Name: Mediterranean falafel bowl with rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 1 cup cooked brown rice; 1 cup hummus; 1 recipe air fryer falafel (or oven baked); 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce; 1/2 cup chopped cucumbers; 1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes; 1/4 cup chopped red bell peppers; 1/4 cup pickled red onions; 1/2 cup vegan feta cheese; 16 kalamata olives; 1 avocado (sliced); 1 recipe vegan tahini dressing

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.

Brown rice: This grain makes up the “bed” of the bowl that everything else sits atop.

Homemade falafel: The headliner in this bowl is beautifully golden brown air fryer falafel (or oven baked).

It is easy to make, thanks to canned chickpeas. No soaking or pre-planning required!

The air-fried version is ready in just 30 minutes. Baked falafel takes about 10 minutes more.

Hummus: Chickpeas on chickpeas? Absolutely! Hummus and falafel go together like Tina and Amy.

Homemade hummus is extra creamy, thanks to aquafaba. Perfect for dipping pita chips and falafel balls.

Romaine lettuce & cucumbers: Mild romaine and cucumbers add crunch and coolness without any bitterness.

Cherry tomatoes & bell peppers: These two veggies add color and sweetness.

Pickled red onions: Easy pickled red onions offer vibrant pink color as well as tartness.

Kalamata olives: Olives add salt & brininess.

Avocado: Avocado improves any dish it touches! Here it adds creaminess and fat.

Almond feta: Homemade vegan feta cheese adds tang and creaminess. (This feta also freezes well, in case you want to make a big batch & stretch it out.)

Tahini sauce: Vegan tahini dressing ties everything together. It’s made with just four ingredients – tahini, water, lemon juice, and salt.

Make it your own

Falafel bowl by tahini dressing, pita, olives, and avocado.

You can make this bowl your own by varying the ingredients. The options are only limited by your imagination & what’s in your produce drawer.

Add any of these items instead of (or in addition to) the other ingredients:

Spinach
Parsley
Baba ganoush (instead of hummus)
Tomato cucumber salad (instead of romaine salad)
Israeli couscous salad (instead of rice & salad)
Kalamata olive hummus (instead of plain hummus)
Roasted sweet potatoes (instead of rice)
Homemade pita chips (made in the air fryer or oven)
Castelvetrano olives (instead of kalamata)
Pickled turnips (instead of red onions)
Toasted pine nuts or sesame seeds
Roasted cauliflower (made in the air fryer or oven)
Marinated lentils
Quinoa (instead of rice)
Vegan tzatziki (Trader Joe’s makes a good one)

Store-bought shortcuts

Simplify lunch with some store-bought shortcuts.

Instead of homemade falafel, use boxed falafel mix or frozen falafel.
Instead of making hummus, buy a container of any pre-made hummus you enjoy.
Instead of homemade vegan feta, use store-bought. I recommend Violife, Trader Joe’s, or Herbivorous Butcher brands.
Instead of pickled red onions, use any store-bought pickled vegetable and/or green onions.
Instead of making rice from scratch, reheat frozen rice. (I buy the boxed variety at Trader Joe’s.)

Overhead falafel bowl and ingredients on table.

Great for meal prep

Falafel bowls are ideal for meal prep, because you can make the individual components at your leisure. Then compile them together as a bowl.

Or use the same ingredients for a salad or falafel sandwich.

You can also re-purpose several of the ingredients.

Use leftover hummus on a bagel sandwich, crostini appetizer, or double hummus wrap.
Use leftover feta in vegan shakshuka, vegan poutine, or Mediterranean pasta.
Use leftover pickled red onions on tempeh tacos, baked tofu bowls, or vegan ramen noodles.
Use leftover tahini dressing on veggie wraps, brown rice bowls, or kale salad.
Use leftover rice in pineapple fried rice, air fryer stuffed peppers, or kimchi fried rice.

How to store leftovers

Store any leftovers separately in their own covered containers in the refrigerator.

Leftovers will last roughly 3 or 4 days.

Reheat falafel in the air fryer by cooking at 360 degrees for about five minutes or until warmed throughout. Reheat rice in the microwave until warm.

Falafel bowl drizzled with lemon tahini dressing.

📖 Recipe

Content, recipe, and photos updated March 10, 2022. Originally posted December 8, 2015 as a curried falafel bowl.

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