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Baked Falafel Bowls! Meal-prep these baked falafels, then freeze for the busy workweek. An easy, delicious, falafel recipe made with soaked chickpeas (not canned) that you can make ahead then create Falafel Bowls! Vegan and Gluten-free!

Hey friends, lately I’ve been “meal-prepping” these authentic Baked Falafels for weekday bowls, then freezing them.

The falafels themselves are made the “good” way, with soaked chickpeas, instead of canned (which gives the falafels the best texture) and baking them with very little oil and then freezing them, so they are always on hand for these healthy, vegan Falafel Bowls.

High in protein, these little guys are total energy boosters and knowing I have them on hand in the freezer whenever I need a falafel fix brings me such joy. It’s the little things, right? 😉

The Baked Falafel Bowls consist of Everyday Quinoa with greens, tomatoes, microgreens, cucumber, grated carrots, Pickled Turnips and Quick Pickled Onions.

Feel free to make creamy Tzatziki Sauce if not opting for vegan!

During the colder months, I often add simple roasted veggies, when tomatoes and cucumbers are not in season.

But feel free to use whatever grains or veggies you have on hand. Embellish. Or keep these totally grain-free!

Pile the bowl up with healthy veggies. Grate carrots, beets or turnips, add greens, tomatoes, microgreens and herbs. Sliced cucumbers are nice too – so cool and crisp … and if so inclined, this Everyday Cucumber Salad is totally delicious on these too!

Baking falafels requires less oil than frying. I use an olive oil spray and then flip them halfway through to get this nice crust. Freeze any extras, then pull them out when you want them and reheat them. So easy!

How to Bake Falafels!

375 F oven
Grease the bottom of a parchment-lined baking sheet with spray olive oil, or brush it with olive oil.
Form falafels into ping-pong or golfball-sized balls (a slight oval shape is nice).
Place falafels on the greased parchment. Once all the balls are formed, using wet palms, flatten just a little, so they are about 1 -1 ½ inches thick.
Spray or brush the tops with olive oil. Bake 15 minutes, then carefully flip.
Continue baking for another 12-15 minutes until golden and slightly crispy.

How to freeze falafels:

Bake them first.
Let them cool completely.
Place in a ziplock or sealed flat container
Freeze, careful not to smash them with other items ( until frozen solid).

I don’t have a microwave, so I put the frozen falafels in a foil packet and heat them in our toaster oven, opening up the foil for the last five minutes, to let them crisp.

These Falafel Bowls are nice little gift for yourself during the busy workweek.

I usually make a quick batch of Everyday Tahini Sauce and drizzled it over top, but if looking for something different, how about trying Zhoug Yogurt to bump up the flavor? Sometimes I like to use both. 😉

The pink-looking things in front of the Falafel bowl above are pickled turnips. I add a sliver of fresh beet to the pickling liquid to give them their pretty color. To make these, go back to my original falafel post and scroll down to the recipe. A fun thing to do with all those salad turnips in your CSA box!

What to serve with baked falafels:

And of course the microgreens… they make everything better, don’t they? Happy happy bowls.

I could eat these baked falafel bowls every single day!

Ok just a little falafel inspiration for you…. to help get your creative juices flowing. Hope you are having a great week.

Baked Falafel Bowls

★★★★★ 4.9 from 13 reviews

Author: Sylvia Fountaine
Prep Time: 10 hours
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 10 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 20 falafels
Category: Vegan Main, Gluten free, Bowls
Method: Baked
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Print Recipe

Description

Baked Falafel Bowls! Meal-prep these authentic falafels and freeze for the busy workweek. Easy, delicious, authentic falafel recipe! Vegan and Gluten-free!

Ingredients

Falafels (makes 20 falafels)

2 cups dry garbanzo beans, soaked in water 10-24 hours (makes about 4 cups soaked) see notes
1 cup Chopped Cilantro (tender stems ok, or use a mix of parsley and cilantro)
1 cup onion, rough chopped
4 garlic cloves
1 large jalapeño rough chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoons Coriander
2 Tablespoons Cumin
2 tsp baking soda
1 ¼ tsp kosher salt

Bowl options ( Not imperative- just to give you ideas)

Quinoa ( like this Everyday Quinoa Recipe)
simple roasted veggies
greens – baby arugula, baby spinach or kale, etc…
sliced cucumbers
cherry tomatoes
grated carrot, grated beets, sliced turnips or sliced radishes
Everyday Tahini Dressing or Zhoug Yogurt (or both)
Pickled Onions or Pickled Turnips (something pickled or fermented is nice, even kraut)
Micro greens and fresh herbs ( cilantro, parsley or mint)

Instructions

Place dry chickpeas in a big bowl and cover with 4-5 inches of water and let soak on the counter 10 – 24 hours

Preheat the oven to 375F

Place chickpeas in a strainer and drain them really well. Pat them dry with a kitchen or paper towel.

Place the cilantro, onion, jalapeño and garlic in a food processor and pulse repeatedly until uniformly chopped, like 20 times, at least. Add 4 cups of well-drained, soaked garbanzo beans, oil, cumin, coriander, salt and the baking soda. Blend again, until very well combined, scraping down sides if necessary. You want it to be blended well, like a coarse paste, but not as smooth as hummus. Some texture is good!

Grease the bottom of a parchment-lined baking sheet with spray olive oil, or brush with olive oil. Form falafels into ping-pong or golfball-sized balls (a slight oval shape is nice). If it feels sticky, use wet hands. Place on the greased parchment. Once all the balls are formed, using wet palms, flatten just a little, so they are about a 1 -1 ½ inch thick. Spray or brush the tops with olive oil. Bake 15 minutes, then carefully flip using a metal spatula. Continue baking another 12-15 minutes until golden and slightly crispy.

While they are baking, make the Everyday Quinoa and Tahini Sauce and prep any veggies you like.

Assemble the bowls. I usually start with quinoa, then build upward with greens, veggies, falafels, sauces, pickled things and microgreens and herbs on the top. If packing to take away with you, perhaps keep sauces separate.

Sometimes I’ll add a lemon wedge and/or hot sauce.

Notes

***Please do not use canned or cooked chickpeas here- it just will not work here! Chickpeas must be raw, dry chickpeas soaked in water until plump, but uncooked!

Make doubly sure the soaked chic peas are drained really well before blending. If they are too wet, they may not stick together. Use only 4 cups.

To freeze falafels, carefully place cooled falafels in a ziplock bag in a single layer. (Or place on a sheet pan, freeze, then zip lock) Reheat in a microwave or toaster oven. I usually wrap in foil for the first 10-15 minutes in the oven, then open the foil to let them crisp up a bit.

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