Oven-Baked Falafel Pita with Hummus and Cucumber-Tomato Salad
Crisp oven-baked falafel tucked into warm pita with creamy hummus and a fresh cucumber-tomato salad. A high-protein, no-stovetop dinner that comes together in the oven.
- Total
- 32 min
- Prep 12 · Cook 20
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Roasting · Dicing
- Savory
- Standard
- Oven
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 220°C. Line a small baking tray with parchment paper.
~3 min
-
Arrange 4 falafel on the lined tray and brush them all over with 1 tbsp olive oil. Bake until deeply golden and crisp on the edges, about 18 minutes, turning once halfway.
~18 min
Brushing with oil and high heat helps the falafel crisp and brown evenly without deep-frying.
Brushing the falafel with olive oil before baking helps them crisp and brown evenly without a fryer; turn them once so both sides get color.
Roasting Arrange falafel in a single layer with space between them. Turn once halfway; they are done when deeply golden and crisp at the edges.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the falafel bakes, cut 0.5 cucumber into 1 cm dice and 1 tomato into 1.5 cm pieces. Toss them in a small bowl with 0.25 tsp salt and 0.125 tsp black pepper.
~5 min
Salting the vegetables early draws out moisture, keeping the salad from making the pita soggy.
Dicing Cut cucumber into even 1 cm cubes and tomato into 1.5 cm pieces. A sharp knife and steady, uniform cuts prevent bruising and keep the salad neat.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the falafel bakes, stir 1 tbsp tahini into 4 tbsp hummus in a small bowl until smooth and creamy.
~2 min
Stirring tahini into hummus emulsifies it, making the spread smoother and creamier.
-
When the falafel is crisp, warm the pita directly on the oven rack for 1 minute, then slide it onto a board.
~1 min
Brief warming makes the pita pliable so it folds without cracking.
If your pita is thin, warm it only until pliable, about 1 minute, so it folds without cracking.
-
Spread the tahini-hummus across the warm pita, add the falafel, and spoon the cucumber and tomato salad over the top. Fold and eat.
~2 min