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A beetroot falafel rice bowl sits with salad and other toppings.

Super healthy rice bowl with beetroot falafels

This Super healthy rice bowl with beetroot falafels ticks all the boxes. It’s quick and easy to make, can be made with plenty of variation and flavor, and is very cheap to make!
We love this healthy vegetarian-friendly rice bowl (for vegan option, use vegan yogurt for the dressing and omit feta cheese). It takes the delicious texture of falafels, some fragrant rice, and your choice of salad or veg and makes a filling meal.
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course dinner, lunch, Main Course, main meal
Cuisine American, healthy, Mediterranean
Servings 6 servings
Calories 594 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 food processor
  • Oven
  • Parchment paper and a large baking tray
  • 1 clean jar with lid (for the salad dressing)

Ingredients

Rice

  • 3 cups Rice (allow ½ cup per serving)

Falafel Ingredients

  • For the beetroot falafels makes 20-25 balls
  • 2 Cups of chickpeas store-bought in the tin is fine
  • 2 Cooked beets cut into ½ inch / 1.25 cm cubes
  • 1 Onion finely diced
  • ½ Cup of fresh parsley
  • 5 Garlic cloves
  • 2 Tablespoons of ground cumin
  • ½ Cup of bread crumbs swap for crushed almonds to make the recipe gluten-free
  • Salt for seasoning

For the toppings

  • 1 carrot grated or shaved fine
  • 1 avocado sliced
  • 2-3 tablespoons of chickpeas or hummus
  • 2-3 tablespoons of pomegranate seeds
  • 1 small cucumber sliced
  • 1 tablespoon of pine nuts

For the salad dressing

  • 3 tablespoons of Greek Natural yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons of Fresh chopped chives
  • 1 clove of Garlic crushed
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons Red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

Step 1 - Prepare the falafels

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F.
    An oven gauge turned up to 210c
  • Drain and rinse the chickpeas well in some fresh water.
    2 Cups of chickpeas
    A large bowl of cooked chickpeas sits in a Spanish kitchen.
  • Pour them into your food processor along with the garlic, onion, parsley, roasted beets, salt, and cumin.
    2 Cooked beets cut into ½ inch / 1.25 cm cubes, 1 Onion, ½ Cup of fresh parsley, 5 Garlic cloves, 2 Tablespoons of ground cumin, Salt
    Beetroot falafel mixture in a blender
  • Pulse for around 3 minutes. You want a slightly coarse texture to the mixture. Slowly add the breadcrumbs (or crushed almonds) to thicken up the mixture as required.
    ½ Cup of bread crumbs
    Blended ingredinets for the falafel mixture sits in a food processor with some breadcrumbs sprinkled on top
  • Use a spoon or ice cream scoop to measure out around a heaped tablespoon of the mixture (enough to make a 2-inch ball (golf ball size), or a 3-inch disk around ¾ inch thick).
    falafel mixture in a food processor
  • With damp hands, shape into balls or disks. This mixture should make 20-25 balls.
    For the beetroot falafels
    pre baked beetroot falafel balls sits on some parchement paper in an oven tray
  • Place balls on some parchment paper on an oven tray and bake for 25 minutes. Once ready they’ll crisp up slightly.
    A tray of baked beetroot falafels made with this beetroot falafel recipe

Step 2 - Prepare rice

  • Rice cooker method
    Add the desired amount of rice and water with the ratio specified in the rice cooker instructions (see our notes below). Switch on the rice cooker and wait till it finishes and turns off. This should take around 25-35 minutes depending on the model of the rice cooker and the amount of rice you’re using.
    3 cups Rice
    a rice cooker sits on a marble counter top
  • Microwave method
    First, give your rice a rinse in fresh water for a minute or two.
    Add rinsed rice to a microwave-safe bowl and add enough water to cover the rice by ¾ inch / 2cm. Microwave for 5 minutes, check, and stir. Microwave again for 5 minutes, check again, and stir. Finally, heat for 2 more minutes and leave to cool for around 5 minutes.
    A microwave sits on a table

Step 3 - Prepare toppings

  • Slice or grate your carrot and cucumber. Remove the flesh and pulp from the pomegranate and keep the seeds. Rinse and drain some tinned chickpeas and set aside a handful (or make some hummus if you have the time). Measure out other ingredients (pine nuts, pomegranate seeds) and set aside for use later.
    1 carrot, 1 avocado, 2-3 tablespoons of chickpeas, 2-3 tablespoons of pomegranate seeds, 1 small cucumber, 1 tablespoon of pine nuts
    A beetroot falafel rice bowl sits with salad and other toppings.

Step 4 - Make the salad dressing

  • Add the Greek yogurt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, garlic, chives, salt, and pepper to a mixing bowl (or jar).
    3 tablespoons of Greek Natural yogurt, 2 tablespoons of Fresh chopped chives, 1 clove of Garlic, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons Red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil, Salt and pepper to taste
    Healthy yogurt salad dressing
  • Whisk ingredients together until a thick, creamy consistency.
    Continue to whisk while adding a tablespoon or two of fresh water. This will thin out the dressing and give a better consistency for drizzling. Add more water if you want a thinner dressing texture.
    Healthy yogurt salad dressing are mixed in a bowl.

Step 5 - Assemble your rice bowl

  • Once our rice is ready, add a bed of rice to your rice bowl (around 6 heaped tablespoons is plenty).
    a bowl of rice sits besided some roasted vegetables.
  • Add your choice of salad, veg, and some freshly cooked beetroot falafels on top of the rice.
    A beetroot falafel rice bowl sits with salad and other toppings.
  • Add your toppings of choice.
    A beetroot falafel rice bowl sits with salad and other toppings.
  • Add a good splash of your dressing of choice, and serve.
    a small bowl of healthy yogurt salad dressing with chives garnishing

Video

Keyword beetroot, Falafels, healthy, Meal prep, mediterranean, midweek meal, salad, salad dressing, vegan, vegetarian