Crispy Green Falafels

One of my goals for the spring was to create a falafel recipe I seriously LOVED and would make time and time again for lunches. I’ve always loved falafels and have made several versions of them, but struggled to find that right balance of texture, flavor, and healthy ingredients. A key step/ingredient in this recipe are the homemade breadcrumbs- they add some moisture and flavor that store bought breadcrumbs miss. Don’t be intimidated- yes, it is an extra step to make them, but it’s actually quite easy and you can use them for other things too.

Alright a few other reasons why this recipe is great:

  • It’s a filling vegetarian meal full of different veggies.
  • Most of the ingredients are kitchen/pantry staples. I actually made this recipe on a whim- I easily had all of the ingredients on hand and didn’t need to go get anything else. Perfect for right now!
  • It’s great for leftovers the next few days.
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Crispy Green Falafels

Serves 4 (Makes about 8 1/4 cup patties; 2 patites/person)
Servings 4 people
Cook Time 30 minutes
  • 2-3 ounces spinach or other similar green of your choice
  • 1/2 cup (1.25 ounces) breadcrumbs or panko
  • 2 tablespoons (1 ounces) finely grated parmesan
  • 1-2 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • zest of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 can chickpeas, unsalted, rinsed and drained
  • 1 eggs
  • 1/4 cup assorted fresh herbs, (cilantro, basil, parsley, chives- I do a variety of what I have on hand)
  • 2 tablespoons diced red onion, (about 1/4 of a small red onion)
  • 3 tablespoons or so of high heat oil like grapeseed oil, canola oil or coconut oil
  • Place greens in food processor and process until finely chopped. Add in breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic, baking powder, sea salt, & lemon zest. Process until everything is combined and finely chopped.
  • Add in chickpeas and pulse- it’s a bit up to you how in tact you want the chickpeas to be. I generally like most to be broken down, but not fully. Add in eggs and pulse again until the mixture is beginning to bind together.
  • Add in fresh herbs and diced onions. Lightly pulse a few times just to incorporate, but not fully break down the herbs or onion.
  • Preheat oven to 375.
  • Place a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add in enough grapeseed oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan (probably about 3 tablespoons).
  • Scoop falafels into 1/4 cup balls. Place balls onto pan- it should sizzle immediately. Use a spatula to flatten the falafel a bit so it looks like a patty. Cook until the bottom side is brown, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Flip the falafels and then place in the oven until fully baked inside, about 10 minutes. Serve!
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Optional Side Salad

My quantities are a bit of an estimate here, because I’ve only made single servings of this.
Servings 0
  • 1 pint baby tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1 large cucumber or 2 small, diced
  • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
  • 6 cups arugula or similar peppery green
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
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Light Lemon Dressing

Servings 4 people
  • Juice of 1 large lemon (2 ounces)
  • 4 tablespoons oil (2 ounces)
  • 1/2 teaspoon or so sea salt, (to taste)
  • fresh Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon honey (8g)
  • In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for salad, with the greens on top.
  • In a small bowl or jar, combine all ingredients in salad dressing. Whisk well before pouring over salad.
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  1. With quarantine going on, I have been getting really sick of beans and needed a new way to prepare them. I always thought falafel was too hard (let’s just say I’m not the world’s greatest chef…) but I actually made this and it was good! A few things- be aware of the size of your food processor. Mine was pretty small (apparently) so I would have made life easier if I had cut the recipe in half or done batches. Having said that, when I ran out of room in my food processor, I just dumped everything in a bowl and mashed it all together. Totally worked! I also might have made them a little small because I have a LOT of falafel but I’m happy to freeze the extras and eat them later. I have to say the salad really brings it together, but I’m kind of excited to try it in a pita too.

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