Pescatarian 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 with dried chickpeas — soaked overnight rather than canned — gives the falafel a coarser, more textured interior that holds together beautifully in the pan without turning dense or doughy. The food processor does the heavy lifting, blending parsley, cilantro, cumin, coriander, and a kick of cayenne into a fragrant mixture that smells incredible even before it hits the oil. A quick chill in the fridge firms everything up so each bite fries evenly, coming out deeply golden on the outside and tender at the center. The tahini sauce — just tahini, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and a splash of cold water — comes together in minutes and is honestly reason enough to make the whole recipe. Since every ingredient here is plant-based, pescatarians can dig in without any second-guessing or label-reading. Serve them as an appetizer, pile them into a wrap, or just dunk them straight into that sauce — no occasion required.
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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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