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This Middle Eastern-inspired green falafel is moist and fluffy on the inside, super crispy on the outside, and packs a ton of fresh herbs! This vegan falafel is the most delicious I have ever tasted!
⭐️ Why You Should Try It
- They are magical. Why magical? Because that’s how they taste, seriously. Very fluffy, soft on the inside, and crunchy on the outside. They also pack a ton of fresh herbs, giving them a vibrant green color!
- They are simple to prepare and require just 6 ingredients and a few spices. You will only need dry chickpeas, onion, some fresh herbs, and spices.
- They are versatile. You can serve these as an appetizer with a dipping sauce or with pita bread, salads, hummus, or tabbouleh.
- Belinda, a reader, said: “★★★★★ 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 falafels in our local Lebanese restaurant. Thank you so much!”
🧆 What Is Falafel
Falafel is a classic Middle Eastern dish that consists of chickpeas and/or broad beans ground with fresh herbs and spices before being shaped into balls and deep-fried. Falafel is usually served with tahini sauce or hummus, or used as a filling in pita bread sandwiches.
This recipe is not your traditional falafel recipe. It contains three different types of aromatic herbs as well as several spices. Mint and dill are not classic ingredients in traditional falafels, but they really take the flavor to another level. Let’s do it!
🌿 Ingredient Notes
Falafel is easy to make and doesn’t require any hard-to-find ingredients. Here is what you will need:
- Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) – Use dry chickpeas, not the cooked ones sold in cans. You can also use a combination of chickpeas and fava beans. Check the Tips to learn more about that.
- Fresh herbs – I went with a combination of fresh mint, cilantro (or parsley), and dill.
- Onion – If you don’t have onion on hand, you can replace it with shallots.
- Spices – Cumin, cinnamon, anise, cardamom, and ginger create a more complex flavor.
- Baking soda – Adding baking soda does two things: 1) It makes fluffier and extra tender falafels. 2) It creates a darker crust that contrasts perfectly with the bright green inside.
- Salt – For flavor.
- Rice flour – Or chickpea flour. It prevents the batter from being too crumbly.
🥣 How to Make It
Preparing falafel at home couldn’t be easier! The process consists of 3 steps: soaking the beans, processing the mixture, and frying.
Here is the process of making falafel:
- Soak the chickpeas. Start by soaking the dried chickpeas overnight or for at least 8 hours. Once the chickpeas have doubled in size, rinse and drain them.
- Add all of the ingredients to a food processor. Add the drained chickpeas, onion, fresh herbs, spices, and flour to a food processor.
- Process. Process for 10-15 seconds or until the mixture resembles a coarse meal (a bit like couscous). Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
- Let the mixture chill. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- Shape into balls. Shape the mixture into 2-3 tablespoon balls using a cookie scoop.
- Fry. Finally, deep-fry the balls for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown, and serve immediately!
🥙 How to Serve It
These falafels are delicious served with hummus or with a garlic tahini sauce. You can also use them as a filling for pita bread or serve them with a simple green salad!
If you plan on serving this falafel with a tahini sauce: whisk together 1/2 cup of vegan yogurt, 2 tablespoons of tahini, 1-2 tablespoons of lime juice (adjust to taste), 1 minced clove of garlic, salt, and pepper.
📔 Tips
- Fry at the last minute. I recommend frying the green falafel before serving as they tend to dry a bit as they cool down.
- For moister falafel: I have discovered that using a combination of half fava beans (also called broad beans) and half chickpeas creates moister and softer falafel compared to using only chickpeas. If you want to use fava beans, I recommend using split and shelled ones.
- Shape: You can shape the falafels into balls if planning to serve them with a dipping sauce or into patties if you want to use them in pita or sandwiches.
❄️ Freezing
While I don’t recommend freezing cooked falafels (they won’t be crispy after reheating), you can freeze the uncooked falafel mixture for up to 2 months. Before using, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. You can then shape it into balls and fry them.
💬 FAQ
No, this recipe only works with soaked dry chickpeas.
You can prepare the falafel batter mixture up to 2 days ahead of time and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Fry right before serving.
I do not recommend it. Frying produces a superior texture, crispy outside and moist/soft inside. Something you can’t get with baking.
While these falafels are better served right after frying, you can keep them for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a pan over medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
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Magical Green Falafels
Ingredients
- 1 cup (170 g) dried chickpeas
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 1/3 cup (12 g) fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup (12 g) fresh mint
- 1/4 cup (9 g) fresh dill
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove of garlic
- 1/8 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp of each: cinnamon, anise, cardamom, ginger
- a pinch nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup (38 g) rice flour or chickpea flour
- 4 cups (1 L) oil for frying
For serving
Instructions
- Soak: Place the dried chickpeas in a large bowl with the baking soda. Cover with water and let soak overnight.
- Make the falafel: Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Place them in a food processor with all the other ingredients: 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 resembles a fine meal, like couscous. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
- Shape and chill: Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Form small balls (about 3 tablespoons) using your hands and place them on a plate lined with parchment paper. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Letting them rest overnight is best as it allows the flavors to develop.
- Fry: 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 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Once the falafels are ready, remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate lined with a kitchen paper towel to remove the excess oil.
- Serve immediately and enjoy with hummus, tabbouleh, or tahini sauce. You can also add them to pita bread with hummus, salad, and red onions.
Notes
- Fry at the last minute. I recommend frying the green falafel before serving as they tend to dry a bit as they cool down.
- For moister falafel: I have discovered that using a combination of half fava beans (also called broad beans) and half chickpeas creates moister and softer falafel compared to using only chickpeas. If you want to use fava beans, I recommend using split and shelled ones.
- Shape: You can shape the falafels into balls if planning to serve them with a dipping sauce or into patties if you want to use them in pita or sandwiches.
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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