Vegetarian Falafel with Tahini Sauce

Total time8 hr 50 min

Prep time30 min

Cook time20 min

Crisp on the outside, tender and herb-flecked inside, these falafel are built from soaked dried chickpeas ground with garlic, onion, and a generous mix of fresh parsley and cilantro. Warm spices like cumin, coriander, and a touch of cayenne give every bite real depth, and a quick chill before frying helps the patties hold their shape in the hot oil. Once fried, they turn deep golden and shatteringly crisp, ready for a drizzle of silky tahini sauce brightened with lemon juice and fresh garlic. Pile them into warm pita with sliced tomatoes and extra parsley, or serve them straight off the rack while they're still crackling hot. It's a plant-forward, protein-packed classic that fits perfectly into a vegetarian kitchen, no matter how you plate it.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the falafel

1 ½ cups dried chickpeas
La Preferida Chickpeas - 29 Oz 24 Mantra Organic Chickpea Kabuli Chana Signature SELECT Beans Garbanzo - 16 Oz Eden Organic Garbanzo Beans, 16 oz DeLallo Chickpeas - 14 Oz
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½ medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, loosely packed
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
neutral oil, for frying (such as canola oil or vegetable oil)

For the tahini sauce

½ cup tahini
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
1 garlic clove, finely grated or minced
¼ tsp salt
4–6 tbsp cold water, as needed

For serving

warm pita bread, for serving (optional)
sliced tomatoes, for serving (optional)
fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1
Place the dried chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with at least 3 inches of cold water. Soak at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight, until the chickpeas have roughly doubled in size and are tender enough to pierce with a fingernail but still raw at the center. Drain and pat dry.
2
Make the tahini sauce: whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, grated garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt in a small bowl. The mixture will seize and thicken. Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition, until the sauce is smooth, pourable, and coats the back of a spoon — about 4–6 tablespoons total. Taste and adjust salt or lemon juice. Set aside.

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