Inauthentic Vegan Falafel

I researched a lot of falafel recipes. Many of them said things like “you must use chickpea flour” or “canned chickpeas WILL NOT work”. That’s a bit dramatic. I enjoy authentic falafel; but when I make it at home, I am not going to go out of my way to make a glorified veggie patty. So if you are wondering why “inauthentic” is in the title, it’s because this is a more Americanized and forgiving recipe. Nonetheless, it is delicious and healthy.

PIN THIS ⇓♥

On to what you came here for, the recipe…

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Medium Difficulty

Print

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cans of garbanzo beans.
• 1/4 – 1/2 red or yellow onion.
• 1/4 bunch of fresh parsley (about a small handful).
• 1/4 bunch of fresh cilantro (about a small handful).
• 4 teaspoons of minced garlic.
• 1 teaspoon salt.
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne.
• 1 teaspoon cumin.
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (or Mediterranean seasoning blend).
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder.
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional).
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour.
• 1/4 cup vegan friendly bread crumbs (or sub more flour).
• 1-2 tablespoons oil (olive, avocado, vegetable, etc).

DIRECTIONS:

• Roughly chop the onion and fresh herbs. Drain the chickpeas and dry them with a towel.
• Transfer the chickpeas, herbs, onion, lemon juice, and spices into a food processor or blender and pulse until everything is well mixed.
• Transfer the mixture into a bowl and add the baking powder, flour, and bread crumbs. Mix until everything is well-incorporated. The mixture shouldn’t be sticky, but it also shouldn’t be crumbly.
• Form into 12 disks or balls and if you have time, chill them for about 30 minutes.
• While they are chilling, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place patties onto a greased/parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes on each side or until browned. Or you can pan fry the patties over medium heat, using a few tablespoons of a neutral cooking oil.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• I served this in a pita with tahini, lettuce, and onions.
• Chickpeas and garbanzo beans are interchangeable terms. You can use fava beans if you have them and fava beans would also make it more authentic.
• To make this gluten-free, sub all-purpose flour for a non-wheat flour.
• I haven’t made this using dried herbs, so I can’t recommend substituting dried cilantro or parsley.
• For a low-fat option – bake the patties in the oven, like instructed above. I think they taste about the same either way. Even if you pan-fried them, I would still consider this a healthy recipe.

This post was inspired by Budget Bytes. I hope you enjoy this almost comical recipe. I personally like this just as much as the authentic falafel. The best part is you won’t have to go out of your way to track down the ingredients. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

*Just so you know: all photos taken by me (unless stated otherwise), if you want to use them please credit me. Thanks for visiting my blog! This post is NOT sponsored, however I am affiliated with iHerb and Amazon and I do earn a small commission if you decide to use my links.