Hi.

I’m Jackie, a stay at home vegan mommy of one amazing little girl. My daughter, Zoey, is three years old, a huge Disney aficionado and Minnie Mouse super fan. She’s also the most amazing little helper in the kitchen that a mother could ask for, and so she is… my Minnie Chef.

Easy Baked Falafel with Lemon-Tahini Sauce

I absolutely love Middle Eastern food and whenever I go out to Middle Eastern restaurants, a falafel platter or falafel pita is always a must have for me.  Falafel are traditionally deep fried, but deep fried foods aren’t the healthiest and since I absolutely hate deep frying food at home—it’s messy, it scary and I hate dealing with the leftover frying oil—I decided to make a baked version of one of my favorite dishes.  These falafel can be eaten on their own with the lemon-tahini dressing or can be topped with Israeli salad or even stuffed into a pita or wrap.   Oh, and did I mention how easy they are to make? All you have to do is combine all the ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth and form patties on a baking sheet.  One more thing, do not be alarmed if your patties seem too moist—they cook at 400 degrees so they can dry out and form a nice crust while baking.  You’ll end up with falafels that have a crispy crust, but are light and airy inside. 

Serves
1 dozen patties
Prep Time
10 mins.
Cook Time
20 mins.
Total Time
30 mins.

Ingredients:

  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 2 15 ounce cans of garbanzo beans
  • 1 white onion, cut into 8 chunks
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tablespoon mint
  • 2 tablespoons parsley
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

For the dressing: Combine 4 tablespoons of olive oil, the juice of one lemon and 2 tablespoons of tahini in a sealed jar and shake vigorously until combined.  Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

For the Falafel:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Drain, rinse and dry garbanzo beans. 
  3. Combine garbanzo beans, 2 tablespoons olives oil, onion, garlic, mint, parsley, salt and pepper in a blender.  Blend until smooth—some remaining texture is ok.
  4. Scoop 1 tablespoon of the mixture into your hand, roll into a ball and press down to form a patty.  Repeat with the remaining mixture.  Bake for approximately 25-28 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until a crispy brown crust has formed. 

Serving Suggestions: Pair baked falafel with Israeli salad, or pack falafel, Israeli salad, and lemon-tahini dressing in a whole-wheat pita and enjoy as a sandwich!  

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