Mediterranean Falafel Bowl

Healthy, yummy, fabulous! Packed with nutrients and protein, this mediterranean falafel bowl makes dinner a delight!

Summer’s coming, and so are new, healthy eating patterns for those beach bodies. Sound about right? Kick start your season with an awesome protein-packed Mediterranean falafel bowl. Falafels and hummus are the most common and popular foods eaten in the Mediterranean and Middle East. There’s definitely a reason for it: they are delicious! For this recipe, I used whatever I had in the fridge such as avocados, cucumbers, tomatoes and red onions. I then sprinkled hemp seeds and tahini over the bowl. You can make your own tahini or you can simply buy a jar from your local organic store.

A key step to this recipe is to remember to soak your dried chickpeas the night before. Just place them in a bowl with water and voila, by morning they will be ready. This recipe calls for parsley and cilantro. If you despise cilantro, not to worry, just double up on the parsley.

The key to making the perfect falafel is to obtain the right texture, which means not over mixing it. You want the mixture to be the size of large bread crumbs not mush! If that happens, your falafel balls will not be in the shape of balls anymore! Once you have shaped your falafel balls, let them sit for half an hour to really absorb the flavors and then pop them into the oven.

If you are considering going plant based or incorporating more vegan or vegetarian foods into your diet, the falafel is a great place to start. Falafels are the meatless patties of the heavens. Chickpeas have a huge amount of fiber which help you stay fuller longer. They also do not have soy which makes them a great choice for those who have intolerances to soy. At the end of the day, you are eating a vegetable that is packed with nutrients and protein! These falafel balls are only around 40 calories each!