My first experience with falafel was a good one. My second experience was even better! I can honestly say that my love for falafel began at first bite. And considering my obsession (yes, I admit that it is a bit of an obsession) with chickpeas, my devotion to falafel should really come as no surprise. Now, do not get me wrong…fried falafel from a restaurant is about as good as it is going to get. However, I decided to give a healthier baked version a try at home, and I was quite pleased with the results!
Baked Falafel (Vegan)
Servings: Makes 10 falafel patties
Ingredients
1/2 small red onion, chopped roughly
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp lemon juice
1 TB EVOO
2 TB hummus (any flavor you desire)
1 TB whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/2 TB dried cilantro
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
sea salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
EVOO cooking spray
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Add onion to food processor and pulse a few times. Add chickpeas and pulse until blended, but with some parts of the chickpeas remaining intact.
3. In a large bowl, combine the onion and chickpea mixture along with the remaining ingredients. Stir well.
4. Form the falafel mixture into ten small patties. The patties should be about half of the size of a veggie burger. Think: “sliders.”
5. Place the falafel patties onto a foil-lined and sprayed baking sheet.
6. Bake the falafel patties for approximately 15 minutes, flip carefully (this is often the trickiest part), and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until both sides are golden brown.
Dip the baked falafel into your favorite dipping sauce, such as mustard, tahini, or additional hummus. I chose to dip mine in Dijon mustard and hummus.
I served my Baked Falafel with a side of roasted broccoli and cauliflower and cooked butternut squash. You could certainly serve your falafel with more Mediterranean-inspired sides like pita with hummus, Tabbouleh, Couscous, or Babba Ganoush.
Not only is falafel super cute (am I the only one who loves mini versions of foods?), but it is so flavorful. It is amazing what a can of chickpeas and a few select spices can become! Not only will you likely find this recipe very quick and easy to make, but I can almost guarantee that you will instantly fall in love with the tastes and textures found in Mediterranean cooking.
These baked falafel patties were delicious as leftovers, so I imagine that when wrapped properly, they would also freeze and re-heat very well. However, after tasting just one bite of these babies, I cannot imagine actually wanting to wait to eat them until a later time ;).
Do these baked falafel patties taste like the “real,” fried version of falafel? Not quite…but I am not sure that that is a bad thing! The textures were definitely more present, and the flavors of the spices and hummus really shown through. Give this healthy baked version of falafel a try for yourself, and find out just how tasty they can be!
Have you ever tried Mediterranean food, in particular falafel? Have you ever tried making your own falafel?
