Rice 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 — never canned — is the secret to a falafel that holds together beautifully and develops a deeply golden crust in the pan rather than falling apart or turning dense. The food processor does the heavy lifting, blending onion, garlic, parsley, and cilantro into a coarse, fragrant mixture that fries up with serious flavor in every bite. Cumin, coriander, and a hit of cayenne give these real depth without relying on any grain-based fillers, making them a naturally rice-free option that doesn't feel like a compromise at all. The silky tahini dipping sauce — just tahini, lemon, garlic, and water — comes together in minutes and is honestly good enough to eat with a spoon. Whether you're serving these as an appetizer, stuffing them into lettuce wraps, or piling them onto a mezze spread, they deliver bold, crowd-pleasing flavor with nothing fussy about the process.
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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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