Vegan Lentil Falafel
Fluffy, fuss-free, freezer friendly falafels – try saying that three times fast!
Let’s be clear, this is a non-traditional recipe, but still absolutely delicious.
Falafels are an iconic food from Middle Eastern cuisine, often incorporating chickpeas but this variation uses a can of brown lentils to cut down on prep time. Other ingredients included like frozen broad beans and rolled oats help to make this a low budget recipe. There are so many variations but this is one we’ve finally found a version that yield fluffy insides and has a simplified ingredients list. Plus it’s kinda as simple as blending, shaping, frying and baking.
They literally are the vegan meatball, aren’t they?
So, they’re perfect as a nourishing replacement for meat during Lent and fasting. Or year round for vegans! They can be eaten alone, topped on a salad, drizzled with your favourite dressing, nestled in a wrap – any way you can imagine. We usually serve these falafels as a meze/appetizers for the table when we entertain and place them on our veggie board.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups, firmly packed soft herbs (we used a mix of coriander and mint leaves)
2 cups (300g) Frozen broad beans, thawed and peeled
3/4 cup, Rolled oats
1/4 cup, White sesame seeds
1 Tbsp, The Salty Greek seasoning
400g/A can of brown lentils, drained and rinsed
1 cup, Oil for shallow frying (vegetable oil, olive oil, avocado oil, etc.)
Recipe Steps
Place coriander, mint, broad beans, oats, sesame seeds, brown lentils and The Salty Greek seasoning in a food processor. Process until finely chopped and mixture holds together when pressed. Take care not to over process – blending in short pulses can help achieve this.
Tip: Being a raising agent, a pinch of baking soda can help to give a fluffier texture – perfect if you’ve ever been scarred by a dense falafel!
Spoon a heaped tablespoon of mixture to shape into balls, ovals or patty shapes depending on your preference. Pressing gently between damp hands will make the process more managable.
Pre-heat oven 180°C. Line a tray with baking paper – you might need 2 trays depending on the size of your falafels.
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Fry falafels in batches – don’t overfill the pan. Turn occasionally until light golden.
Tip: We shallow fry to create the crispy crust, and then bake to fully cook – healthier, easier and certainly less messy than deep frying.
Remove falafels in batches and place onto the lined baking paper tray/s. Don’t worry about getting oil on the tray as it will just crisp up the falafel.
Place in pre-heated oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes. The goal is to have them crispy on the outside but fluffy within.
Tip: If you’re planning on having them for lunch or leftovers the next day, you could cook them a little less so they don’t dry out when reheated in a microwave, oven or air fryer. They’re great cold though!
Tips: Serving these vegan falafels with a bright and creamy sauce is a perfect pairing. Try a lemony Greek yoghurt/cashew cream, a garlic aioli, or vegan wasabi mayonnaise.
These can be made ahead and frozen for 2 months uncooked, then cook as usual.
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