Paraben Free Vegan Falafel Bites
These crispy little bites are packed with fresh herbs, warm spices, and the kind of satisfying crunch that makes it hard to stop at just a few. Starting from dried chickpeas rather than canned is the real secret here — soaking them overnight gives the falafel a coarser, more textured interior that holds together beautifully in the pan without turning dense or gummy. The food processor does the heavy lifting, blending onion, garlic, parsley, and cilantro into a fragrant, herb-flecked mixture that smells incredible even before it hits the oil. Every ingredient in this recipe is a whole, recognizable food — dried legumes, fresh aromatics, spices, lemon juice — so there's no need to scrutinize labels for synthetic preservatives or additives that can sneak into packaged convenience foods. The silky tahini dipping sauce comes together in minutes and adds a nutty, garlicky contrast that ties everything together. Whether you're serving these as an appetizer, stuffing them into pita, or just snacking straight off the rack, they deliver bold flavor with nothing unnecessary along for the ride.
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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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