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Introducing Deconstructed Falafel Pasta Salad! This pasta salad is inspired by my love for falafels. It features all the flavors of falafels, like chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, and cumin, in a pasta salad!
It’s no-bake, quick to prepare, and delicious!
This recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes and requires basic ingredients you probably already have on hand. First, start by cooking the pasta. I went with rotini pasta, but feel free to use farfalle or fusilli.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the falafel mixture. Add cooked chickpeas with fresh parsley, cilantro, and spices to a food processor and process until it turns into a fine mixture. You don’t want to over-process, or it will turn into a paste; you want to keep some texture.
Next, simply coat the cooked pasta with the falafel mixture and serve!
If you want to add extra flavor, I recommend frying some minced shallots until golden brown. Then, add the fried shallots as well as the oil to the salad and stir to mix. This adds crispiness and a subtle “fried” flavor, so specific to falafels.
As with most salads, this pasta salad is best served the same day. If it dries out a bit in the refrigerator, add about 1/3 cup of water and a good pinch of salt and mix again to make it creamier.
If you like falafels, you will love this deconstructed falafel pasta salad! It’s packed with fresh herbs and spices and is delicious!
Looking for more salad recipes? Check out this Braised Fennel & Carrot Arugula Salad, Quinoa Green Salad with Buffalo Eggplant Dip, or this Mint & Lemon Quinoa Salad!
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
Deconstructed Falafel Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry rotini pasta
- 1 15.5 ounces can chickpeas (about 9 ounces drained)
- 1/3 cup packed fresh cilantro
- 1/3 cup packed fresh parsley
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 3/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/8 tsp each: cinnamon, cardamom, anise, ginger optional
- 1/4 tsp salt
- optional: 1 shallot (minced) and 1 tbsp oil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until tender (according to the package instructions). Drain and rinse under cold water to cool down the pasta. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Add the drained chickpeas, cilantro, parsley, garlic, olive oil, lime juice, spices, and salt to a food processor. Process for 5-10 seconds, or until you get a fine texture, it should have the texture of almond flour. Do not process too long or it will turn into a paste.
- Add the falafel mixture to the mixing bowl and stir to coat the pasta with the mixture. Taste and adjust salt and lime juice to taste. Serve immediately!
- For extra flavor and richness: heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick skillet or small saucepan. Once hot, add the minced shallot and fry for a couple of minutes, or until golden brown. Add the fried shallots and the oil to the salad and stir to coat.
- You can keep the salad in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If it dries out a bit, add about 1/3 cup of water and a good pinch of salt and mix again to make it creamier.
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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WOW! So creative and original. I will definitely prepare. thank you, Thomas!
I gave it 5 for the innovation.
Thanks Sara! Hope you will like it 🙂
Looks yummy!
An old Lebanese falafel recipe swaps out the anise and ginger for clove and coriander seed. A grind or two of pepper at the table…
Made this for supper tonight. I added more seasoning and herbs, as I would when making actual falafels. Pretty spot on. Made an Israeli salad and some tahini to serve with this pasta. Delicious!
Thank you again for a simple and flavorful, quick meal. Betas standing and frying up falafel balls.
Trina
Thanks for your feedback Trina 😉