This Lemon Falafel with Smoky Tahini is definitely a keeper! As soon as I finished photographing the finished product, they were gone in a blink of an eye. The main ingredient in the falafel is chickpeas, which are also known as garbanzo beans. Chickpeas have a delicious nutlike taste and buttery texture. Chickpeas are such a versatile legume and I love to use them in recipes, so I can guarantee you will be seeing them again!
Chickpeas also significantly boost your intake of manganese and folate. The mineral manganese helps support antioxidant activity and energy production. One cup of chickpeas contains approximately 85 percent of the daily recommended intake. Folate aids in new cell growth and DNA repair. Eating a cup of chickpeas provides you with approximately 70 percent of your daily folate requirements.
For this recipe, you can use either canned or dried chickpeas. However, keep in mind that dried chickpeas require extra preparation and cooking. Once the falafel is ready to be served, try wrapping them in a pita with tomato, onion, lettuce and my smoky tahini sauce. Or, serve them atop a bed of greens for a lighter option. Of course, mine didn't last that long and were devoured right out of the oven, which is always an option too.
This recipe was adapted from the Well and Full blog.
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Lemony Falafel with Smoky Tahini
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 Falafel 1x
Ingredients
Falafel
- 1 ½ cups chickpeas (cooked)
- 4 kale leaves
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 3 garlic cloves
- 4 tablespoons spelt flour
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Smoky Tahini
- ⅓ cup tahini
- ¼ cup water
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1 garlic clove
- Pinch of sea salt
- Pinch of black pepper
Instructions
Falafel
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a food processor, combine all falafel ingredients (chickpeas, kale, parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, flour, oil and spices) and pulse until a textured mixture is formed. Be careful of over processing, the mixture should still have small clumps of chickpeas in it.
- Form approximately 12 balls from falafel mixture. Use palms to flatten into patties.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper and evenly space out falafel patties.
- Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway.
Smoky Tahini
- Combine all ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
- Drizzle smoky tahini over falafel and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
Sarah
I plan on trying this this weekend. Can't wait to use these new spices!
Mary
This sounds like it would make a great appetizer
Lindsey
It definitely would!
Caroline
Looks delicious! What flour do you think would work best for a gluten free replacement to spelt?
Lindsey
Hi Caroline! When I run out of spelt flour, I typically like to use either brown rice flour or gluten-free all purpose flour. Both would work well here, in my opinion 🙂