Tree Nut Free Vegan Falafel Skewers with Tahini Sauce
These skewers bring serious street-food energy to your own kitchen, loaded with crispy, herb-packed falafel and bright, crunchy vegetables all threaded onto a single stick. The falafel itself is built on chickpeas blitzed with fresh parsley, cilantro, garlic, and a warm spice blend of cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, and cayenne — deeply savory with just enough heat to keep things interesting. Pan-frying in a shimmering skillet gives each ball that irresistible golden crust while keeping the inside tender, and the technique is more approachable than it sounds. The creamy tahini sauce — just tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and a little cold water whisked to a silky drizzle — ties everything together without a drop of dairy or any nut-based ingredient in sight. Every component here is naturally free of tree nuts, so there's no need to audit labels or swap anything out; the recipe just works as written. Alternating the falafel with cucumber chunks, red bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes makes these as visually stunning as they are satisfying, whether you're feeding a crowd or just treating yourself to something a little special on a weeknight.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the falafel
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 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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