Greek Salad with Air Fryer Falafel
Who says salads aren’t filling? Freshly air-fried falafels add delicious heft to this recipe, which features classic Mediterranean ingredients. Hearty bulgur, juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumber, and briny olives create a kaleidoscope of flavors, and a generous drizzle of creamy cashew-based dressing is the perfect finishing touch.
With warm falafel, creamy dressing, and a medley of chopped veggies, this vegan Greek salad is seriously satisfying. Lining the air fryer basket with foil helps the falafel get nicely browned, so don’t skip this step. Serve with whole wheat pita for a heartier meal. Note that this recipe calls for chilled cooked bulgur, so be sure to have that ready to go.
INGREDIENTS
- 1½ 15-oz. cans no-salt-added chickpeas (garbanzo beans), undrained (2¼ cups)
- ⅓ cup shredded zucchini
- ⅓ cup finely chopped onion
- ⅓ cup packed fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons chickpea flour
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon ground coriander
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 cups chopped romaine
- 2 cups chilled cooked bulgur
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cucumber, quartered lengthwise and cut into ½-inch slices
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- 2 tablespoons slivered Kalamata olives
- ¼ cup raw cashews, soaked 20 minutes in hot water
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic
- 6 to 8 tablespoons unsweetened, unflavored plant milk, such as almond, soy, cashew, or rice
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat air fryer to 375°F. Drain chickpea liquid (aquafaba) into a bowl. In a food processor combine the chickpeas, 1 Tbsp. of the aquafaba, and the next six ingredients (through coriander). Cover and process until mixture starts to come together and is nearly smooth, stopping to scrape sides of bowl as necessary. Add additional aquafaba as needed to achieve a nearly smooth texture that adheres together. Season with salt and pepper.
- For falafel, form chickpea mixture into 12 balls (2 Tbsp. each) and flatten to ¾ inch thick. Line air fryer with foil. Place falafel in a single layer on the foil, in batches if necessary. Air-fry 12 to 14 minutes or until firm and browned, carefully turning once.
- For salad, arrange the next six ingredients (through olives) on a serving platter.
- For dressing, drain soaked cashews. In a small food processor or blender combine cashews, vinegar, mustard, and garlic. Cover and process until nearly smooth, gradually adding milk until creamy.
- Serve falafel on salad and drizzle with dressing.
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