Falafel Bowl

This bowl is just what spring ordered. Loaded with fresh veggies, creamy beet hummus and protein-packed falafel, the flavours complement one another beautifully. From the roasted beet and pickled cabbage to the spiced falafel, it’s all fresh, tangy and filled with garlicky goodness.

You have to plan ahead for this! Prepare the hummus, pickled cabbage and falafel ahead of time, and it’s ready to assemble at dinner time.

Serves 4 | makes 22 falafel

Beet Hummus

Time: 1 ½ hours

1 medium beet

1 ¾ cup chickpeas (dried chickpeas soaked the night before or canned)

2 tbsp lemon juice

4 tbsp tahini pinch sea salt

2 garlic cloves

1. If using dried chickpeas, cover them with water in a large bowl and soak overnight. If using canned chickpeas, start at step 2.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Trim the ends off the beet, but leave the skin on.

3. Wrap the beet in tin foil and place it on a sheet pan. Roast for 60 minutes or until tender.

4. Remove the beet from the oven and set aside to cool completely.

5. Remove the skin and chop it into large pieces.

6. Add the chickpeas and beet to a food processor. Pulse a few times. When just small pieces remain, add the remaining hummus ingredients. Scrape down the sides and continue blending until smooth.

7. This hummus will be on the thicker side. If having trouble blending, add 1 tbsp of tahini.

Pickled Red Cabbage

Time: 20 minutes + a few hours

½ medium red cabbage (about 3 cups)

1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar or white vinegar

½ cup water

3 tsp salt

½ cup sugar

1. Using a mandolin or chef’s knife, thinly slice half of a medium red cabbage to get about 3 cups of shredded cabbage. Add to a large bowl.

2. Add the remainder of the pickled cabbage ingredients to a medium pot. Bring to a boil, and cook until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the cabbage. Let it cool before transferring to a container and refrigerate for a few hours before using.

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Falafel

Time: 40 minutes + overnight chickpea soak

1 ½ cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight

½ red onion, roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves

1 cup parsley

1 tsp lemon zest

4 tsp lemon juice

2 ½ tsp cumin

1 ½ tsp coriander

½ tsp black pepper

1 ½ tsp sea salt

2 tbsp avocado oil + 2 tbsp to coat the falafel

1. The night before, soak the dried chickpeas in a large bowl, completely covered with water. (I highly suggest not using canned chickpeas as they will give the falafel a mushy texture.)

2. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Add all falafel ingredients except the chickpeas to a food processor. Pulse a few times until the ingredients are mixed and chopped. Add the chickpeas and continue pulsing until it is a slightly crumbly but still tacky mixture. Make sure to not over-process into a paste.

3. Use your hands to gently roll into walnut-sized balls (about 22 falafel).

4. Place on the baking sheet, and lightly brush a little more oil on top of each falafel. Bake for 23–25 minutes until golden on top.

Cashew Cream

Time: 35 minutes

¾ cup cashews, soaked

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp apple cider vinegar pinch salt

½ cup water

1. Soak the cashews in hot water for at least 30 minutes.

2. Drain and rinse the cashews. Add to a small highspeed blender with the remaining cashew cream ingredients. Blend until smooth. Add ¼ cup more water if you have trouble blending.

Turmeric Rice

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 tsp vegan butter or coconut oil

½–¾ tsp turmeric

This versatile dip is one of our faves and can be used in place of the Cashew Cream if you don’t have time to make it from scratch.

1. Prepare rice to make 1 cup according to package instructions.

2. Stir in butter or coconut oil and turmeric. Set aside until ready to assemble.

Salad

1 head of kale, washed, de-stemmed, chopped and massaged with 1 tsp olive oil

1 green onion, finely sliced

½ cucumber, finely chopped

1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes vegan feta cheese (optional)

Assemble Falafel Bowl

1. Finely chop the cucumber, tomatoes and green onion. Remove the kale leaves from the stem and chop. Transfer the kale to a large bowl and gently massage the leaves with about 1 tsp of olive oil.

2. Add a handful of kale, cucumber and tomatoes to each bowl. Add some of the rice, pickled cabbage, beet hummus and falafel.

3. Top with green onion and drizzle with cashew cream. Optionally, add a little vegan feta cheese.

4. Store any leftovers in the fridge separately. Wait to add the cashew cream until just before eating.

Robin is the creator of the blog Greens, Eggs and Yams. Her passion is creating vegan and gluten-free foods that don’t compromise on taste. She loves being in the kitchen, creating recipes that everybody can enjoy!

IG: @greenseggsandyams