Turmeric Falafel Salad

I love falafels and I love words. So, being a pretty curious human, I did a bit of research into what falafel actually means. Turns out it comes from the Aramaic (a language spoken in the Middle East) word, ‘pilpāl’, meaning ‘small round thing’. How cute!

I also love turmeric so, it seemed only natural to make turmeric falafel.

Adding a pinch of turmeric to foods is a simple way to add colour and flavour to meals and will totally transform dish (check out my Golden Eggs). It’s also one of the most well researched spices and has been found to help everything from easing insomnia and depression to preventing Alzheimer’s and certain cancers.

These falafel are so simple to make – just whizz everything in a blender and bake them until golden and crispy. Serve them with a simple leafy salad, a flatbread, and a good drizzle of Lemon Tahini Dressing and you’ve got yourself a delicious lunch!

I hope you LOVE this salad as much as I do. It is:

Nourishing
Slightly spicy
Super flavourful
Protein packed
Nutrient rich
Hearty
So delicious

If you give this recipe a try, let me know how you like it! Leave a comment and share it – it’s super helpful for me and other readers.

And as always, don’t forget to take a picture and tag it #FearFreeFood on Instagram. I love seeing what you cook up!

Print Recipe

Turmeric Falafel Salad

Packed full of nutrients and bursting with flavour, this falafel salad transforms the humble chickpea into a taste sensation!

Course

Salads + Sandwiches

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 1 400g chickpeas (240g drained weight)
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• ½ onion diced
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp dried coriander
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ lemon, juice
• 1-4 tbsp all-purpose flour or use gram flour or a gluten-free alternative

For the salad

• 4 handfuls mixed leaves
• ½ cucumber finely diced
• 100 g cherry tomatoes quartered
• 4 tbsp fresh coriander chopped
• 4 tbsp lemon and tahini dressing

Course Salads + Sandwiches Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Servings people Ingredients 1 400g chickpeas (240g drained weight) 2 cloves garlic crushed ½ onion diced 1 tsp turmeric 2 tsp cumin 1 tsp dried coriander ½ tsp chilli powder ½ tsp baking powder ½ lemon, juice 1-4 tbsp all-purpose flour or use gram flour or a gluten-free alternative For the salad 4 handfuls mixed leaves ½ cucumber finely diced 100 g cherry tomatoes quartered 4 tbsp fresh coriander chopped 4 tbsp lemon and tahini dressing

Instructions

1. Pre-heat an oven to 180C and make the falafel by placing all ingredients (except the flour) in a food processor and blend until crumbly.
2. Add the flour one tablespoon at a time until you can mould the mixture with your hands without it being too sticky (you might not need any flour at all if the mixture seems fairly crumbly - it depends on the brand of chickpeas).
3. Roll a tablespoon (about 30g) of mixture at a time into balls and place on a baking tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crispy and golden.
4. While the falafel are cooking make the salad by combining the cucumber, cherry tomatoes and fresh coriander and toss to mix well.
5. Divide the salad between two bowls or lunchboxes, top with falafel and drizzle over some Lemon Tahini dressing just before serving.