This Middle Eastern-inspired vegan salad recipe is a delightful medley of colours, textures, and flavours that will transport your taste buds to a world of culinary bliss. Featuring crisp vegetables, tender falafels, protein-packed yellow lentils, and a velvety tahini sauce, this dish offers a healthy and satisfying meal that's perfect for any occasion.
Recipe:
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 4 cups mixed lettuce and baby leaves
- 1 cup cooked yellow lentils
- 12 homemade falafels (see recipe below)
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3-4 tablespoons water
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Falafel ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chickpea flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Method:
1. Begin by preparing the falafels. In a food processor, combine chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Pulse until the mixture is coarse but holds together when pinched.
2. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the chickpea flour. Form into 12 small patties.
3. Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook the falafels for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy. Set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic, water, salt, and black pepper to make the tahini sauce.
To serve:
Assemble the salad by arranging the cucumber, tomatoes, yellow pepper, lettuce, baby leaves, cooked lentils, and falafels on a large serving platter.
Additional Tips:
For added crunch, sprinkle toasted pine nuts or pomegranate seeds on top of the salad.
You can also serve the salad with a side of warm pita bread or hummus for a more filling meal.
Allergy information / alternatives:
This recipe is naturally vegan and gluten-free. If you have a nut allergy, substitute the tahini with a seed-based alternative, like sunflower seed butter.
Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories: 450 kcal
Protein: 22g
Carbohydrates: 58g
Fiber: 14g
Sugar: 9g
Fat: 17g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Note: The nutritional information provided is approximate and may vary based on the specific ingredients used and their proportions.
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