Baked Green Lentil Falafel Bowls with Turmeric Farro and Garlic Cashew Sauce
- Soaking Time: 12 hr
- Active Time: 1 hr
- Total Time: 13 hr
- Servings: 2
This recipe takes a healthier spin on traditional deep-fried falafel. Soaked green lentils get pulsed in a food processor with fresh herbs and spices before being shaped into patties and baked until golden brown. They get piled into bowls along with chewy turmeric farro, fresh vegetables, and a spoonful of hummus. Finally it all gets drizzled in a creamy garlic cashew sauce.
Ingredients
-
Falafel
- 1 cup dry green lentils, soaked overnight
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 6 green onions, roughly chopped
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp coriander
- ¼ tsp fenugreek
- olive oil, for drizzling
-
Turmeric Farro
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ cup pearled farro
-
Garlic Sauce
- ⅓ cup raw cashews
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- salt, to taste
-
Toppings
- 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- ½ cup hummus
- 2 wedges of lemon
Preparation
Falafel
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Drain and rinse the lentils and add to a food processor along with the garlic, green onions, parsley, cilantro, baking powder, salt, and spices. You may need to do two batches, depending on the size of your food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are well combined, scraping down the sides as needed. You want the mixture to be fine enough that it holds together, but not so mushy that it becomes paste-like. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and let it rest in the fridge for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. After resting, scoop 2 tablespoons of the falafel mixture, form into a small patty, and transfer to the sheet pan. Repeat until the falafel mix is gone. This recipe makes about 16 falafel so you will likely have leftovers, which can be frozen for up to three months. Lightly drizzle each falafel with olive oil before transferring pan to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Turmeric Farro
Combine vegetable broth, garlic powder, and turmeric in a medium saucepan. Bring the broth to a boil and add the farro. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes until the farro is tender and chewy. Drain off any remaining liquid and fluff with a fork.
Garlic Sauce
In the small cup of a high speed blender, combine raw cashews, water, garlic, lemon, and salt, pureeing until smooth.
Assembly
To assemble, divide the farro between two bowls and add shredded cabbage, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and a large spoonful of hummus to each. Top with falafel, drizzle with garlic sauce, and garnish with a wedge of lemon.
Tips
If you don’t have a high speed blender to make the garlic sauce, you can alternatively thin 3 tablespoons of vegan mayo with a little bit of water, add 2 cloves of finely grated garlic, and finish with a squeeze of lemon.
