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    Home » Recipes » Salads

    Falafel-Spiced Chickpea Salad with Tahini-Lemon Vinaigrette

    Modified: Jan 24, 2024 · Published: Oct 15, 2017 by Ashley

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    This post may contain affiliate links, which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·5 from 1 review

    This post has been compensated as part of my ongoing partnership with Barlean's. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

    This quick, simple Middle Eastern salad + homemade pita chips brings all the flavor of falafel in a fraction of the time - no deep frying required!

    Do you like falafel? I have a favorite falafel recipe that my family absolutely loves, but it does take a bit of time to put together.

    But sometimes I'm craving the flavors of falafel without having to put in a ton of effort, and that's where this Falafel-Spiced Chickpea Salad with Tahini-Lemon Vinaigrette comes in!

    Falafel-Spiced Chickpea Salad with Tahini-Lemon Vinaigrette (#ad): This quick, simple Middle Eastern salad + homemade pita chips brings all the flavor of falafel in a fraction of the time - no deep frying required! #snackwithbarleans

    This salad comes together quickly, is packed with plant-based nutrition, and is a great dish to take on-the-go.

    Since I typically enjoy my falafel stuffed in a pita, I thought it would be fun to turn some pita bread into homemade pita chips to pack up alongside my salad.

    This is a really simple treat to make at home, and pita chips are a fun addition to any snack or lunch box meal.

    Falafel-Spiced Chickpea Salad with Tahini-Lemon Vinaigrette (#ad): This quick, simple Middle Eastern salad + homemade pita chips brings all the flavor of falafel in a fraction of the time - no deep frying required! #snackwithbarleans

    To make the pita chips extra special, I added one of my favorite super seed blends from Barlean's. Their Energy Blend is a mix of Panax ginseng, organic flaxseed, chia seed and coconut. It's full of Omega-3 (ALA), antioxidants, and fiber.

    I love sprinkling this blend on my cottage cheese and fruit in the morning, or on yogurt parfaits. And it makes a great addition to pita chips!

    I haven't tried it yet, but the Energy Blend is also able to be mixed into bars and baked goods. Barlean's recommends swapping out ½ cup of flour in a recipe that calls for 2 cups total with ½ cup of energy blend.

    To get the seeds to stick, I used a little melted coconut oil. This is another versatile ingredient that I use for all sorts of things in my tiny kitchen, including seasoning our cast iron skillets!

    Falafel-Spiced Chickpea Salad with Tahini-Lemon Vinaigrette (#ad): This quick, simple Middle Eastern salad + homemade pita chips brings all the flavor of falafel in a fraction of the time - no deep frying required! #snackwithbarleans

    This salad can be assembled while the pita chips bake. The whole thing can be ready in around 15 minutes!

    My Tahini-Lemon Vinaigrette includes a simple mix of spices that give it a Middle Eastern flair. I absolutely love the mix of cumin, coriander, and paprika.

    I used flax oil in this dressing because it's a great, plant-based source of Omega-3. It's not intended for heated applications, so you shouldn't sauté or bake with it, but it's great in vinaigrettes like this one. I used it in these Roasted Veggie Bowls with Lemon-Flaxseed Vinaigrette a while back, and it was great there, too!

    You'll get about ½ cup of vinaigrette here, so I recommend starting with about half of it and tossing that into your salad before adding more to your taste.

    Falafel-Spiced Chickpea Salad with Tahini-Lemon Vinaigrette (#ad): This quick, simple Middle Eastern salad + homemade pita chips brings all the flavor of falafel in a fraction of the time - no deep frying required! #snackwithbarleans

    I've made this dish a few times now, and I find that if I make the vinaigrette in the bottom of a large bowl and just add the salad ingredients on top of it, it's a little too heavily dressed.

    Of course, you could always add in some more chickpeas or a few more veggies if you find it gets too saucy.

    I've been packing this dish up to bring out and about with me. It totally hits the spot for lunches and snack time. It's a great, hearty vegan dish with a lot of flavor that packs a nutritional punch.

    Falafel-Spiced Chickpea Salad with Tahini-Lemon Vinaigrette (#ad): This quick, simple Middle Eastern salad + homemade pita chips brings all the flavor of falafel in a fraction of the time - no deep frying required! #snackwithbarleans

    I've been all about this stainless steel bento-style container from LunchBots. It holds just the right amount of food for snack time. It's well designed, and is nice and compact. It's the perfect size for my kindergartener's school lunch.

    I ended up buying the insulated thermal container from LunchBots to send hot foods to school with him for lunch, too. Both containers have been a big hit and a great addition to our food-on-the-go container stash.

