First of all, congratulations to sandition of Please Pass the Tofu for being the randomly selected commenter who will receive the $25 Amazon gift card!! Thank you to everyone who left a comment about juicing. So far, I’ve made some incredible apple-kale-spinach-parsley juice that is delicious! I think giving away stuff is way too much fun, so I look forward to doing it again soon!
So onto the food. 🙂 This recipe is another winner from The Vegan Table. You can serve these on buns, pita pockets, or open-faced like I did. Either way, I think you’ll enjoy the well-blended flavors of the patty as well as the cucumber sauce—an ideal combination.
INGREDIENTS:
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbs tahini
1-1/2 to 2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp baking powder
1 C bread crumbs (I used panko)
For falafel sauce:
1 container (6-oz) plain nondairy yogurt
1-2 Tbs tahini (I used 1-1/2)
1/2 cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp dried dill
Optional ingredients:
hamburger buns or rolls, pita bread, tomato slices, lettuce
DIRECTIONS:
I recommend making the sauce first since it has to chill for 30 minutes. I could have made it while the patties baked, but that’s when I cleaned up the kitchen and set the table, etc. To prepare the sauce, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400. Pulse a few times the chickpeas in the food processor until thick and pasty; transfer to a medium-sized bowl. Add the onion, garlic, parsley, tahini, cumin, corriander, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and baking powder. (I actually left the beans in the food processor and added the other ingredients and pulsed a few times to just mix them in a little–easier than using a spoon. Then I transferred to a bowl and mixed it more). Slowly add the bread crumbs—using more or less—until the mixture holds together well.
Shape into patties and place on a nonstick baking sheet. I used foil that I lightly sprayed with cooking spray. I also made 5 patties, but the recipe says you can get 8-10 patties.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown on the bottom. Don’t expect the tops to get brown—they won’t. Flip over and bake for another 10-12 minutes. Serve with some falafel sauce, tomato, and lettuce on bun, pita, or open-face. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve been wanting to try to make falafels, but they always look so greasy. The baking will be wonderful and I love the idea that they are burgers. I’m very excited to try the sauce, which I’ll probably use on other things as well.
Can you use vegan mayo instead of the yogurt? Or is there anything else you would suggest substituting?
That’s a good question. I don’t see why you couldn’t use vegan mayo–I think it comes down to taste preference. The consistencies are very similar, but different nutrition-wise. For this recipe, I used coconut milk yogurt by SO Delicious. They come in the small 6oz containers. Otherwise, Silk brand makes some too. I hope this helps!
Oh, yeah, Tofutti sour cream would work, too. Or try silken tofu.
YUM. Bookmarked and will try soon! 🙂
These look great! I like The Vegan Table a lot, really good recipes. But I REALLY like it when someone else “test drives” the recipe first and provides step by step pictures and helpful tips (like “don’t expect these to get brown on top”). It really boosts my confidence when I try a brand new recipe. You do such a great job with this!
Thanks! I think I enjoy taking pictures of food way too much! Sometimes I get a little picture crazy. 😉
These look great!
Thanks, Jenny! Aside from the bread crumbs, these are gluten-free. I’m sure you could use gluten free bread and process them to make the crumbs, maybe?