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Home » Recipes

Magical Green Falafels

By: Thomas Published: 15 Feb, 17 Updated: 18 Dec, 21 70 Comments

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4.80 from 10 votes
Magical Green Falafels
Magical Green Falafels

Why magical? Because that's how they taste, seriously.  Very fluffy, soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Why Green? Because they are just super green on the inside thanks to the mint, dill and parsley.

This is not your traditional falafel recipe, this one contains three different types of aromatic herbs as well as over seven spices. Mint and dill are not classic ingredients in traditional falafels but they really take the flavor to another level.

Magical Green Falafels

The secret ingredient to make the inside extra soft and fluffy is baking soda. It helps create a more airy texture inside, the only downside is that the exterior of your falafels will be a bit darker but it doesn't impact the taste at all!

I'm using a combination of dry chickpeas and broad beans, aka fava beans. I have discovered that fava beans add moisture and make the falafels softer compared to chickpeas. If you don't have fava beans on hand, just use more chickpeas, the falafels will still be delicious.

Magical Green Falafels

Falafels are fried here, not baked. Frying results in a superior texture, crispy outside and moist/soft inside, something you can't get with baking. I recommend you only fry them before serving, they tend to lose some moisture as they cool down.

I'm sure you will love these falafels, they ARE BETTER than the ones you get at restaurants. Why not serve these with caramelized shallot hummus?

Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe and tag #fullofplants on Instagram if you take a photo!

Magical Green Falafels

Magical Green Falafels

Author: Thomas
Moist, incredibly delicious falafels flavored with mint, dill and parsley. Better than the ones you get at restaurants!
4.80 from 10 votes
Print Pin Review
Calories 88 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup dry garbanzo beans
  • 1 cup split broad beans/fava beans or replace with more chickpeas
  • 2 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ stalk celery chopped
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • ⅓ cup red bell pepper chopped
  • ⅔ cup fresh parsley
  • ⅔ cup fresh mint
  • ½ cup fresh dill
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon of each: cinnamon anise, cardamom, ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup rice flour or chickpea flour
  • oil for frying

For serving

  • Homemade hummus
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Instructions
 

  • Place the chickpeas and broad beans in a large bowl with the baking soda. Cover with water and let soak overnight.
  • Drain and rinse the beans. Place them in a food processor and all the other ingredients: celery, onion, red bell pepper, fresh herbs, salt, spices, garlic powder, oregano, baking soda and rice flour.
  • Pulse until all the ingredients are finely chopped and a coarse meal forms. Scrape down the sides and pulse again until the texture looks like a fine meal, like couscous. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
  • Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Using your hands, form small balls, or thick discs and place them on a place lined with parchment paper. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1H. It's even better to let them rest overnight to let the flavors develop.
  • Fill a large skillet with vegetable oil, you want a depth of about 1 inch. Heat over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes. When the oil is hot, fry the falafels for 2-3 minutes per side. I fried mine 3 minutes on one side and 2 minutes on the other side.
  • Once the falafels are ready, remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate covered with paper towels.
  • Serve immediately and enjoy with hummus, tabbouleh, or tahini sauce. You can also place them in pita bread with hummus, salad and red onions.

Notes

Nutrition information does not include the oil used when frying. Falafels will be slightly higher in calories.
Due to the addition of baking soda to make them more fluffy, the outside is a bit more brown than regular falafels, this is totally normal and won't affect the taste.
Raw falafels will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Always fry at the last time, just before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 Falafel | Calories: 88 kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.8 g | Protein: 4.2 g | Fat: 1.3 g | Fiber: 3.9 g | Sugar: 2.4 g
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Tag @fullofplants on Instagram and hashtag it #fullofplants
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Greg

    February 15, 2017 at 8:06 pm

    Hi Thomas,

    Thanks for this recipe!

    I'm looking forward to try it.

    Which food processor are you using? Do you have any recommandations when choosing one?

    Thanks again and keep the good work.

    Greg

    Reply
    • Thomas

      February 16, 2017 at 7:58 am

      Hi Greg,

      I'm using a Magimix 3200XL, it's really great. I probably processed over 70kg of all kind of nuts since I bought it and it's still working perfectly.

      Reply
  2. Aimee Mars

    February 21, 2017 at 8:08 pm

    These are so pretty and look delicious. I'm not quite sure how, but I've lived without a food processor for quite some time. I think I'm going to have to break down and get one so I can make this recipe.

    Reply
  3. Laurel

    February 21, 2017 at 9:14 pm

    These falafels look amazing! I cannot believe how thick and fluffy they are! They really are magical!

