Celery Free Vegan Falafel Bites
These crispy little bites are packed with fresh herbs, warm spices, and the satisfying depth that only comes from starting with dried chickpeas instead of canned. The food processor does the heavy lifting, blending parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, and a kick of cayenne into a coarse, fragrant mixture that fries up golden and firm with a tender center. Every single ingredient in this recipe is naturally free of celery and celery derivatives — no hidden stalks, seeds, or celery salt lurking in a spice blend or sauce. The creamy tahini dipping sauce, brightened with fresh lemon juice and grated garlic, comes together in minutes and takes the whole platter to another level. Whether you're serving these at a party or meal-prepping for the week, they hold up beautifully on a wire rack and reheat like a dream. Plant-based, bold, and completely crowd-pleasing — this is the kind of recipe that makes people ask for it again before the platter is even empty.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the falafel
- 1 ½ cups dried chickpeas
- ½ medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, 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
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ cup neutral oil (such as canola or avocado oil), for frying
For the tahini sauce
- ¼ cup tahini
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- 3–4 tbsp cold water
- ¼ tsp salt
For serving
- pinch of paprika (optional)
- lemon wedges (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
Combine the drained chickpeas, onion, garlic (for the falafel), parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts, 15–20 pulses total, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture resembles coarse, slightly damp sand — no whole chickpeas remain, but the texture is not a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl.
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