    Psst... I'm giving away one of the bento-style containers from LunchBots, along with your choice of one of the 3 Barlean's items pictured above - check out the end of my post to win one of your own!

    I've found that this salad pairs incredibly well with fresh figs. For snacking, 2 pita chips, a bit of salad, and some fresh fruit is just the right amount. If you're having this as a meal, 4 pita chips alongside a larger portion of the salad is perfect.

    Falafel-Spiced Chickpea Salad with Tahini-Lemon Vinaigrette (#ad): This quick, simple Middle Eastern salad + homemade pita chips brings all the flavor of falafel in a fraction of the time - no deep frying required! #snackwithbarleans

    Be sure to check out my Falafel-Spiced Chickpea Flatbreads if you want to try out another one of our favorite spins on falafel. It's total street food/comfort food mashup!

    Looking for more of our favorite salads? Check out these 5-star recipes:

    • Roma Salad with Caper-Dill Vinaigrette
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    Print

    📖 Recipe

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    Plate of Falafel-Spiced Chickpea Salad with Tahini-Lemon Vinaigrette and a fork.

    Falafel-Spiced Chickpea Salad with Tahini-Lemon Vinaigrette

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
    • Author: Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen - Ashley Covelli
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 8 minutes
    • Total Time: 15 minutes
    • Yield: 4 Servings 1x
    • Category: Salad
    • Method: Oven
    • Cuisine: Mediterranean
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    This quick, simple Middle Eastern salad + homemade pita chips brings all the flavor of falafel in a fraction of the time - no deep frying required!


    Ingredients

    Scale

    For Pita Chips:

    • 2 pieces pita bread
    • 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
    • 2-3 teaspoons Barlean's Energy Blend

    For Tahini-Lemon Vinaigrette:

    • 3 tablespoons flax oil
    • 2 tablespoons tahini
    • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
    • ½ teaspoon ground paprika
    • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

    For Salad:

    • 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
    • 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
    • 1 English cucumber, seeded and chopped
    • ½ cup finely chopped red onion
    • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
    • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

    Instructions

    1. For Pita Chips: Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut each piece of pita bread in half, then cut each half into 4 triangles. Place pita triangles in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush each pita with a thin layer of coconut oil and sprinkle with Barlean's Energy Blend. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until the pita is starting to brown. Set aside and let cool.
    2. For Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together flax oil, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, paprika, salt and pepper.
    3. For Salad: In a large bowl, place chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, cilantro and parsley. Pour in half of the vinaigrette and stir well to combine. Add more dressing, if desired.

    Notes

    Makes about ½ cup vinaigrette

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size:
    • Calories: 370
    • Sugar: 3.3 g
    • Sodium: 565.3 mg
    • Fat: 20.5 g
    • Saturated Fat: 4.6 g
    • Carbohydrates: 39.7 g
    • Fiber: 8.5 g
    • Protein: 10.8 g
    • Cholesterol: 0 mg

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @bigflavors on Instagram and hashtag it #cookbigflavors

    Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes
    Falafel-Spiced Chickpea Salad with Tahini-Lemon Vinaigrette (#ad): This quick, simple Middle Eastern salad + homemade pita chips brings all the flavor of falafel in a fraction of the time - no deep frying required! #snackwithbarleans

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jen @ Cuddles and Chaos

      October 15, 2017 at 4:54 pm

      Yuuuuuuum! This sounds delish!

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 15, 2017 at 8:18 pm

        It really is great! Maybe I should bring some to our meetup this week 😉

        Reply
    2. Ashima

      October 18, 2017 at 1:49 pm

      I love tahini for salad dressings and it goes so perfectly with chickpea salads! I also make a simple tahini-lemon-maple syrup dressing for my chickpea salad!

      Adding seeds to the pita chips is such a cool idea. Thanks for sharing!

      btw love your cute lunchbox and also the red plate.. so so middle Eastern!

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 21, 2017 at 11:57 am

        Oooh the maple-tahini-lemon combo sounds awesome, Ashima! And yes - the seeds were a great addition to the pita chips. Made them feel a little more special than "plain" pita chips. Thanks for stopping by and your kind words 🙂

        Reply
    3. Ben M

      October 19, 2017 at 8:15 am

      >Do you like falafel?

      OF COURSE I like falafel!

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 21, 2017 at 11:58 am

        Yay! #TeamFalafel

        Reply
    4. veenaazmnaov

      October 19, 2017 at 3:14 pm

      I love the falafel flavors you have going here. We love pita chips in our home. Tahini dressing is out favorite too. SO totally our kind of meal.. Yum!

