Falafel Greek Salad
Lizzy Briskin
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes (including chilling)
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
If you are looking for a fresh, colorful, and healthy dinner or lunch recipe for the season, look no further. This hearty Greek salad with falafel is the kind of feel-good recipe we will be returning to week after week this summer. And once you give it a try, you’ll see why!
How to Make Falafel
If you haven’t made fresh falafel at home before, you’re in for a treat. These crispy chickpea patties are the perfect plant-based bite to keep on hand. They can instantly upgrade a pita sandwich, a green salad, or a dinner snacking plate into one with crunch, nutty flavor, and vegan protein.
All you need to make them is a food processor or blender. Canned chickpeas and the classic falafel herbs and spices—cumin, coriander, and fresh cilantro—make this recipe big in the flavor department but short on time and work.
Falafel is naturally plant-based and you can easily make this recipe gluten-free by using your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.
INGREDIENTS
- FALAFEL:
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (gluten-free if necessary)
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, for cooking
- SALAD:
- 2 romaine hearts, chopped
- 2 small cucumbers, sliced into thin rounds
- ½ pint cherry tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup pitted kalamata olives
- ¼ cup crumbled vegan feta (like Violife)
- ¼ red onion, sliced very thinly
- DRESSING:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
Greek Salad Dressing
To punch up the rich, nutty flavor of homemade falafel, this Greek salad gets a dose of bright acidic dressing.
To make the Greek vinaigrette, choose good-quality olive oil and light red wine vinegar. This dressing adds a delicious coating to the crunchy veggies and falafel in your salad.
Make-Ahead Greek Salad with Falafel
You can prep the raw ingredients for this salad ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to four days. Then, drizzle with dressing just before serving.
For longer storage, you can freeze cooked or uncooked falafel patties for up to three months. To enjoy, thaw in the fridge for a few hours, then reheat the patties as directed in the recipe.
