Falafel — a vegetarian’s dream. It’s a delicious and pretty accessible meat-free (and vegan!) option. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to try making it!

This recipe is very simple and easy – you use a food processor to mix the dough, then form it into little balls or disks, and then fry them lightly in oil on the stove. I decided to make a little sauce to go with them and serve it over couscous + mixed greens, but you certainly could garnish with whatever you’d like. Falafel pitas or wraps are always favorites of mine as well. Once you know how to make the disks, the sky’s the limit!

Ingredients
For Falafel:
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp cumin
seeds from 2 cardamom pods
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
vegetable oil

For Garlic Herb Sauce:
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp hummus
1/8 tsp paprika
1-2 Tbsp water (to desired consistency)
salt and pepper

Instructions
For Falafel:
Add chickpeas, parsley, onion, garlic, sesame seeds, cumin, cardamom, salt, pepper to a food processor and process until thoroughly combined into a crumbly mixture, not a paste. Add flour and pulse again to incorporate. Place mixture in the refrigerator for 30min to 1 hour to firm up. Once chilled, form mixture into about 10 small disks. Coat the disks in panko bread crumbs. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add vegetable oil to coat the pan. Once the oil is hot, add falafel to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with pita bread or couscous, drizzled with garlic herb sauce.
For Garlic Herb Sauce:
In a measuring cup, mix all ingredients together, adding water slowly until you reach your desired consistency. Pour on falafel and serve immediately.

Serves 2