    Reply
  4. Bethany via athletic avocado

    February 21, 2017 at 11:47 pm

    The crispy outside and that soft doughy-like inside has go me swooning! LOVE falafels!

    Reply
  5. Dawn | KitchenTravels

    February 23, 2017 at 6:04 pm

    I'm so excited to make these! A restaurant near my office has the best green falafels I've ever tasted - light and moist inside, crispy outside - and I've been searching for a decent recipe to replicate the experience. I think your recipe is the one! 🙂 Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Thomas

      February 25, 2017 at 12:29 pm

      Let me know how it goes!

      Reply
  6. Charles

    March 05, 2017 at 2:00 pm

    I'm confused. I thought dried beans were poisoness unless you boiled them vigorously for 10 mins, changed the water and simmered them again for some time?

    Reply
    • Thomas

      March 05, 2017 at 5:09 pm

      You don't have to do that, when fried (or baked) beans are not poisonous, traditional falafels are always made from dried beans. I'm still here to talk about it so...:)

      Reply
    • Kathy Gould

      March 09, 2017 at 8:49 pm

      I think what you are referring to is not "poison" but the enzyme inhibitors that is naturally in all nuts and seeds. In most beans, phytic acid (a phosphorous-bound organic acid that protects the plant seed from premature germination) is gotten rid of by soaking the beans (usually overnight, but times vary according to the bean or seed -- you can find it online). When you eat foods with phytic acids still intact, they bind with important minerals such as calcium, zinc, magnesium, iron and copper and prevent absorption and can block protein absorption. So if you soak then and then dehydrate them, you will have a safe bean to use in this recipe. Ancient agrarian cultures soaked beans before eating or cooking and did not use the soaking water, so they did not ingest the phytic acid. I am not sure if how the phytic acid dissipates in cooking without soaking.

      Reply
    • Bett

      May 28, 2019 at 4:29 am

      Charles, that's kidney beans. They can be deadly if undercooked. You can just read about it via an Internet search.

      Reply
  7. Susan Donohue

    March 07, 2017 at 1:04 pm

    Can't wait to try these! I have a question though. Can they be frozen? If they can, is it best to freeze before frying? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kathy Gould

      March 09, 2017 at 8:50 pm

      Me, too!!! And the carmelized shallot hummus sounds super either with them or on its own.

      Reply
    • Thomas

      March 11, 2017 at 5:01 am

      Yes they can be frozen, before frying. Then defrost overnight in your fridge and fry!

      Reply
  8. MARY ANN

    March 18, 2017 at 11:31 am

    Is it correct that this serves 22?

    Reply
    • Thomas

      March 18, 2017 at 2:27 pm

      22 falafels, not people, I will correct it. You should count about 3 falafels per person so it serves 7 people but you can keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days and fry at the last time.

      Reply
  9. Arlene

    April 27, 2017 at 5:41 pm

    Do you think they could be baked or cooked in a AirFryer?

    Reply
    • Thomas

      April 29, 2017 at 8:32 am

      I guess it would work in a AirFryer but I'm not sure how long you should cook them. You can bake them but the texture won't be as good, they might be a bit dryer and not as crunchy on the outside, frying is the best for falafels in my opinion.

      Reply
    • liz

      April 23, 2021 at 11:27 pm

      Yes u can bake falafel 375○F 25~ min flipping halfway. They come out super crisyy and soft inside, its lighter too.

      Reply
  10. Andrea

    February 11, 2018 at 2:32 am

    Wow this looks amazing! Will be making them this weekend!

    Reply
    • Thomas

      February 11, 2018 at 4:51 pm

      Thanks Andrea! Hope you will like it!

      Reply
      • D

        April 08, 2022 at 3:00 am

        5 stars
        Hello! If you have fresh (still in their pods, even!) fave beans do they need to be soaked? Should you just boil with the chickpeas the next day? I love this recipe and my family asks me to make it every year for Easter. Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
        • Thomas

          April 11, 2022 at 2:36 am

          Hello D,
          I would also soak them. However, chickpeas and fava beans are not boiled, just processed and then deep-fried.

          Reply
  11. Zyke

    March 07, 2018 at 3:48 pm

    If no nutmeg wat is the best replacement

    Reply
    • Thomas

      March 12, 2018 at 7:10 am

      Just omit!

      Reply
  12. Simone

    May 12, 2018 at 3:38 pm

    Hi there, I’m from the U.K. and was wondering if I have tins of ready cooked chickpeas how many would I need (each tin has 240g)

    Reply
    • Thomas

      May 15, 2018 at 5:24 am

      Hi Simone,
      Unfortunately, cooked chickpeas won't work here, you need to use dry chickpeas.

