Quinoa Falafel with Green Tahini

Plate filled with salad greens next to quinoa falafel drizzled with green tahini.

Quinoa Falafel with Green Tahini

Quinoa Falafel with Green Tahini is an easy, healthy and delicious plant based dinner that's perfect for cozy weeknights at home. Simple and satisfying!

5 from 3 votes

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Course: plant based

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Keyword: baked, falafel, plant based, quinoa

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 40

Servings: servings

Calories: 392kcal

Author: Nicole Gaffney (ColeyCooks.com)

Ingredients

For the Quinoa Falafel:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for brushing
1 small yellow onion diced
2 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
1 can (14.5-oz.) chickpeas drained, rinsed and patted dry
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or sweet paprika
pinch of ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 packed cup assorted fresh herbs such as parsley cilantro, mint or a combination, large stems removed and roughly chopped
1 large egg or flax egg see note*
2 tablespoons well stirred tahini smooth almond butter or sunflower butter
2 cups cooked quinoa from ⅔ cup uncooked

For the Green Tahini:

1 clove garlic
3 scallions dark and light green parts only
½ jalapeño pepper seeds removed for less heat
½ cup packed mixed fresh green herbs such as parsley cilantro, dill and mint, large stems removed
¼ cup tahini
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3-4 tablespoons water for thinning out sauce

Instructions

Make the Quinoa Falafel

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high head.
Add the onion and saute until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
Add the garlic, chick peas, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper and cinnamon, then sauté until the spices are fragrant, about 3 minutes more. Let cool slightly.
Transfer the chick pea mixture to a food processor. Add the salt, herbs, egg and tahini (or almond / sunflower butter), then puree until combined, but still slightly chunky.
Add the quinoa and pulse until just combined. If the mixture is hot, let it cool down and thicken a bit before forming patties.
Use a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop (you can also use a spoon) to form balls roughly 2 heaping tablespoons in size. Use your hands to form them into discs until you've used up all of the mixture.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, then brush an unlined sheet pan with a light coating of olive oil. I usually like to line my pans with parchment paper for easier clean-up, but the falafel get crispier without it.
Place each falafel disc on the pan, then brush the tops with olive oil (you can also spray with an olive oil spray).
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until browned on the bottom, then flip to the other side and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Make the Green Tahini:

Add the garlic, scallions, jalapeño, herbs, tahini, salt, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons water to the bowl of a blender or food processor.
Blend on high until the mixture is smooth. Taste and adjust salt and lemon juice if needed. Green tahini will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Notes

Make sure the chick peas are well drained and dried before adding them to the food processor to avoid the batter becoming too wet.
To substitute a flax egg, mix 1 tablespoon flax seed meal (or ground up flax seeds) with 3 tablespoons water. Let sit for about 5 minutes or until thick.
This recipe calls for baking the quinoa falafel, but they will turn out extra crispy and delicious if you pan fry them in a little bit of olive oil. They're also great in an air fryer!
The mixture will be quite loose after blending if it's still warm. Stick it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up before forming the patties.
A small ice cream scoop or cookie scoop is the easiest way to make uniform portions. If you don't have one a regular spoon will work just fine!
The green tahini is optional, but delicious. If you don't want to bother with it, these taste great with a squeeze of lemon or Greek yogurt mixed with a healthy pinch of salt.

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