A super easy and super green Spinach Falafel Bowl with flavorful Golden Turmeric Rice. Vegan, Gluten-free, healthy and definitely meal-prep worthy!
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As you can probably tell, I’m still quite on the falafel phase, but also looking for ways I can sneak some veggies into them.
Carrots and Broccoli are done, so this time I went for Spinach. I was actually quite excited for the green color here since those other ones were all more on the brown side.
And for some more contrast, a pretty picture – and also to be able to add this recipe to my bowl-meals collection – I paired it with a simple turmeric rice.
Definitely the right move! Shoutout to Half Baked Harvest for the rice idea.
Ingredients for Falafels with Vegetables:
- Dried Chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans – Don’t use the canned garbanzos. You need the dry raw ones, or you’ll end up with a crumbly mess unless you stir the flour into the mix at the end.
- Spinach
- Onion
- Cilantro – My favorite part!
- Garlic
- Lemon Juice – Fresh or the store prepped
- Tahini – Another fave
- Cumin
- Ground Coriander
- Cayenne Pepper – Optional if you want it more mild
- Salt & Pepper
How to make chickpea falafel with dried garbanzo beans:
- Soak chickpeas overnight.
- Throw the all the ingredients into a food processor: chickpeas, spinach, onion, cilantro, minced garlic, lemon juice, tahini, spices (cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper), salt and pepper.
- Run the food processor, pulsing and scraping down the sides until the mixture is a little coarse-pasty but not completely mushy/runny.
- Shape mixture chickpea falafel mix into balls
- Cook!
Yes, that’s it. Super simple!
To make these falafels using canned chickpea – they might be called a tin of garbanzo beans, but it’s the same thing – you need to add about 2-3 tablespoons of flour. This is so that the mix actually holds together.
How to cook crispy healthy baked or air-fryer falafel:
There’s a couple of options here:
- Make baked falafels in the oven by baking them at 400°F for 25 minutes, optionally flipping halfway.
- Cook them in an air fryer for about 15 minutes at 350°F.
To fry – less healthy – cook them on a skillet over medium in hot oil (that’s at about 350°F) which is about an inch high. This would make them even crispier and browned, but also add a ton of fat.
Golden Turmeric Rice for a Falafel Salad Bowl
The combination of this turmeric flavored rice went really well with the slightly spicy falafel.
The rice is also super easy to make – just cook some long grain rice and fold it in with a bit of melted butter (olive oil for Vegan), turmeric and crushed red chili flakes.
Other ways to serve Green Spinach Falafel?
Other than a lunch bowl with golden rice, you have a few other options for these spinach falafel:
- Dip these falafel in an easy dipping sauce or chickpea hummus with some grilled pita flatbread.
- Make a spinach falafel salad with some mixed greens, maybe add a tahini dressing.
- Stuff the falafel into a pita pocket with some greens and a good sauce to make a wrap.
Try make your own, try my Whole Wheat Pita recipe.
Make ahead Garbanzo Beans Falafel?
Yes! You can prepare the homemade falafel mix keep it uncooked in the fridge for about 3 or 4 days.
For anything longer, shape them into balls, place them on a baking sheet and let them freeze. Once they’re frozen individually, transfer them to freezer-safe zipper bags. They should keep about 2-3 months. Just thaw them before cooking or baking and you should be all set.
Can you store these Vegan Falafel Bowls?
Yes! Place the rice, falafel, side salad, and dressing if any in separate an airtight containers. They should keep in the fridge for about 3-4 days.
Another Easy Homemade Chickpea Falafel Recipe?
- Mixed Vegetable Falafel with Cilantro-Yogurt Sauce
- Sneaky Baked Lentil Falafel
- Turmeric Chickpea-Cauliflower Falafel with Tzatziki Sauce
Spinach Falafel Bowl with Golden Rice
Ingredients
Falafel:
- ¾ cup Dried Chickpeas, 110g, not canned/cooked, see notes for canned
- 3 cups Baby Spinach, 90g
- ½ small White Onion, Chopped, 52g
- ½ cup Fresh Cilantro, Chopped, about 20g
- 1½ Tbsp Minced Garlic, about 3-4 cloves
- 1½ Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp Tahini
- 1½ tsp Cumin Powder
- ½ tsp Coriander Seeds
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper, more or less according to spice tolerance
Rice:
- 1 cup Dry Long Grain Rice, about 185g
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tsp Butter or Olive Oil
- ⅔ tsp Turmeric
- ⅛ tsp Crushed Red Chili Flakes
Serving:
- 5 Pita Bread
- Mixed Greens
Instructions
- Put chickpeas in a bowl and fill with water, about 3” over the top surface of the chickpeas. Soak for 24 hours.
Cook Rice:
- Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a pot, add dry rice and a pinch of salt, cover, and reduce heat to low.
- Simmer for about 25 minutes until rice is tender. Most of the liquid should be absorbed. Fluff with a fork.
- Melt butter/oil in a large non-stick skillet on medium, add cooked rice, turmeric powder, and chili flakes, and gently fold to combine
Cook Falafel:
- Preheat oven to 375°F and lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
- Place all ingredients – soaked chickpeas, spinach, onion, cilantro, minced garlic, lemon juice, tahini, cumin, cardamom, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper – in a food processor and pulse until finely minced. Do not over-pulse – the mixture should be coarse/paste-y.
- Use your hands or a cookie scoop to shape falafel mixture into small balls or patties and place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown and crisp. See notes for frying.
Combine and serve:
- Divide falafel and cooked rice among 5 bowls and serve with greens and warm grilled pita.
Notes
- Chickpeas need to be soaked in water for 24 hours so they soften up, do not cook or the falafel will crumble.
- To use canned or chickpeas, mix in about 2-3 Tbsp flour to the crumbled falafel mixture to so it binds and holds shape.
- If you skip the flour, they will crumble after baking even if they seem to hold shape before.
- To fry: Fry on a skillet in oil about 1” high heated to 350°F for 2-3 minutes.
- To use an air fryer: Cook for about 15 minutes at 350°F.
- Prepare the dough and freeze for 2-3 months or place in fridge for 3-4 days. Thaw, stir the mixture, then shape into balls and cook.
- In the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Servings: 5 bowls (15 2” falafels) | Serving size: 1 bowl (3 falafel, pita, ⅔ cup rice)
- Calories: 498kcal
- Fat: 5.3g | Saturated fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 74.4g | Fiber: 9.1g | Sugar: 4.1g
- Protein: 13.6g
