Baked Falafel Bowl with Creamy Dill Sauce

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Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern dish that is often fried in oil and served with pita and tahini dressing. This baked falafel bowl recipe is a lightened up version of the traditional fare. The creamy dill sauce pulls it all together with a touch of zing. Make it for your next summer gathering or pack it up for a light work lunch.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 medium sweet potato (about 4 ounces)

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons water

Creamy Dill Sauce & Salad Bowl Ingredients

1 medium avocado, peeled and pitted

¼ cup horseradish

¼ cup fresh dill, chopped

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons hot sauce

¼ cup coconut milk

Salad

1 head butter lettuce, hand torn

2 large tomatoes, halved, seeded and chopped (heirloom or Roma)

2 large Persian cucumbers, chopped

½ cup diced red onion

4 dill pickles, chopped

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 15×10-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. To make the falafel: Add the sweet potato to a small pot of boiling water, cover the pot, lower the heat and cook until it is fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Once it cools slightly, peel it and slice it into rounds.
  3. Add the chickpeas, cooked sweet potato, garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander, salt and water to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture comes together but still has some texture.
  4. Make 18 falafel balls, using about 1 tablespoon per ball, and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
  5. Place the baking sheet in the oven, and bake until the falafel balls turn a light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Turn the falafel balls over halfway through baking.

Creamy Dill Sauce & Salad Bowl Directions

  1. To make the creamy dill sauce: Add the avocado, horseradish, dill, chives and hot sauce to a food processor and pulse until the mixture comes together. While the machine is still running, add the coconut milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is very smooth. Add a little water if the sauce is too thick.
  2. To make the salad: Combine the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion and pickles in a large bowl. Drizzle the vegetables with the lemon juice.
  3. Transfer the baking sheet from the oven to a wire rack, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Add the salad and several falafel balls to each bowl, and drizzle the horseradish creamy dill sauce over them.

Note: For extra fiber and B vitamins, you should leave the skin on the sweet potato.

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