Kale and Falafel Bowls with Spiralized Butternut Squash

Lu and I have this bad habit of ordering the same meal from the same restaurants...

Kale and Falafel Bowls with Spiralized Butternut Squash

Lu and I have this bad habit of ordering the same meal from the same restaurants over and over again, until we end up not liking that meal ever again.

Most recently, that happened with our favorite Turkish restaurant. We ordered falafel probably 20 times in a little over a month and didn’t think we could ever look at falafel again!

So, it’s been a few months since we had falafel together, but now, I have a new way to enjoy our beloved but overdone falafel: homemade falafel in spiralized veggie bowls!

Kale and Falafel Bowls with Spiralized Butternut Squash

If you’ve never made homemade falafel, get ready to surprise yourself – it’s super easy, quick, and gratifying. This falafel recipe is for baked falafel, so we’re skipping the deep fryer. That means the falafel won’t be as hard and crispy, but it’ll still have those same flavors.

The falafel here is placed over the subtly sweet and velvety butternut squash noodles, accompanied by the leafy kale and drizzled lightly with tahini, which is the perfect companion to falafel.

The falafel is made from chickpeas, so it’s protein-packed, vegan friendly, and saves well.

Kale and Falafel Bowls with Spiralized Butternut Squash

If you just don’t have the time to make your own falafel (but seriously, all you really need is a bowl, a food processor, and an oven), then order or buy falafel and place atop this noodle bowl.

Hope everyone is setting their weeks up for success by meal planning and prepping today! Happy Sunday-ing!

Watch our video to learn how to spiralize a butternut squash using the Inspiralizer and subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch more videos:

 

Nutritional Information & Recipe

Weight Watchers SmartPoints*: 12 points

*These points were calculated using the official Weight Watchers SmartPoints calculator. We are in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers, we are providing this information based on popular demand.

Kale and Falafel Bowls with Spiralized Butternut Squash

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 medium butternut squash peeled, Blade C, noodles trimmed
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • For the falafel:
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • juice of 1 large lemon
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 15oz can chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and patted dry
  • 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 4 packed cups chopped kale
  • 1 tablespoon hemp seeds to garnish
  • For the tahini sauce:
  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 1 tablespoon cold water or more to thin
  • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Make the falafel. In a food processor, combine the parsley, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse to completely combine, about 30 seconds. Add the chickpeas and pulse until incorporated but still chunky. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and add the almond flour. Mix again to form a dough. Using your hands, form the mixture into eight balls and place them on one of the prepared baking sheets. Press down with a spatula to flatten them into more oblong patties. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to help firm up, if desired. Roast the falafel for 35 to 40 minutes, flipping once halfway through, or until the patties are firm and browned.
  • While falafel bakes, prepare the tahini sauce. Place the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until smooth. Set aside.
  • On the other baking sheet, spread the butternut squash noodles out, drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Toss well to combine and roast in the oven for the last 10 minutes of the falafel’s cooking.
  • While butternut squash cooks, place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add in the kale. Season with salt and pepper and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.
  • Build your falafel bowls: add butternut squash noodles, kale, and falafel to four bowls. Drizzle each with tahini sauce, garnish with hemp seeds and serve.

Kale & Falafel Bowls with Spiralized Butternut Squash

with love, Ali

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comments

  • what is the nutritional information on this one?
    • Unfortunately, nutritional information is not available for this dish. We're sorry for the inconvenience.
  • YUMMY!!!!! Thanks for sharing your recipe! I’ve heard about your blog a couple of times and will now spend my afternoon reading :)
    • Awe! That's so sweet! Enjoy, Rose! We're so happy you're here.