Spinach & Basil Falafel

A good falafel recipe is a staple for any kitchen. Falafel are easy to prepare, taste delicious and can be frozen for future dinner emergencies. These ones have a very healthy hit of spinach which is a great way of hiding greens for fussy eaters! And because the spinach is cooked and accompanied by chickpeas, these are a great addition for anyone watching their iron levels!

Falafel:

3 cups baby spinach, washed.

1 cup basil, stemmed and washed.

3 garlic cloves, chopped.

1 can of chickpeas, drained

3-4 tbsp gram or oat flour

1 ½ tbsp lemon juice

1 ½ tbsp tahini

¼ tsp cumin

Salt & pepper

Olive oil for cooking

Optional (1 tbsp nutritional yeast)

Tahini drizzle:

3 tbsp tahini

3 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp coconut yogurt

1-3 tbsp water

Salt & pepper to taste

Chopped basil to garnish

Method:

-Pre-heat the oven to 180c.

-Add the spinach, basil, garlic, chickpeas, cumin, lemon juice, tahini, salt & pepper to a blender and blend until mixture forms a rough paste.

-Transfer to a bowl and stir in your flour, 1 tbsp at a time until mixture becomes thick enough to handle – form mixture into small balls or patties as desired.

-Taste the mixture and adjust seasoning as desired (more salt & pepper, tahini, lemon, nutritional yeast etc).

-Place the falafel on a large, greased roasting pan (or use baking paper). Roast in the oven for about 15mins on each side.

-While the falafel are cooking, add your drizzle ingredients to a blender and blitz until smooth and silky. You can choose to blend the basil into the drizzle or simply sprinkle on top.

-Serve immediately with a selection of cooked or raw veggies as shown and a generous drizzle of tahini dressing.

-These will store in the fridge for several days or freezer for longer.

As you can see from the picture, I love to serve these atop a mound of mixed grilled veggies with a healthy drizzle of sauce for added moreish value– how do you serve yours?