Homemade Falafel Quinoa Bowls
These quinoa bowls are a healthy, gluten-free, vegetarian dinner with homemade falafel, homemade hummus AND homemade tzatziki!
Look at me being all un-lazy for a change – homemade falafel! Homemade hummus! And, I was a little bored while the falafel were baking (I know, not sure what’s wrong with me) so I even made homemade tzatziki! I mean, they each only take a few minutes to make… but still. Proud of myself. And I’m also proud of these homemade falafel quinoa bowls!
If you’re a regular reader you may have noticed my love for dinner bowls by now. Somehow, serving things up in a bowl makes them taste even more delicious – and these quinoa bowls are no exception.
Falafel and hummus
Why is falafel so often served with hummus? About 90% of the ingredients are exactly the same – it’s so weird to have chickpeas served alongside more chickpeas. But however odd it may seem, they’re a great combination. Falafel can be a little dry on their own (which is why falafel curry works so well!), so pairing them with something tasty like hummus or tzatziki is a great way to freshen things up a bit. A spoonful or two of quinoa and a good handful of salad are enough to turn a few little balls of falafel into a satisfying full meal.
I’ve made homemade falafel a few times now, but I think this has to be my favourite version yet! If you’re in a rush, my quick falafel are still a great option (though to be honest, if you’re in that much of a rush I’m not sure exactly why you’d be making falafel from scratch in the first place…?), but if you’ve got a bit of time to spare, these oven-baked falafel are pretty awesome.
Of course, if you’re less excited than I am by all the homemade stuff, you could use shop-bought hummus or tzatziki, or pre-made falafel, or both! These quinoa bowls really don’t need to be a faff if you don’t want them to. If it was any day other than today, when I seem to have found a strange burst of energy from somewhere, I’d be doing the same.
Is this how people who jog feel all the time?!
Homemade Falafel Quinoa Bowls
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Print Pin Comment(if you suffer from allergies, please double check all ingredients before eating)
Ingredients
For the homemade falafel:
- 400 g tin chickpeas, thoroughly drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
- 1 medium onion or 1/2 larger onion, peeled
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- Small bunch fresh herbs – I used mint and coriander (cilantro)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Spray oil
For the homemade hummus:
- 400 g tin chickpeas, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 1/2 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 75 ml water (~ 1/3 cup)
For the homemade tzatziki:
- 2 inch chunk of cucumber
- Small bunch fresh mint
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
To assemble the quinoa bowls:
- 120 g uncooked quinoa (~ 1/4 cup)
- 3 large handfuls salad leaves
- 9 cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F). Lightly grease a baking tray, and set aside.
- To make the falafel, you need to make sure the chickpeas are very dry. Drain them thoroughly, tip onto a plate, and pat them dry with kitchen paper.
- Add the chickpeas to a food processor, along with the remaining falafel ingredients (except for the oil). Blitz well until no lumps remain. The mixture should be fairly dry and thick.
- With clean hands, shape the falafel mixture into small balls – I managed to get around 12 balls from the mixture. Place them onto the greased baking tray, and spray them lightly with oil.
- Bake the falafel for around 1 hour, or until firm and golden brown.
- While the falafel are baking, prepare the hummus. Add the drained chickpeas to the food processor (I didn’t bother washing mine first), along with the garlic. Blitz well. Add the tahini, lemon juice, plenty of seasoning, and about half of the water, and blitz again until the mixture is fairly smooth. Add more water if necessary, and blitz again. Repeat until the hummus reaches your desired consistency.
- To make the homemade tzatziki, add the chunk of cucumber to a mini food processor, as well as the fresh mint and plenty of salt and pepper. Blitz for just a few seconds, until no large lumps remain. Add the Greek yogurt, and blitz again briefly to combine.
- Boil the quinoa in plenty of water, until it is tender and the spiral-shaped germ has detached. Drain, and set aside.
- When the homemade falafel have finished baking, assemble the quinoa bowls. Put a good handful of salad leaves in the bottom of 3 bowls, and top with the cooked quinoa, falafel, cherry tomatoes, and a dollop of hummus and tzatziki. Scatter with more fresh herbs if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
I agree with you on the deliciousness of dinner bowls!! Especially when they contain quinoa :) Falafel is one of my favorite things to make so I love the idea of putting it in a quinoa bowl!
Yes, I have noticed the trend in dinner bowls, haven’t hopped on the band wagon just yet. I do love some falafel and your recipe sounds like a hit along with the stunning photography.
Thanks Charla! You should give a dinner bowl a try, somehow I think everything’s more enjoyable from a bowl ;)
I love stuff in bowls. Seems to make it more comforting somehow. This is definitely my kind of meze bowl with all my favourite flavours.
That’s it, bowls make even the healthiest meal feel like comfort food! It must be a weird psychological thing :)
You know I dont think I have ever tried Falafel before. Your dish looks yummy tho! :)
You should try it – it can be really great with a bit of hummus :)
I love falafel! Definitely going to make this at some point… You can never go wrong with a good hummus either, I eat far too much of it! x
Wow these look delicious Becca. I really, really, really need to start eating more healthily if only I had you to cook for me every day!!! That being said I think I can manage to make these myself :P great recipe!
You can definitely manage, they’re pretty straightforward really! :)
I’ve always wondered how you actually make falafels. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!!
Why haven’t I found you before, I’m a vegetarian trying to transition into being a vegan but the cheese keeps holding me back lol. Your Falafel’s look flawless and this dish is delicious.
Haha I don’t know! Cheese is my downfall too, but I’m trying to cut back a bit.
What a lovely meal idea! I made your Quick falafel before but I am also interested in making the baked one, sounds a little bit healthier. Something for the weekend I think as it takes one hour to bake.
Yep, it’s perfect if you fancy spending a little more time in the kitchen :)
I sometimes find falafel a bit dry, but with that hummus and tzatziki it looks really delicious. What a yummy combination.