Deconstructed Falafel Salad

Photo by Luisa Brimble

Falafels are the perfect plant-based morsel and a family favorite. However, in this salad, I’ve dismantled perfection, and discovered a new, delicious way to enjoy the fêted flavors of falafels: chickpeas, cumin, parsley, mint, and tahini. The crispy oven-roasted chickpeas are nothing short of incredible, and I encourage you to try roasting all types of beans in this manner.

Yield
4 servings

Ingredients

  1. Salad:
    • Extra-virgin olive oil
    • 2 bunches of kale leaves (6 cups)
    • 1 Persian cucumber, sliced into thin rounds
    • 3 cups (150 g) store-bought pita chips
    • Handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
    • Handful of mint leaves
    • 1 lemon, cut into wedges
    • Sea salt
  2. Crispy roasted chickpeas:
    • 18 ounces (500 g) cooked chickpeas (about 2 cans), drained and patted dry
    • Extra-virgin olive oil
    • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
    • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • Sea salt and black pepper
  3. Lemon tahini:
    • 1/3 cup (90 g) tahini paste
    • Juice of 1 lemon, plus more if needed
    • 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
    • Sea salt and black pepper

Preparation

    1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
    2. For the crispy roasted chickpeas, place the drained chickpeas into a small ovenproof dish. Cover with olive oil, season well with 2 big pinches of sea salt and black pepper, and add the garlic, cumin and paprika. Stir to combine. Roast for 35–40 minutes, until the chickpeas are crispy. Set aside.
    3. Place a large frying pan over medium heat and drizzle with oil. Add the kale, in batches, along with a pinch of salt and cook for 2–3 minutes until wilted.
    4. To make the lemon tahini, pour the tahini into a small bowl and whisk in the lemon juice and garlic. Gradually add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the sauce is the consistency of thickened cream. If the tahini ‘seizes’ and becomes very thick, push through by adding more water; it will eventually come back together to form a cohesive creamy sauce. Season with sea salt and black pepper, and add more lemon juice if you like it lemony.
    5. Combine the crispy chickpeas (and their cooking oil) with the kale, cucumber, half the pita chips and herbs. To serve, drizzle over the lemon tahini and scatter over the remaining pita chips. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

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