Lactose Free Vegan Falafel Skewers with Tahini Sauce

Total time1 hr 50 min

Prep time30 min

Cook time20 min

Lactose Free Vegan Falafel Skewers with Tahini Sauce

Crispy on the outside, herby and tender within, these chickpea skewers are the kind of crowd-pleaser that disappears fast at any table. The falafel mixture gets its depth from a generous handful of fresh parsley and cilantro, plus warm spices like cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika — all blitzed together and pan-fried to a deep golden brown. Because everything here is built from whole plant-based ingredients, there's no dairy anywhere in the recipe, making it a genuinely easy fit for anyone avoiding lactose without any substitutions required. The tahini sauce — just tahini, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and a splash of cold water — comes together in minutes and delivers that creamy, tangy drizzle you'd normally worry about with store-bought dressings. Threading the falafel onto skewers with chunks of cucumber, red bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes turns a simple dinner into something that looks seriously impressive on a platter. The one step worth not skipping is patting the chickpeas completely dry before processing — it's what keeps the balls firm and golden rather than falling apart in the pan. Serve with extra lemon wedges and a bowl of that silky tahini sauce on the side, and watch it vanish.

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the falafel

1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Goya Peas Chick Garbanzos Can - 15.5 Oz Bush's Reduced Sodium Garbanzo Beans - 16 Oz S&W Beans Garbanzo - 15.5 Oz Hanover Beans Garbanzo - 15.5 Oz O Organics Organic Beans Garbanzo - 15 Oz
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½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, loosely packed
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
½ small yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¾ tsp salt
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
⅓ cup neutral oil (such as canola or sunflower), for pan-frying

For the tahini sauce

⅓ cup tahini
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, finely grated
3–4 tbsp cold water, to thin
¼ tsp salt

For the skewers

1 medium english cucumber, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup cherry tomatoes

For serving

2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)
1 lemon, cut into wedges (optional)

Instructions

1
Spread the drained chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and pat thoroughly dry — excess moisture will prevent the falafel from holding together. Let them air-dry for 10 minutes.
2
Add the chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, garlic, onion, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, cayenne, and salt to a food processor. Pulse in short bursts, 10–12 times, until the mixture resembles coarse, slightly damp sand — it should hold together when pressed between your fingers but not be a smooth paste. Scrape down the sides as needed.

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