Today I’m excited to introduce Megan from The Vegan Cookbook Aficionado. Her posts are inventive, colorful and genuinely funny. Megan writes with an honest, relatable voice — she’s easy to read and makes cooking feel approachable. If we had the chance to hang out, I have a feeling it would be a blast. Here she shares her Deconstructed Falafel Bowl.

When Jackie invited me to guest post on her blog, I was thrilled. I admire Jackie’s talent, charisma and photography — and she’s hilarious. She asked for something healthy, and after an initial panic, inspiration struck during an outing with Mr. Muggins. He asked, “You wanna get a falafel?” and just like that I knew: a falafel bowl. Because I’m lazy sometimes, that idea became a deconstructed falafel bowl — all the flavors, none of the shaping and frying.

I decided to take a small detour and cook chickpeas from scratch. While many reach for canned chickpeas, cooked-from-dry beans have a different texture and depth of flavor. They take longer but are easy and worth the effort; if you prefer, canned chickpeas work too. Once cooked, I tossed the chickpeas with classic falafel spices and roasted them until crisp. They were dangerously snackable, so try not to eat them all before assembling the bowl.

For toppings, I polled friends for favorite falafel fixings. The consensus included shredded lettuce, pickled turnip, tomato, cucumber and hummus. I added them all, plus extra pickled turnip because I love its tang. For a fresh component I prepared a tabbouleh-style salad — originally following a classic recipe but cutting back on oil and salt. If you want to save time, any grain or quick salad will work: quinoa, couscous or buckwheat brightened with lemon and herbs makes a great base.

At the center of the bowl I spooned a generous dollop of hummus. Store-bought hummus is convenient, but homemade is easy and flavorful if you have the time. Personally, I always keep hummus in the fridge — it’s a staple and pairs perfectly with these flavors.

No falafel bowl is complete without tahini and a touch of hot sauce. A drizzle of tahini brings a nutty richness, and a small amount of hot sauce adds brightness and heat — adjust the spice to your taste. A cautionary tale: don’t over-squeeze the hot sauce bottle. Trust me.

Assemble the bowls by adding a base of tabbouleh or your chosen grain, then a handful of shredded lettuce. Arrange the roasted chickpeas, sliced cucumber and tomato, pickled turnip, and a scoop of hummus. Finish with tahini and hot sauce. The result is a healthy, satisfying meal that comes together with minimal fuss.

Yield: 4

Decontructed Falafel Bowl

Chickpeas roasted in falafel herbs and spices paired with your favorite pita sandwich toppings for a delightful vegan bowl.

Prep Time
10 minutes

Cook Time
40 minutes

Total Time
50 minutes

Ingredients

DECONTRUCTED FALAFEL BOWL

• Falafel roasted chickpeas (recipe below)
• Tabbouleh or grain of your choosing
• Lettuce, shredded
• Cucumber, sliced
• Tomatoes, sliced
• Pickled turnip or cabbage
• Hummus
• Tahini sauce (recipe below)
• Hot sauce

FALAFEL ROASTED CHICKPEAS

• 3 cups chickpeas
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch of cayenne
• Pinch of cardamom
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley

TAHINI SAUCE

• 1/3 cup tahini
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 to 5 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of cayenne
• 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced (optional)

Instructions

Bowl Assembly

1. Place tabbouleh or grain in the bowl. Add a handful of shredded lettuce next to it, then the roasted chickpeas, cucumber and tomato slices, pickled turnip and a dollop of hummus. Drizzle with tahini sauce and add hot sauce if desired.

Falafel Roasted Chickpeas

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Rinse and drain chickpeas, then place in a large bowl.
3. Toss chickpeas with olive oil, lemon juice, red onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne and cardamom until evenly coated.
4. Spread the chickpeas in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake for 35–40 minutes, stirring once halfway through roasting, until crisp.
6. Allow to cool slightly and toss with fresh parsley.

Tahini Sauce

1. Whisk together tahini, lemon juice, garlic, 3 tablespoons water, olive oil and salt until smooth. Add additional water to reach desired consistency and stir in parsley if using.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1 grams

Amount Per Serving:
Unsaturated Fat: 0g

Did you make this recipe?

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Megan — also known as Maggie Muggins — is the creator behind The Vegan Cookbook Aficionado. A self-described cookbook junkie, she started the blog to share experiments, successes and lessons from vegan cooking, showing how simple and delicious a compassionate diet can be. When she isn’t testing recipes or photographing food, Megan spends time with her husband and their rescue cat, Apollo.