Deconstructed Falafel Salad

September 22, 2015
Food,Recipes

Roasted chickpeas are one of my favorite snacks. I drain them and coat them in oil and spices and roast them in the oven until they’re crunchy and dry on the outside. I normally will just eat them as a side or snack, but it dawned on me that they’d make a perfect topping for a falafel inspired salad. Falafels are fried patties made of ground garbanzo beans, herbs and spices and instead of grounding and compacting all that flavor into one, I’ve combined the ingredients that make up a falafel into a salad. I’ve used kale as the base since I like the heartiness of it with the creamy tahini dressing, but you could of course, use any green you’d like. I just love this salad, it’s so hearty, but has a lightness to it from all the fresh herbs and cucumbers, a perfect salad for the season’s transition into fall!

Falafel Salad | HonestlyYUM

Falafel salad and garbanzo beans

Garbanzo beans

Garbanzo beans and cilantro

Falafel salad herbs

Salad and tahini dressing

Tahini dressing

Salad

DECONSTRUCTED FALAFEL SALAD

Ingredients:

  • 1 bundle of kale, torn into pieces
  • 2 cans of garbazno beans, drained and patted dry
  • 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon of ground coriander
  • 1/2 english cucumber, julienned
  • large handful of small tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
  • 1/2 bundle of cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1/4 bundle of flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 bundle of mint, chopped
  • 1/3 cup of tahini
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • water
  • sea or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • olive oil
  • pita or lavash chips

Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with the rack on the highest position. Toss the drained and dried garbanzo beans in the cumin, coriander, a hefty pinch of salt and pinch of freshly ground black pepper. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil and toss to coat. Spread on a large baking sheet and roast for about 30-40 minutes until the beans are crunchy and toasted on the outside. As the garbanzo beans are cooling toss in the cilantro.
  • Toss with the kale, tomatoes, onion, mint, and parsley.
  • To make the dressing combine the tahini, lemon garlic in a food processor and add about 1/4 cup of water until you have a smooth and thick but runny consistency. Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Top with lavash chips.

(images by HonestlyYUM)

Conversation

This looks pretty tasty, as I love falafels, but I have a problem: My husband HATES cilantro. What would make a good substitution there?

Made this for dinner tonight and it hit the spot. Loved the spice on the garbanzos and the tahini dressing. A welcome change to our usual (plain) kale salad. Thanks Karen!

This is my favorite salad. I’ve made countless times since October. The flavors, texture, and health factor are on point. Thanks!

I have been obsessed with roasting chickpeas lately so this is a must try for me. Looks super healthy too – will be my go to lunch salad for the week!

Oh my! Falafel is one of my comfort foods/happy foods/celebratory foods. I love this deconstructionist idea! Much less work and worry.

This is my dream salad – sign me up for the whole bowl! 😉

I am a sucker for a good falafel, I LOVE that you took all the flavors and turned it into a salad worthy of a special occasion. Just beautiful.

Literally all my favorite things in a salad, love the lavash chips and the tahini and mint!!

Yum yum yum! I love roasting chickpeas, and I love this variation. This is perfect for those days I just don’t feel like getting the food processor out and forming falafel balls. Thanks for sharing!

That is a superb take on falafel, I love, love, love the way you’ve flipped falafel around to make one delicious looking sale!

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