This meal puts paid to the theory that healthy, tasty vegetarian/vegan food has to be complicated! I whipped up this falafel with hummus and salad in just a few minutes, and it tasted every bit as good as an iskender meal from the local Turkish takeaway. The falafel themselves are ridiculously easy to make, and the salad can just be made with what’s in the fridge. Here’s my recipe:

For the falafel:

2 tins of 4 bean mix

1 handful of fresh herbs; parsley or coriander are good

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons coconut flour

1 tablespoon coconut oil

 

For the hummus:

1 cup cooked chickpeas (or 1 can)

1 clove garlic

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

 

For the salad:

4 cups of salad greens; I used lettuce, tomato, grated carrot, grated fennel, grated radish, beansprouts and avocado. The trick is to shred everything quite small.

 

Optional sauce (not vegan)

1/4 cup natural, unsweetened yogurt

1 large handful fresh mint, roughly chopped

 

To make the falafel, blend all the ingredients except the oil together until they form a paste but it is still a bit chunky. Add a splash of water if it needs to be loosened a bit. Put aside in the fridge for 15 minutes before cooking.

In the meantime, make the salad and hummus.

Put all the hummus ingredients into a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth, adding water until you get a good consistency.

Toss the salad ingredients in a large platter. If making the sauce, mix the yogurt and mint with a little water to thin it down and serve in a jug to the side.

Roll the falafel mixture into walnut sized balls, and fry in the coconut oil until brown on both sides.

 

Serve falafel on top of a bowl of salad with a big blob of hummus on the side, and sauce dribbled over the top (if using).