      Reply
  13. Vanessa

    October 24, 2018 at 3:07 am

    Are the fava beans from dry as well?

    Reply
    • Thomas

      October 25, 2018 at 4:11 pm

      Yes, dry fava beans.

      Reply
  14. Sylvia

    December 17, 2018 at 8:42 am

    5 stars
    Well mine didn't look quite like yours and I used fresh broad beans because that's what was in the garden but still absolutely delicious. Thanks for recipe.

    Reply
    • Thomas

      December 18, 2018 at 4:43 pm

      Glad you liked the falafels 😉

      Reply
  15. Beanless in the Midwest

    January 14, 2019 at 4:41 pm

    About the fava beans, if my only option is frozen fava beans would I need to prepare this differently?

    Recently I went on a grocery adventure (with the purpose of trying this recipe) and stopped at every grocery seller within about 75 miles of me and exactly zero of them sell fava beans in any capacity, dried or canned, but there is a restaurant supply company that does sell them bagged and frozen, and they're usually OK with selling "unique" ingredients to non restaurants in small orders.

    I've only had falafel in two restaurants, one of them uses fava, one uses only chickpeas. I strongly prefer falafel with fava so I want to find a way to use them if I can.

    Thanks,
    Beanless

    Reply
    • Thomas

      January 17, 2019 at 7:18 am

      I assume frozen fava beans are cooked, right? Honestly, I have never tried with cooked fava beans as falafels are usually made from soaked dry beans.
      Regarding the flavor difference, I too prefer with half fava half chickpeas, not only for flavor but also because I found the texture to be better with a mix of both.
      Maybe you could try to find some dry fava beans online? Also, if you have some Turkish stores around, they may have some.

      Reply
  16. Belinda

    January 17, 2020 at 11:29 pm

    5 stars
    Best falafel recipe ever! After trying several other recipes using tinned chickpeas, with horrible results, I was about to give up on the whole thing. Then I found this recipe, and the results are amazing, even better than the felafels in our local Lebanese restaurant. Thank you so much! One word of caution, this recipe makes LOTS - I still have about 20 small felafels in the freezer, and that is less than half the recipe amount. I don't know how much longer they will last, as we can't stop eating them

    Reply
    • Thomas

      January 18, 2020 at 9:10 am

      Thanks for your great feedback Belinda! I'm glad to hear you like these falafels so much!

      Reply
  17. Jo

    February 07, 2020 at 4:06 pm

    Making hummus from scratch is really worth it, when I say from scratch I mean by cooking the garbanzo beans yourself. I used to make hummus from canned chickpeas and I still do when I don’t have much time, but by starting with dried chickpeas, the hummus has a nuttier and more pleasant taste.

    Cooking garbanzo beans or chickpeas?
    Great recipe by the way! Could you replace the maple syrup with balsamico?

    Jo

    Reply
    • Thomas

      February 11, 2020 at 7:30 am

      I agree, homemade hummus is the best 🙂
      I'm not sure where you see maple syrup in the recipe though.

      Reply
  18. emily

    February 18, 2020 at 10:08 pm

    I'm curious why baking soda is mentioned twice?

    2 tsp baking soda

    1/2 tsp baking soda

    ? Do you add it two separate times? Can't wait to make it!

    Reply
    • Thomas

      February 23, 2020 at 5:41 am

      The 2 tsp are added when soaking the beans. It helps reduce gas.
      The 1/2 tsp is added to the mixture and gives the falafels a better texture (slightly more airy and softer).

      Reply
  19. Lynne

    February 26, 2020 at 7:46 pm

    Hi Thomas,

    Is there any reason not to use fresh garlic in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Thomas

      February 29, 2020 at 9:32 am

      Hi Lynne,
      I found it adds a slightly deeper flavor, but feel free to use fresh garlic!

      Reply
  20. John Von Einem

    May 02, 2020 at 7:49 am

    I just made this recipe and found that despite overnight soaking the skins of the broad beans were still so extremely tough that it literally nearly broke my food processor making them. Also, quite a few of the beans remained hard as rocks, almost as though the water did not penetrate the skins during the soaking period. I also had to mix in some flour before forming them as they wouldn't hold together. Perhaps there should have been a caution about the beans in the recipe notes - if you've found the same thing, that is. Apart from that criticism I thought the recipe was good. I served them with a freekeh tabbouli with lots of mint and a home made hummus - great.

