With Pia eating vegan most of the time these days, I am on a constant hunt to come up with more delicious and creative ideas for vegan dishes all the time. It also happened to be a top request from YOU GUYS around the beginning of the year when I was looking for requests for 2017. Many people wrote in that they needed more vegan and vegetarian main courses- I get it. I’m with you- we need that around here too!

Vegan Crispy Baked Falafel from HeatherChristo.com

Falafel is one of my favorite things ever- crispy golden balls of a fried garbanzo bean combo that is tender and light on the inside. Garlicky and herbaceous and super full of flavor!

Vegan Crispy Baked Falafel from HeatherChristo.com

Obviously the fried falafel makes me swoon, but you know, it’s January…. So I made you baked falafel!! (but psssst, you could totally fry these little balls up in 350 degree oil too!) And I have to tell you the baked version is absolutely delicious and still gets a really crispy on the outside- just the whole deal is happening with less oil!
So that wins some January accolades, right!?

Vegan Crispy Baked Falafel from HeatherChristo.com

Also, I am pretty sure the Tahini sauce is mandatory. I don’t dip the falafel in it so much as I dunk them in it. Like three or four times. And the tahini sauce adds the best flavor ever. I also love that you can make a big batch of these and then take a couple of them with you for lunch at work, add them to salads or I am just snacking on them too. However you want to enjoy these, you will LOVE em.

Vegan Crispy Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8-10
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup dried garbanzo beans
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ cup red onion, finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • ⅔ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • Lemon Tahini Sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ¼ cup hot water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • kosher salt
Instructions
  1. preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Soak the chickpeas with water for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Drain the chickpeas.
  3. In the bowl of a food processor add the garlic cloves and pulse until minced. Add the beans, red onion, cumin and kosher salt. Pulse until the beans are ½ way broken down.
  4. Add the parsley, cilantro and lemon juice and continue pulsing until the mixture is still crumbly but if you press it together it will stay. Form the mixture into 12 balls and then place them evenly spaced on a sheet pan. Gently pat them down with the palm of your hand so that they make a patty shape.
  5. Use the ⅓ cup of olive oil to generously brush both sides of each falafel patty.
  6. Bake the falafel for 12 minutes on each side until golden and crispy.
  7. While the falafel is baking, make the Lemon Tahini sauce.
  8. In the jar of a blender combine the garlic, tahini, lemon juice, hot water and olive oil. Puree on high until smooth and season to taste with kosher salt.
  9. Serve the hot crispy falafel with the lemon tahini dipping sauce.

 

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With Pia eating vegan most of the time these days, I am on a constant hunt to come up with more delicious and creative ideas for vegan dishes all the time. It also happened to be a top request from YOU GUYS around the beginning of the year when I was looking for requests for 2017. Many people wrote in that they needed more vegan and vegetarian main courses- I get it. I’m with you- we need that around here too!

Vegan Crispy Baked Falafel from HeatherChristo.com

Falafel is one of my favorite things ever- crispy golden balls of a fried garbanzo bean combo that is tender and light on the inside. Garlicky and herbaceous and super full of flavor!

Vegan Crispy Baked Falafel from HeatherChristo.com

Obviously the fried falafel makes me swoon, but you know, it’s January…. So I made you baked falafel!! (but psssst, you could totally fry these little balls up in 350 degree oil too!) And I have to tell you the baked version is absolutely delicious and still gets a really crispy on the outside- just the whole deal is happening with less oil!
So that wins some January accolades, right!?

Vegan Crispy Baked Falafel from HeatherChristo.com

Also, I am pretty sure the Tahini sauce is mandatory. I don’t dip the falafel in it so much as I dunk them in it. Like three or four times. And the tahini sauce adds the best flavor ever. I also love that you can make a big batch of these and then take a couple of them with you for lunch at work, add them to salads or I am just snacking on them too. However you want to enjoy these, you will LOVE em.

Vegan Crispy Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8-10
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup dried garbanzo beans
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ cup red onion, finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • ⅔ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • Lemon Tahini Sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ¼ cup hot water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • kosher salt
Instructions
  1. preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Soak the chickpeas with water for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Drain the chickpeas.
  3. In the bowl of a food processor add the garlic cloves and pulse until minced. Add the beans, red onion, cumin and kosher salt. Pulse until the beans are ½ way broken down.
  4. Add the parsley, cilantro and lemon juice and continue pulsing until the mixture is still crumbly but if you press it together it will stay. Form the mixture into 12 balls and then place them evenly spaced on a sheet pan. Gently pat them down with the palm of your hand so that they make a patty shape.
  5. Use the ⅓ cup of olive oil to generously brush both sides of each falafel patty.
  6. Bake the falafel for 12 minutes on each side until golden and crispy.
  7. While the falafel is baking, make the Lemon Tahini sauce.
  8. In the jar of a blender combine the garlic, tahini, lemon juice, hot water and olive oil. Puree on high until smooth and season to taste with kosher salt.
  9. Serve the hot crispy falafel with the lemon tahini dipping sauce.