Falafel Recipe + Vegan Tzatziki Recipe

There’s nothing more satisfying than freshly made falafels served with tzatziki, hummus, and sliced cucumber for a light lunch or afternoon snack. Not to brag (well, maybe a little) but my homemade falafel recipe is AMAZING! The falafels turn out perfectly crispy on the outside yet moist and flavorful on the inside.

And I don’t have to feel guilty because these naturally vegan nuggets are packed with protein, fiber, iron, B vitamins, magnesium, folate, and phosphorus. Better yet, falafels are the perfect treat to curb my afternoon sugar cravings.

Falafel Recipe

What You’ll Need:

• Food Processor
• Large Skillet
• Large Bowl
• 2 Baking Sheet; 1 lined with parchment paper & 1 lined with a paper towel (you can also use 2 large plates)
• Tongs

Falafel Ingredients:

• 1-2 cups overnight soaked Chickpeas (Do not use canned chickpeas, they are too moist!! Must use dry chickpeas soaked overnight.)
• 1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
• 4-5 fresh garlic cloves
• ¹⁄₄ cup fresh parsley or a generous handful
• 1 tsp cumin
• ¹⁄₄ c flour
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Cayenne pepper (I like adding about ¹⁄₄ – ¹⁄₂ tsp for a little kick)
• Grapeseed oil or Avocado oil for frying

To Make Falafel Dough:

1. Starting with chickpeas, add all ingredients into your food processor.
2. Pulse until couscous-like consistency. Do not over pulse, or you will end up with hummus. Scrape down sides along the way if need be.
3. Pour chickpea dough into a large bowl. Give it a taste and if you need to add more seasoning, do it now. I find it needs more salt than I would normally cook with.
4. Refrigerate dough for about 30 minutes.

Forming Balls:
I like to form my falafel dough into balls while the oil is heating. I use about 1 TBSP of dough to shape each ball. Gently roll in hands.

Gently lay on parchment lined baking sheet.

To Cook:

1. 1. Add ¹⁄₂” of oil into skillet. Heat over medium/high heat.
   2. Drop a small bit of dough into oil to check if it’s ready. The oil should bubble around the dough and it will float when oil it hot enough.
   3. Using tongs, gently lift each ball and place into the oil, leaving about 1 inch around each one.
   4. It takes about 5-7 minutes to cook each side until golden brown. The second side cooks much faster as the oil gets hotter (the wet dough cools down the oil but as it cooks the oil temperature will climb by the time you are ready to flip them). Stay close and keep an eye on them. Cook both sides until golden brown.
   5. Let cool on paper towel lined baking sheet.

Vegan Tzatziki Recipe

What You’ll Need:

• 1 Small Bowl
• 1 Medium Bowl
• Grater
• Strainer
• Whisk

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Plain Cashew Yogurt
• 1 English or Hot House cucumber (do not use classic cucumber, skin is thicker)
• 2 TBSP fresh dill &/or mint, coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-2 TBSP Lemon juice
• Salt and Pepper

To Make:

1. Deseed cucumber and grate.
2. Place grated cucumber into strainer that has the small bowl underneath to drain. Just allow gravity to do its thing while you prepare the other ingredients.
3. In a medium bowl whisk cashew yogurt, dill &/or mint, garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.
4. Go back to your drained cucumber. Press the cucumber with the back of a spoon to release the remaining juice.
5. Fold drained & grated cucumber into yogurt mixture.
6. Taste. Add more salt or pepper to taste.

Plate your freshly made falafels and tzatziki with sliced cucumber and hummus for the ultimate treat. You can use store bought hummus or check out my hummus recipe.

Don’t these golden delicious bad boys look to die for?!