    Reply
    • Thomas

      May 02, 2020 at 10:55 am

      Maybe try with a different brand of broad beans? You should not have big and hard parts of beans.

      Reply
  21. Jean Von Einem

    May 02, 2020 at 7:50 am

    4 stars
    I just made this recipe and found that despite overnight soaking the skins of the broad beans were still so extremely tough that it literally nearly broke my food processor making them. Also, quite a few of the beans remained hard as rocks, almost as though the water did not penetrate the skins during the soaking period. I also had to mix in some flour before forming them as they wouldn't hold together. Perhaps there should have been a caution about the beans in the recipe notes - if you've found the same thing, that is. Apart from that criticism I thought the recipe was good. I served them with a freekeh tabbouli with lots of mint and a home made hummus - great.

    Reply
  22. Jen

    July 13, 2020 at 10:28 am

    I made the mistake of not reading the recipe and used tin chickpeas. The falafels tasted amazing but fell apart when frying. Cant wait to try with dried chickpeas....

    Reply
  23. Michele Micallef

    September 30, 2020 at 11:37 am

    Can I use frozen broadbean, pop them out of their pods, and add to thdd mixture? Do they have to be cooked, off can I just defrost them, and add?

    Reply
    • Thomas

      October 01, 2020 at 5:55 am

      That should work! The beans should be raw, not cooked.

      Reply
  24. Da Cipriano

    October 08, 2020 at 9:49 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely love it. Good work and interesting site. ❤

    Reply
  25. Sheryl

    March 04, 2021 at 5:23 pm

    5 stars
    Made this recipe last night! Excellent! Thank you for posting it and making it available!

    Reply
    • Thomas

      March 05, 2021 at 7:15 am

      You're welcome! Thanks for your feedback Sheryl 🙂

      Reply
  26. liz

    April 23, 2021 at 11:24 pm

    4 stars
    I disagree with the "frying is the only way to get a superior crust and soft inside. Ive baked falafel many times and it comes out literally just as good as fried. Its less oily and soft inside too. Just wanted to say because most ppl think u can only fry falafel and baked isnt as good.

    Reply
    • Thomas

      April 24, 2021 at 5:47 pm

      Thanks for your input Liz 🙂
      I have tried baked falafels a few times as well, and while it's good I personally prefer the fried versions. There is still a difference in my opinion.

      Reply
  27. Helen

    June 13, 2021 at 2:47 pm

    Is it possible to bake these in the oven instead of frying?

    Reply
    • Thomas

      June 14, 2021 at 12:11 pm

      I guess you could, but I haven't personally tried so I can't give you any directions I'm afraid. I believe falafels are always better fried though.

      Reply
  28. Lisa

    June 27, 2021 at 12:18 pm

    5 stars
    Best falafel recipe ever, honestly they taste magical

    Reply
    • Thomas

      June 28, 2021 at 11:28 am

      Oh thank you so much Lisa! 🙂

      Reply
  29. D

    April 08, 2022 at 3:00 am

    5 stars
    Hello! If you have fresh (still in their pods, even!) fave beans do they need to be soaked? Should you just boil with the chickpeas the next day? I love this recipe and my family asks me to make it every year for Easter. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  30. Dina

    May 16, 2022 at 3:39 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Thomas, I did these falafels twice and they are DELICIOUS! I bought an air fryer Ninja (can you imagine I bought it to be able to cook FALAFELS with less oil! so only thanks to this recipe), and I was wondering how to adjust the cooking instructions for it. Do you have any ideas? Thanks in advance 🙂

    Reply
    • Thomas

      May 21, 2022 at 1:30 am

      Hi Dina,
      Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
      I would try air-frying for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through frying.

      Reply
      • Dina

        May 30, 2022 at 3:40 pm

        Thank you for the answer, Thomas! That’s what I tried (I found a recipe on ninja website, but it is not a good one since they are using canned chickpeas), and I didn’t like the result, they were too dry. So I made them fried again (tant pis pour ma ligne lol).

        Reply
        • Thomas

          May 31, 2022 at 1:37 am

          No problem, et désolé pour ta ligne 😉

          Reply
  31. alesa

    July 30, 2022 at 3:35 am

    Can you air fry these?

    Reply
    • Thomas

      August 02, 2022 at 9:27 am

      I haven't tried it yet, so I can't say for sure, sorry.

      Reply
  32. Laura

    September 23, 2022 at 6:52 pm

    Lovely recipe! Apologies if I missed it but can you share how many falafel this makes?

    Reply
    • Thomas

      September 24, 2022 at 8:08 am

      Thanks Laura! I would say it makes about 25-30 large falafels.

      Reply

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