Low Iodine Vegan Falafel Skewers with Tahini Sauce

Total time1 hr 50 min

Prep time30 min

Cook time20 min

Low Iodine Vegan Falafel Skewers with Tahini Sauce

Crispy on the outside, herbaceous and tender within, these pan-fried chickpea skewers are the kind of crowd-pleasing dish that feels far more impressive than the effort involved. The falafel mixture gets its depth from a generous handful of fresh parsley and cilantro, plus warm spices like cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika — no exotic or hard-to-source ingredients required. For anyone navigating iodine restrictions, this recipe is a natural fit: it's entirely plant-based, relies on fresh vegetables and pantry staples, and skips the seafood, dairy, and iodized salt pitfalls that can make so many restaurant or packaged options off-limits. The silky tahini sauce — just sesame paste, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and water — comes together in minutes and doubles as both a drizzle and a dipping sauce. Threading the golden falafel balls onto skewers with cucumber, red bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes turns a simple weeknight dinner into something that looks genuinely festive on a platter. The one step worth not skipping is the chill time: letting the mixture rest in the fridge makes the balls easy to shape and helps them hold together beautifully in the pan.

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the falafel

1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Wholesome Pantry Organic Chickpeas, 16 oz Sprouts Farmers Market No Salt Added** Garbanzo Beans 15.5 OZ 365 by Whole Foods Market Organic Unsalted Garbanzo Beans, 13.4 oz Organic Low Sodium Garbanzo Beans, 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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