This gluten-free falafel recipe delivers fresh Mediterranean flavor, and the accompanying tahini sauce serves as the perfect finishing touch.
Ingredients
- FALAFEL
- 2 (15-ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons chopped white onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 3 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Cayenne pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Olive oil
- Additional ingredients for serving, if desired: gluten-free pita bread, lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber
- TAHINI SAUCE
- ½ cup tahini
- Juice of ½ large lemon
- 5-7 tablespoons water, depending on how thick you want sauce
- Salt, to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 375° F. Place all the ingredients, except for flour, baking powder and olive oil, into a food processor and blend until everything is broken down but not pureed. Next, sprinkle in the flour and baking powder and blend again until mixture forms a ball. You may have to stop and scrape the sides down a few times.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Use your hands to form the mixture into balls. You can make them as big or as small as you would like. I used about 2 tablespoons of mixture for each one. Place falafels on baking sheet and brush the top of each with olive oil. Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes, flipping once.
Make the sauce while the falafel is baking. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until combined and a creamy sauce is formed.
If desired, serve falafels in a pita with vegetables and tahini sauce.
Nutrition Analysis: 260 cal, 14 g fat, 0 mg chol, 790 mg sodium, 27 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 0 g sugar, 11 g protein.
Isadora Lassance lives in Tucson, Arizona, with her husband and their orange cat, Cheeto. A regular contributor to Gluten-Free Living, she also blogs about whole food and seasonal ingredients at shelikesfood.com.