Easy Bake Falafel Wraps

These falafel wraps are a great meal and a true flavor explosion when done right.  Falafel is the ultimate middle eastern street food that happens to be totally vegan in its traditional form.  Here’s our go to recipe at home:

Falafel:

16 Oz Chickpeas (cooked/drained)

2 C chopped, fresh parsley (1 bundle)

1 small onion (chopped)

½ C ground walnuts, almonds or pecans

¼ C oat flour or nutritional yeast

5 cloves garlic  

3 tsp cumin

1 tsp Tandori or paprika

1 tsp Za’atar, coriander or oregano

½ tsp cayenne pepper

½ small lemon (squeezed / optional)

Tahini dressing:

½ small lemon (squeezed)

1 tbls stirred tahini paste (sesame)

1.5 tbls water

Wrap/toppings:

pita, tortilla, or swiss chard leaves

tomatoes (chopped)

cucumbers (chopped)

spinach or kale  

pickles

hummus

Total prep time: 1 hour
Serves: four (makes about 12-15 2" falafels)

Start by making the falafel. Pre-heat your oven to 375. Use a food processor or blender to mix the chickpeas and parsley into a coarse mixture.  Be careful to not over-blend, you’re making falafel, not hummus.  Add in the chopped onion, nuts (we prefer walnuts) and oat flour or nutritional yeast and continue mixing.  Add in the garlic and other spices, stirring by hand or on the lowest possible setting.  Feel free to taste the mixture to see if spices are to your liking (it’s all plants after all).  The falafel mixture should clump together easily, and not “slump” more than 15% when spooned out.  (Slump is actually an engineering test for concrete to determine if the viscosity is appropriate, but it applies to cooking as well.  Look it up if you’re interested).  If the mixture appears too thick, add lemon juice until you reach the proper consistency.  If it appears too thin, add additional ground nuts or oat flour.

Once you’re happy with the mixture, spoon into 2-inch diameter balls.  If you prefer your falafel to be crunchier on the outside, flash sear them in a pan on high heat.  If you prefer a lighter, homogeneous consistency, skip to the next paragraph.  Place the falafel on a nonstick or lightly oiled pan and grill them for 2 minutes on each side.     

Place the falafel on a nonstick or lightly oiled baking sheet and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes, rotating/flipping them halfway through for consistency.  

While the falafel are baking, prepare your toppings.  The tahini is always a staple as it’s super easy and quick.  Take all the ingredients (lemon juice, tahini paste, water) and put in a sealed jar or blender bottle and shake,  shake, shake for 30 seconds.  BOOM! That’s done.  

If you like hummus, we prefer this recipe, from Engine 2 Diet:

30 Oz chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

5 cloves garlic

1 lemon (squeezed)

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp Bragg Liquid Aminos

¼ C water or vegetable broth

Israeli cucumber, tomato salad is another favorite, with you guessed it, cubed tomatoes and cucumbers.  

Pickles are another traditional topping.

Once the falafel is done, remove from the oven checking to make sure they are cooked to your liking.  If not hard enough, cook longer.  Combine the falafel with all the other ingredients and greens like spinach or kale and enjoy in a pita, or tortilla wrap. If you have extra falafel, these stay great in the fridge and can be reused as an appetizer or with another dish.