In the colder months, eating an abundance of leafy greens is hard. Sitting down to eat a cold salad just doesn’t hit the same in January that it does in June. Luckily, this powerful green falafel recipe warms the soul and makes getting in those micronutrients packed vegetables all too simple. Let’s dig in.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 Cups Chickpeas
- 2 Cups Spinach
- 3 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley
- 1 Tablespoon Chopped Mint (Optional)
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1/4 Cup Red Onion
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- 1 Tablespoon Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- All-Purpose Flour (Use Garbanzo Flour if Gluten Free)
- 1/4 Cup Tahini
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Juice of 1 Lemon
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Roughly chop all produce including Spinach, Parsley, Mint (optional), Garlic, Lemon Zest, and Onion. Add into food processor and pulse just until the spinach has broken down into confetti sized pieces.
Add your chickpeas to the food processor along with olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Process until chickpeas are a smooth dough-like consistency.
At this point, the consistency of your mixture will vary due to the water content of your vegetables. Gently stir in a tablespoon of flour at a time until the mixture can be scooped like cookie dough. I ended up using 4 tablespoons to achieve this consistency.
Scoop the dough into 2-inch diameter balls and place on a baking sheet. Gently flatten the falafels to encourage even baking.
Place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. The falafel should be just slightly golden brown and hold together once cooled.
To prepare the sauce, whisk together in a small bowl Tahini, Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, and Salt. The sauce should be thin enough to easily drizzle.
Serve warm on top of a bed of greens, rice, quinoa or wrap into a pita with Tahini drizzle.
