falafel
1 cup (large handful) fresh parsley – leaves and stems
1 cup (large handful) fresh cilantro – leaves and stems
2 cups cooked lentils – slightly undercooked is better for consistency
1 TBSP olive oil
1 jalapeno – seeds optional for more spice
2 cloves of garlic
Juice from half a lemon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1-2 TBSP flour of your choice – best would likely be almond or cassava
For the bowls
6-8 carrots – peeled and sliced into
1 small red onion – cut into thick slices
1 head cauliflower – cut into florets
2-3 beets – washed
2 cans chickpeas – drained, rinsed, and dried
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt & Pepper to taste
Olive oil and coconut oil for roasting
Optional – 2 cups cooked quinoa to bulk up the bowls if you prefer
For the sauce
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic – minced
Juice from half a lemon
1/2 tsp fresh dill
pinch of salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Cook your lentils and if you’re using it, quinoa and set aside to cool. Remember, a little under is better for the lentils.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. All the veggies for this recipe are roasted and timing will be the most important part to be able to load your bowls easily at the end. Wash and trim the tops and tails off the beets. Coat in coconut oil and roast until fork tender (about 30 min depending on size). Carrots – wash, peel and cut into thin sticks. Coat in olive oil and roast for 20-25 minutes. Onion – peeled and sliced into thick slices – coat in olive oil and roast for 15-20 minutes. Cauliflower – cut into floret – coat in olive oil and roast for 15-20 minutes. Keep the seasoning simple with a little sea salt and black pepper!
For the chickpeas – drain, rinse, and lay them out on a layer of paper towels. Pat dry prior to roasting. This will help them crisp up a bit! Then, you guessed it – coat in olive oil and roast on a lined cookie sheet for about 20 minutes. Once finished, combine curry powder, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt and toss the chickpeas in the seasoning.
For the falafels – In a food processor, add all of the falafel ingredients except the flour and pulse until well combined. A little at a time, add the flour and pulse until the mixture becomes thick enough that it sticks together and can be handled and molded. To make things cleaner and easier, I used a greased mini muffin tin for mine and it was FANTASTIC. You can also mold them into balls and place them on a lined cookie sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Let them cool before messing with them so they don’t lose their structure.
For the sauce – combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl or jar. Cover and refrigerate and drizzle on after you’ve reheated your bowl.
Once everything is done, divide evenly amongst 4 bowls. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to eat!