- Tracey Raye
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?