Skip to content
Open menu Close menu

Feed your appetite for cooking with Penguin’s expert authors

penguin logo

Spiced Freekeh with Chickpea and Spinach Balls

by DK Publishing from 100 Weight Loss Bowls

Love falafel? Then you'll go mad for these delicious chickpea and spinach balls with spiced freekeh. You can make a double batch of these chickpea balls ready for a meal another day too. Plus if you're on a calorie-controlled diet, this dish comes in at under 600 calories.

Introduction

This makes a double portion of the balls, allowing you to save some prep – and have another great meal – another day.

Read more Read less

Ingredients

100g quick-cook freekeh and quinoa mix
100g tomato purée
pinch of sumac
pinch of chilli flakes
30g feta cheese, cut into cubes
1/4 lemon, finely grated zest of
a few thyme leaves
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1 tsp pomegranate seeds
1/2 tsp pink peppercorns, crushed
a few flat-leaf parsley leaves (optional)
For the balls:
30g spinach leaves
165g cooked chickpeas
pinch of ground cumin
pinch of sumac
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
lemon wedges

Method

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6). Steam the spinach until it wilts, then drain, pressing it in the sieve to remove all the excess water. Blend the chickpeas in a food processer until they’re well chopped but retain some texture. Add the spinach, cumin, and sumac, season with salt and pepper to taste, then blend again using the pulse button until the mixture comes together. Form the mixture into 8 balls and place them on a non-stick baking sheet, along with the lemon wedges. Bake for 15 minutes or until the balls start to turn a pale golden brown.

Meanwhile, put the freekeh and quinoa mix in a saucepan, add the tomato purée, just cover with water, and add a pinch of sea salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Remove from the heat, then stir in the sumac, chilli flakes, and salt and pepper.

Toss the feta, lemon zest, thyme, and red onion in a bowl. Put the freekeh mixture in a serving bowl, then arrange 4 balls and the lemon wedges on top. Spoon in the feta mixture and scatter with the pomegranate seeds, pink pepper, and parsley (if using). (Store the extra balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.)

THE BUILD

Start with freekeh and quinoa mixture

Add in chickpea balls, lemon wedges, and feta mixture

Finish with pomegranate seeds, pink peppercorns, and flat-leaf parsley

Comments are closed.

More Low Calorie Recipes


View all

newsletter

Subscribe to The Happy Foodie email newsletter

Get our latest recipes, features, book news and ebook deals straight to your inbox every week