Magical Green Falafel - Full of Plants (2024)

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⭐️ Why You Should Try This Recipe

• They are magical. Why magical? Because that’s how they taste, seriously. Very fluffy, soft on the inside, and crunchy on the outside. They also pack a ton of fresh herbs, giving them a vibrant green color!
• They are simple to prepare and require just 6 ingredients and a few spices. You will only need dry chickpeas, onion, some fresh herbs, and spices.
• They are versatile. You can serve these as an appetizer with a dipping sauce or with pita bread, salads, hummus, or tabbouleh.
• Belinda, a reader, said: “★★★★★ Best falafel recipe ever! After trying several other recipes using tinned chickpeas with horrible results, I was about to give up on the whole thing. Then I found this recipe, and the results are amazing, even better than the falafels in our local Lebanese restaurant. Thank you so much!”

🧆 What is a Falafel

Falafel is a classic Middle Eastern dish that consists of chickpeas and/or broad beans ground with fresh herbs and spices before being shaped into balls and deep-fried. Falafel is usually served with tahini sauce or hummus, or used as a filling in pita bread sandwiches.

This recipe is not your traditional falafel recipe. It contains three different types of aromatic herbs as well as several spices. Mint and dill are not classic ingredients in traditional falafels, but they really take the flavor to another level. Let’s do it!

🌿 Ingredient Notes

Falafel is easy to make and doesn’t require any hard-to-find ingredients. Here is what you will need:

• Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) – Use dry chickpeas, not the cooked ones sold in cans. You can also use a combination of chickpeas and fava beans. Check the Tips to learn more about that.
• Fresh herbs – I went with a combination of fresh mint, cilantro (or parsley), and dill.
• Onion – If you don’t have onion on hand, you can replace it with shallots.
• Spices – Cumin, cinnamon, anise, cardamom, and ginger create a more complex flavor.
• Baking soda – Adding baking soda does two things: 1) It makes fluffier and extra tender falafels. 2) It creates a darker crust that contrasts perfectly with the bright green inside.
• Salt – For flavor.
• Rice flour – Or chickpea flour. It prevents the batter from being too crumbly.

🥙 What To Serve With Green Falafel

These falafels are delicious served with hummus or with a garlic tahini sauce. You can also use them as a filling for pita bread or serve them with a simple green salad!

If you plan on serving this falafel with a tahini sauce: whisk together 1/2 cup of vegan yogurt, 2 tablespoons of tahini, 1-2 tablespoons of lime juice (adjust to taste), 1 minced clove of garlic, salt, and pepper.

📔 Tips

• Fry at the last minute. I recommend frying the green falafel before serving as they tend to dry a bit as they cool down.
• For moister falafel: I have discovered that using a combination of half fava beans (also called broad beans) and half chickpeas creates moister and softer falafel compared to using only chickpeas. If you want to use fava beans, I recommend using split and shelled ones.
• Shape: You can shape the falafels into balls if planning to serve them with a dipping sauce or into patties if you want to use them in pita or sandwiches.

❄️ Freezing

While I don’t recommend freezing cooked falafels (they won’t be crispy after reheating), you can freeze the uncooked falafel mixture for up to 2 months. Before using, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. You can then shape it into balls and fry them.

💬 FAQ

🥗 More Middle Eastern Recipes

• Deconstructed Falafel Pasta Salad
• Fonio Tabbouleh

Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!