Mediterranean Falafel Bowl.

Meet your new bowl-night staple: golden, crispy falafel over herby quinoa with all the good toppings…tomatoes, olives, roasted peppers, avocado, and a drizzle of tangy lemon tahini.

Keep it fried for extra crunch or go baked; either way you get big flavor, fresh textures, and an easy path to vegan or nut-free.

Why You’ll Love This

• Colorful, satisfying, and highly customizable.
• fried or baked falafel paths.
• Great for meal prep—assemble to order.

Ingredient Notes

• Falafel mix: Chickpeas + herbs + almonds + sun-dried tomatoes. Pulse to a coarse, sticky crumble that holds when pressed—not pasty. If too loose, pulse in a bit more ground almonds; if too wet, chill to firm before shaping.
• Seasoning: Fold in spices, salt, and plenty of herbs for lift. Taste a tiny pinch of the raw mix to check seasoning.
• Fry vs. bake:
  • Fry: Use hot, shimmering oil; patties should sizzle immediately. Flip when edges darken and the bottom releases easily.
  • Bake: Lightly oil a rack or well-greased sheet; space patties; flip for even browning. Brush or mist with oil for better color.
• Quinoa base: Fluff warm quinoa with olive oil, lemon, salt, and chopped herbs; fold in bite-size veggies so every spoonful has crunch.
• Toppings: Beet (or classic) hummus, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, roasted red peppers, avocado, feta, and a sprinkle of toasted seeds/nuts.
• Lemon tahini: Whisk tahini + lemon until it seizes, then thin with cold water to a pourable, glossy sauce. Balance with salt; add a touch of honey/maple if the tahini reads bitter.

Recipe inspiration

Cause really, isn’t everything better when eaten out of a bowl…

Okay, don’t answer that one. I’m sure we can all come up with some pretty gross “bowl foods”…aka the store-bought alfredo soup my brother Malachi ate over the weekend. He said it was maybe the grossest thing he’d ever had, but right now soup is about all he can eat. He had is tonsils removed on Friday and well, apparently having your tonsils removed is even worse than getting wisdom teeth pulled. His mouth looks nasty, and there are basically two giant holes in there now. Ew! Anyway, all he can eat is soup and even that hurts. I feel SOO bad for him. I did make him mashed potatoes though. Luckily he said he loved them and that they were the best thing he’s has eaten in a while.

OK ok.

Let’s try this again, Mediterranean Falafel Bowls. Time to chat about them!!

I mean, how fun and pretty are these? The perfect Monday meal!! Healthy, light and fairly simple to make (don’t let the ingredient list freak you out!!). Let me run you through it all. K? Cool.

Step-by-Step

Make the Homemade Falafel

…first, start out by making some homemade falafel. Oh falafel, I love that word, it’s so fun to say. I kept the recipe pretty basic and simple, almonds, herbs and chickpeas, but then I added sun-dried tomatoes for a nice Mediterranean kick, they’re perfect! I am giving you two cooking options here, fry or bake. I have to be honest, I prefer fried over baked. Typically I love baked versions of fried food, but falafel is really not one of them. That said, the falafel is still pretty awesome baked, just BETTER fried, if that makes sense. Either way is YUM though. 🙂

• Pulse ingredients to the right texture; taste and adjust salt.
• Chill briefly for easier shaping.
• Shape into equal patties/balls so they cook evenly.

Cook the Falafel

• Fry in hot oil until deep golden with a crisp shell and tender middle; drain well.
• Or Bake on a greased rack/sheet, flipping for color; look for dry, firm exteriors.

Build the Quinoa Salad Base

• Toss warm quinoa with lemon, olive oil, herbs, and chopped veggies; season to taste.

Whisk the Lemon Tahini

• Whisk, then slowly add cold water until smooth, spoonable, and tangy.

Assemble the Bowls

….third, throw everything together and add some KILLER bowl toppings which can include, beet hummus (or your favorite hummus) tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives, avocados (of course), roasted red peppers, feta cheese (duh) and a mix of toasted pine nuts, sunflower and or sesame seeds.

• Spoon in quinoa, add falafel, pile on toppings, finish with lemon tahini and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Don’t forget to drizzle with some lemon tahini!

Pretty easy, right? I know it looks like a lot, but it comes together faster than you’d think, AND trust me, any effort spent making this is sooo worth it. These healthy bowls are kind of everything.

They have everything a vegetarian bowl should have, plus some feta cheese… cause it’s the best, and Monday needs cheese.

Swaps & Variations

• Vegan: Omit feta or use a plant-based option.
• Nut-free: Replace almonds with toasted sunflower seeds or extra chickpeas.
• Grain swap: Use herbed couscous, farro, or brown rice instead of quinoa.
• Spice route: Add cumin/coriander to the falafel; smoked paprika in the quinoa for warmth.
• Greens: Bed the bowl with chopped romaine or baby spinach for more crunch.

Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheat

• Prep ahead: Form falafel and refrigerate; whisk tahini; cook quinoa and cool.
• Store separately: Keep falafel, quinoa, chopped veggies, and sauce in individual containers.
• Reheat falafel: Re-crisp in a hot oven or skillet (dry heat) just before serving.
• Day-of assembly: Dress quinoa lightly, add fresh toppings, then drizzle tahini to keep textures distinct.

Now, let’s all eat bowl food today… and then have the best week!! ?