Middle Eastern · salad

Deconstructed Falafel Salad

Name: Deconstructed Falafel Salad
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 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; 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; 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

Deconstructed Falafel Salad reads citrus 7.0, sourness 6.3 and fruity 4.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Middle Eastern salad, about 35 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 3.4 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 4.9 / 10
Sour & Bright — 8.9 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 3.3 / 10
Rich & Fat — 5.1 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.4 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 7.0 · Sourness 6.3 · Fruity 4.7 · Nutty 3.9 · Richness 3.9 · Allium 3.9 · Salinity 3.2 · Earthy 3.0 · Herbaceous 2.7 · Umami 2.4 · Warm Spice 2.0 · Bitterness 1.7 · Floral 1.5 · Sweetness 1.0 · Heat 0.5

What's in it (18)

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
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
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

Time & effort: about 35 min (25 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 373 kcal, 20.1 g protein, 6.6 g fat, 58.5 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (5 steps)

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
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.
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.
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.
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.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Falafel Bowls with Tahini Drizzle — Middle Eastern
Baba Ghanoush — Lebanese
Brik a l'Oeuf — Tunisian
Greek Chickpea Stew with Rosemary (Revithia) — Greek
Crispy Za'atar Chicken Thighs — Middle Eastern

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, fruity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.