Easy Vegan Falafel
This Middle Eastern vegan classic is made with canned chickpeas and simple ingredients for an easy vegan falafel
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Falafel is a vegan staple and is great as a salad topping, or as a filling for a pitta, wrap, or sandwich.
This recipe makes plenty of easy vegan falafels to enjoy hot or cold. It uses simple ingredients that you may already have at home, and using canned chickpeas means you don’t have to wait around for them to soak. This falafel mix is ready to roll and bake in just a few minutes!
Is falafel always vegan?
Traditional falafel should absolutely always be vegan. It’s rare to find one with added animals products, so it’s usually a safe bet when trying to pick a vegan-friendly meal or snack.
However, take care when ordering full meals where falafel is the main ingredient. Falafel dishes are often served with yoghurt-based sauces which contain dairy.
Is falafel a healthy food?
Falafel is full of chickpeas which provide you with plenty of protein and fibre. This makes falafel a filling, nourishing food that can also be great for digestive health.
However, some falafels are deep fried, which can add a lot of extra calories and saturated fats and may throw your meal off balance. Baked falafels, like the ones in this recipe, are generally healthier and make a wholesome, balanced meal when enjoyed with wholegrain pitta and plenty of veggies.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Servings: 6
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
(Servings: 6)
- 0.33333333333333 0.33333333333333 x 400g tins chickpeas in water, drained and liquid reserved
- 0.5 0.5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 0.16666666666667 0.16666666666667 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 0.33333333333333 0.33333333333333 tbsp light tahini
- 0.16666666666667 0.16666666666667 large bunch fresh parsley, tough stalks removed
- 0.66666666666667 0.66666666666667 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 0.16666666666667 0.16666666666667 small bunch fresh coriander leaves
- 0.16666666666667 0.16666666666667 tbsp ground cumin
- 0.33333333333333 0.33333333333333 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 0.16666666666667 0.16666666666667 lemon, juice only
- 0.16666666666667 0.16666666666667 tsp sea salt flakes
- black pepper, to taste
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C (Gas Mark 4, 350°F) and line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Spray or brush the paper lightly with olive oil.
- Add the the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until roughly combined.
- A tablespoon at a time, add some liquid from the chickpeas (aquafaba) and process until the mixture begins to come together. You are looking for a non-sticky mix that will hold its shape when formed into balls.
- Once you have the right consistency, roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls and arrange on the baking sheet. Flatten each falafel slightly with your hands and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes, turning half way.
- Remove from the oven and serve hot or cold, with salads, pickles and warm flatbreads.
Nutritional information per 100g: Calories 206, Fat 1.1g, Saturates 0.2g, Carbohydrates 40g, Sugars 8.9g, Protein 5.8g, Salt 0.41g
Got plenty of aquafaba leftover from this recipe? Try one of these vegan aquafaba recipes!
