A filling, nutritious and energizing lunch – this Falafel Salad Bowl with Creamy Feta Dip is a belly-filling (Aka: a salad that’s actually satisfying!) and really tasty meal.
Why the heck is this my first falafel recipe on the blog?
I make falafel (falafel? falafels? I don’t know the plural) all the time!
I think I’ve made various falafel recipes for other pieces of freelance work, so I just presumed I had one somewhere on the blog. But nope. Truly sorry I’ve let you down.
So I’m remedying the situation with this falafel salad bowl from my new Seriously Good Salads book (I’ve also shared my Salmon Sushi Bowl and Chimichurri Steak Salad from the book if you want to check them out).
Filling enough for dinner, this salad bowl consists of baby spinach, topped with 3 falafel, sun blushed tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and shredded beetroot. All topped off with a simple feta dressing.
I say simple – that dressing took me a fair bit of testing to get right.
I was initially using too much cream with no milk, and had versions of this dressing where the cream basically thickened like a dessert topping upon blitzing.
This dressing is a much more pour-able version. If you do want the dressing any thicker, then add more feta to it (not more cream).
Full recipe is in the recipe card below, but here are some step-by-step pics plus a video:
The falafel is made by whizzing up canned chickpeas, along with red onion, garlic, parsley, coriander, lemon juice, salt, pepper, chilli flakes and flour (regular or gluten free) in a food processor until combined.
Shape the mixture into patties and fry for about 5 minutes, turning once.
TIP: Use a spatula and a fork to turn them without squishing them.
The Creamy Feta Dressing:
Simply whizz up:
- 3 tbsp crumbled feta cheese (add more if you want a thicker sauce) – note: check your brand to make sure it’s vegetarian feta if required.
- 3 tbsp double (heavy) cream
- 5 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
Since it’s quite a small amount of dressing, I use a my Nutribullet smoothie maker for a nice smooth finish.
Then all of the salad items are layered in a bowl – starting with a bed of baby spinach that’s topped with baby cucumber slices, thin slices of red onion, shredded beetroot and juicy sun-blushed tomatoes.
Add the falafel on top and drizzle on the dressing before serving.
The falafel can be eaten hot or cold, so it makes a great lunchbox or picnic lunch too.
Here’s a video of the full recipe:
Want to see some more recipes pics from the book?
Fried egg breakfast salad with toasted croutons:
Winter Noodle Salad with Miso Dressing:
Sushi Salad Bowl:
Buttermilk Chicken Cobb Salad:
Garlic Herb and New Potato Salad – with a buttery warm dressing:
You’ll find these recipes plus loads more (75 recipes altogether with 70+ of them NOT on the blog) all with their own photo in my new Seriously Good Salads book.
More Delicious Salad Recipes
Still hungry for more? Check out these other delicious salads:
Chicken Shawarma and Pita Salad
Roasted Kabocha and Goat’s Cheese Salad
The Falafel Salad Bowl with Creamy Feta Dip Recipe:
Falafel Salad Bowl with Creamy Feta Dip
Ingredients
Falafel:
- 2 x 400 g (2 x 14 oz) cans of chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 large red onion chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 60 g (1 cup) packed fresh parsley chopped
- 40 g (1 cup) packed fresh coriander (cilantro) chopped
- juice of ½ lemon
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp chilli (red pepper) flakes
- 2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour (replace with gluten-free plain/all-purpose flour for a gluten-free version)
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
Feta Dressing:
- 3 tbsp crumbled feta cheese add more if you like a thicker sauce (FYI feta is often vegetarian, but check your brand if you need to be sure)
- 3 tbsp double (heavy) cream
- 5 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- good pinch salt and pepper
Salad:
- 90 g (3 cups) packed baby spinach leaves
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- 1 large cooked beetroot peeled and shredded/grated
- 55 g (1/2 cup) oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 3 baby cucumbers or ¼ regular cucumber thinly sliced
- arils/seeds of ½ pomegranate
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Place all the falafel ingredients, except the oil, in a food processor and pulse until combined, but still with a little texture. Form the mixture into 12 equal patties.2 x 400 g (2 x 14 oz) cans of chickpeas, 1 large red onion, 2 large garlic cloves, 60 g (1 cup) packed fresh parsley, 40 g (1 cup) packed fresh coriander (cilantro), juice of ½ lemon, 2 tsp ground cumin, ¾ tsp salt, ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 tbsp ground coriander, ½ tsp chilli (red pepper) flakes, 2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Fry the falafels, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, 5 to 6 minutes.3 tbsp vegetable oil
- In a bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.3 tbsp crumbled feta cheese, 3 tbsp double (heavy) cream, 5 tbsp milk, 1 tbsp olive oil, good pinch salt and pepper
- Arrange the spinach, red onion, shredded beet, tomatoes, and cucumber slices in 4 bowls. Top each with 3 falafels. Drizzle with the dressing and sprinkle with pomegranate arils and parsley before serving.90 g (3 cups) packed baby spinach leaves, ½ red onion, 1 large cooked beetroot, 55 g (1/2 cup) oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, 3 baby cucumbers or ¼ regular cucumber, arils/seeds of ½ pomegranate, 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
Video
Notes
Nutritional Information is per serving - including feta dressing.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I adore falafels, and home made are just the best. The creamy feta dressing is just amazing. Just ordered your book, so many recipes I want to try.
I’ve never tried falafel, but I love hummus, so I’m guessing this would be a winner! And your presentation is absolutely gorgeous, btw!
This looks so delicious, Nicky! Love the colors and the feta dressing!