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 21, 2017 at 11:58 am

        Glad this hits a lot of your favorite meal points! I need to experiment with more fun tahini-based dressings. This one was so much fun!

        Reply
    5. Lori H

      October 19, 2017 at 6:40 pm

      I still have never had falafel, but I want to try it sometime. The bento lunch box is cool!

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 21, 2017 at 11:59 am

        We shall have to add it to the roster for your next visit! And yes - the lunch box is AWESOME. It's been getting a LOT of use these last few weeks 🙂

        Reply
    6. Lois. O

      October 20, 2017 at 8:16 am

      You had me at falafel spiced... I can eat falafels all day if you gave me the choice, but being that it is fried it is probably better for me to have it like this. Thanks for the healthier refresh you put on typical falafels

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 21, 2017 at 12:00 pm

        Thanks, Lois! Yeah, I'm a big falafel fan as well, but it's definitely not one of the healthiest options. This salad, on the other hand... YUM!

        Reply
    7. FoodieGirlChicago

      October 21, 2017 at 8:26 am

      Chickpeas are one of my favorite ways to add protein to a salad. Love that they are the star of this salad!

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 21, 2017 at 12:00 pm

        Chickpeas totally save the day for so many meals in my house. Glad you approve! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Marisa Franca Stewart

      October 21, 2017 at 3:22 pm

      What a great looking salad and the plus is that it's good for you too. I love the box -- I wish I would have had it when the kids were young. I do love the addition of chickpeas -- a great source of protein.

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 21, 2017 at 11:10 pm

        My 5-year-old has been loving the lunchbox! He's on the fence about chickpeas - some days he loves 'em and some days he won't eat 'em. But I'll keep trying! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Maqhi Davis

      October 21, 2017 at 4:33 pm

      I'm loving this salad recipe. It sounds so refreshing. That seed blend is one I need to look for. It sounds so versatile. I'd pack salads, fruits, and snacks...maybe some leftovers. My granddaughter loves bento style boxes for her lunches.

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 21, 2017 at 11:11 pm

        Bento style is so much fun! Makes packing a little bit of a lot of different things so much more efficient!

        Reply
    10. Shannon @ Pass Me Some Tasty

      October 21, 2017 at 11:52 pm

      This salad is totally my jam! I love the flavor combo in this! And the bento box would be perfect for when I'm on the go.

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 26, 2017 at 10:00 am

        It's SUCH a tasty mix!

        Reply
    11. Denise Z Wright

      October 22, 2017 at 8:44 am

      I love the vinaigrette flavors....some of my favorites. I have never heard of Barleans but their products look so cool. I'm entering your raffle ... .I hope I win! I see they are in Whole Foods so I'll give them a look next time I'm there. That Energy blend looks interesting. (If I won, I would use this bento box for my son in hopes to feed him a better lunch).

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 26, 2017 at 9:58 am

        Hi Denise - congrats on being selected as the winner! I sent an email your way earlier this week - please check it out and send me your info so your prize can be mailed out. Thanks so much!

        Reply
    12. AvocadoPesto

      October 22, 2017 at 8:51 am

      I need to try that energy blend and I'm always meaning to add flax oil to my recipes but never remember! Falafel is one of my favorite dishes so I know I would love this!

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 26, 2017 at 10:01 am

        Yes! It's so easy to just sprinkle on top of things. I tend to forget to use flax oil unless I'm making a dressing of some sort, but I use the energy blend all the time!

        Reply
    13. karyl henry

      October 22, 2017 at 4:28 pm

      I love chickpeas, and the texture and bulk they add to recipes! This salad looks really delicious, and I've pinned it...definitely will make this one

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 26, 2017 at 10:01 am

        Thanks so much - let me know what you think of it when you get around to trying it, Karyl! 🙂

        Reply
    14. Donna Mansour

      October 23, 2017 at 10:49 pm

      Ooh now this is my kind of salad! Love the flavors, and that vinaigrette sounds amazing!

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 26, 2017 at 10:01 am

        Thank you! I love easy, flavorful dishes like this 🙂

        Reply
    15. Denise

      March 26, 2018 at 10:20 am

      Hi Ashley, I won the raffle for the Barlean's Energy Blend and just used it for the first time. I wanted to let you know that I love it! I wish had tried it sooner. I'm so glad I won this because I would never have discovered this product otherwise and I really, really like it!

      Reply
      • Ashley

        March 28, 2018 at 12:35 am

        I’m so glad that you’re enjoying the seed blend, Denise! I love sprinkling it over cottage cheese or yogurt parfaits for breakfast. Such a fun mix!

        Reply

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