Fava Bean Falafel Rainbow Bowl with Beetroot Sauce

Fragrant and fresh fava bean falafels baked until crisp on the outside and tender in the middle, served with a colourful salad and a vibrant beetroot sauce. This falafel bowl is naturally vegan and gluten-free and is filled with wholesome ingredients.

I love a good falafel – in any way shape or form. Stuffed into a wrap, served with lots of hummus, as part of a salad bowl or mezze platter… they are a staple food. I tend, like a lot of people, to use chickpeas in my falafel balls but after receiving a delivery of some dried fava beans, I knew I wanted to make something different. As these beans were dried, I soaked them in plenty of water overnight, drained and rinsed them in the morning before cooking them in water until soft. The process really was so simple, and I’ve been really enjoying the homemade sentiment around the beans.

Fava Bean and Sesame Falafel

However, if you don’t have fava beans, you can make these falafels with chickpeas and they will still be delicious. Just use the same amount and carry on with this recipe as normal. The falafel mix is sticky, a bit chunky and full of texture and flavour. I use fresh parsley in the mixture (remember you can use the stem, too!) as well as paprika, cumin and garlic for flavour with a little bit of lemon juice for vibrancy. They really are so simple! I like to let the Fava Bean Falafel rest in the fridge before rolling them into balls and then into sesame seeds for a really crispy exterior. Bake them until golden on the outside and tender in the middle.

The rest of this Fava Bean Falafel Rainbow Bowl with Beetroot Sauce is really simple and can be adapted to whatever salad vegetables and grain you have to hand. I used fonio as my grain of choice, but you can use quinoa, rice or buckwheat for example. Served in a big bowl with a carrot, tomato and pomegranate tabbouleh and avocado, it is a feast for the senses.

Fava Bean Falafel Rainbow Bowl with Beetroot Sauce

I also love this Beetroot Sauce which comes together in 2 minutes in a blender – simply whiz together pre-cooked beetroot, natural yoghurt with some cumin, cayenne pepper for heat and salt. That’s it! I’ve been drizzling this over everything recently, from salads to sandwiches – it has a great flavour and gorgeous colour.

This Fava Bean Falafel Rainbow Bowl with Beetroot Sauce is a wholesome, homemade and vibrant dinner or lunch bowl. Make up extra falafels for the next few days or freeze them for a later date. They work well in wraps and pitta breads, too, or with your favourite homemade flatbreads to make a family-friendly and fuss-free meal. They are naturally vegan, gluten-free and healthy – plus this entire bowl comes together with very minimal effort and maximum satisfaction.

Fava Bean Falafel Rainbow Bowl with Beetroot Sauce

I hope you will enjoy this Fava Bean Falafel Rainbow Bowl with Beetroot Sauce, if you are looking for other simple recipes how about my Miso Tahini Greens Stir Fry, Roasted Tomato and Aubergine Pesto Pasta, Simple Creamy Hummus or serve my Hazelnut Paprika Falafels with Easy Fluffy Flatbreads.

Fava Bean and Sesame Falafel

• Servings: 2
• Time: 50 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Simple, wholesome and flavour-packed falafel balls made even better with fava beans. Rolled in sesame seeds for a crispy and seedy outside, with a soft inside - great for salads, wraps and hummus.

Ingredients

• 200g cooked fava beans (I used 150g dried fava beans, soaked overnight and cooked in plenty of water) (or use chickpeas)
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• 10g fresh parsley (leaves and stems)
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3-4 tbsp flour (e.g. GF or oat flour)
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tbsp sesame seeds, (black and white mix)

Directions

1. Add all the ingredients up to the flour to a blender and process until it forms a sticky mix with some chunks. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180*C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Fill a shallow bowl with the sesame seeds.
4. Divide the falafel mix into 10 pieces and shape into balls. Rolls each ball into the sesame seeds and place on the lined tray. Bake for 20 minutes or until crisp.

Fava Bean Falafel Rainbow Bowl with Beetroot Sauce

• Servings: 2
• Time: 15 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Fragrant and fresh fava bean falafels baked until crisp on the outside and tender in the middle, served with a colourful salad and a vibrant beetroot sauce. This falafel bowl is naturally vegan and gluten-free and is filled with wholesome ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1 x batch Fava Bean and Sesame Falafel
• 100g quinoa, fonio or couscous
• 2 carrot
• 120g cherry tomatoes
• 80g pomegranate, plus extra to serve
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 small bunch fresh parsley or coriander
• 1 tbsp each white and black sesame seeds
• 1 avocado, cubed
• Salt and pepper
• Salad leaves, to serve
• Beetroot Sauce:
• 40g pre-cooked beetroot (not in vinegar)
• 60g plain yoghurt
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp ground cumin

Directions

1. Cook the grain according to packet instructions and allow to cool.
2. Peel the carrot and then continue to peel into ribbons or grate it into a bowl. Chop the tomatoes and add to the carrots with the pomegranate, olive oil, lemon juice, chopped herbs and sesame seeds. Season with salt and pepper. Stir through the cooled grains.
3. Make the beetroot dressing by adding all the ingredients to a blender and whizz until smooth, seasoning to taste.
4. Divide some salad leaves between two bowls, top with the rainbow grain salad, the cooked falafels, some cubed avocado, extra pomegranate and the beetroot dressing.

Fava Bean Falafel Rainbow Bowl with Beetroot Sauce

I hope you will love this easy and wholesome recipe for Fava Bean Falafel Rainbow Bowl with Beetroot Sauce. If you give it a go, please let me know and tag me in your creations – I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With fava bean love x