Healthy Vegan Falafels
These Vegan Falafels are a delicious twist on the traditional middle eastern staple loaded with fresh herbs which gives it a unique taste. The crispy on the outside followed by the soft herby chickpea on the inside is so irresistible. Make them with with a delicious lemon tahini sauce and some hummus and you’ve got yourself a delicious, healthy, and filling vegan dinner or lunch that’s packed with flavour.
It’s tough to find good vegan falafels from where I live in Montreal. Most Lebanese restaurants have only the fast food varieties. I put my own little twist in this recipe cause I’m all about those greens. It’s packed full of nutrition and is super yummy. Top it with the tahini sauce, and you’re in falafel heaven!
I’m in love with my food processor. It cuts prep times in half for everything I make. That’s why most of my recipes involve one. So, if you don’t have one, I would highly suggest that you DROP EVERYTHING and hit the road, NOW! This recipe is mostly just food processing, frying and best of all, requires minimal cleaning up after.
Making Vegan Falafels:
There are two ways that you can make these delicious little chickpea nuggets. Either you can bake or fry them. Traditionally, they are fried but if you are a little more health conscious, you baking is also a great options. I personally prefer to deep fry them because you will get more of that crispy exterior and are a lot quicker to make but I can confidently say that both options are quite delicious.
If you’re going to deep fry them you’ll need a sauce pan for frying, a thermometer and at least 4 cups of vegetable oil or enough to cover your falafels. Heat up your oil till it reaches a temperature of 375˚F. Slowly drop your falafels in one at a time with a fork or spoon but be careful not to splash. Also make sure not to crowd them because they won’t cook evenly, about 4 minutes. Drop them onto a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
For baking, preheat your oven to 375˚F and flatten them out till you reach about 1 1/2-2 inch in thickness and brush them with some olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
Bon appétit!
Healthy Vegan Felafels
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dried chickpeas Soaked overnight
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, parsley, or mint leaves, or preferably a mixture of all three , roughly chopped
- 6 green onions, roughly chopped
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying (Approx.)make sure you have enough to cover your falafels
- 2 tbsp Chickpea Flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Combine chickpeas(soaked and drained), herbs, scallions, garlic, cumin, coriander, chickpea flour, baking soda, and salt in the food processor. Pulse until chickpeas have a gritty yet homogenous mixture.
- Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow time for more starches to work their magic, so they retain their shape.
- Start forming your falafel balls into 2 inches in diameter. Put enough oil into saucepan to cover the falafels and heat over high heat until oil reaches 375°F. Carefully lower chickpea balls into oil one at a time with a fork so as not to splash or crowd them. Cook in batches if necessary. Cook until well browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer cooked chickpea balls to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Serve with a lemon tahini sauce
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