Protein Rich Falafel Salad with Tzatziki
Looking for a new spin on plant based protein? Want to try going meatless at least once a week? Love falafel?
This delicious recipe for Protein Rich Falafel Salad with Tzatziki dressing will win over even the most avid meat lover, while providing satiating protein and a variety of health boosting nutrients. As an added bonus it’s easy on the budget and quick to make.
This recipe is rich in fiber, vitamin A, many B vitamins, vitamin C and more. Because seeds, nuts and beans are a rich source of magnesium, the garbanzo beans (chickpeas) are going to bring both an incredible amount of magnesium in addition to protein to this dish.
Don’t be afraid of eating beans because of the gas. Whether you soak them or purchase them canned, drain all the liquid and rinse them in a strainer until all the bubbles are gone. Those bubbles would have been in your gastrointestinal tract and caused gas. Also regularly consuming probiotics will help you digest beans better and that’s in addition to all their other health properties!
Tzatziki can be a small dish all on it’s own – it also makes a great dip, accompaniment to spicy dishes or even sandwich or pita spread. For best flavor, refrigerate ingredients for at least an hour and it gets even better the next day too!
If you follow a dairy free diet, know that there are several non-dairy alternatives out there for the yogurt portion, but make sure to read the label for sugar content and carrageenan. You don’t want either.
INGREDIENTS
Tzatziki:
- 450g plain greek yogurt, organic
- 1 cucumber, peeled & chopped
- ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped OR 2 tbsp dried parsley
- ¼ cup fresh mint, finely chopped OR 1 tbsp dried mint
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 gloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
Falafel:
- 2-3 cups garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed & drained
- 1 Medium onion, finely chopped – red for colour or yellow for flavor
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped OR 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1½ tsp ground coriander seed
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp gluten free flour, chickpea flour is a great choice for this recipe!
- Grape seed oil
Salad:
- Salad of choice – romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, radish, lemon slices etc.
METHOD
- Combine all tzatziki ingredients in a mixing bowl, cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
- While the tzatziki is chilling, preheat oven to 190°C (375°F).
- Blend falafel ingredients in food processor or blender to create “dough.” Try not to over blend as this will make the dough sticky and hard to shape.
- Lightly coat baking sheet with grape seed oil.
- Place falafel balls on to baking sheet and place in over for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and flip and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- While these are cooking, start preparing the falafel salad.
- Once the falafels are done baking, allow to cool while you plate up the salads.
- Add the cooled falafels to your salad, add a generous dollop of tzatziki and enjoy!