Lighter Herby Baked Falafel with Chickpeas

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Baked falafel is a perfect vegetarian meal and it’s light and healthy as well! Serve with flatbread and some cucumber and tomato for added crunch.

I love a fresh, light vegetarian meal like falafel. In the summer it’s all I crave and this baked falafel is the perfect thing to satisfy those cravings.

Along with my summer orzo salad and this sweet potato & quinoa salad this baked falafel is one of my favourite summer dinners.

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Ah Monday, I really don’t love you. I had a lovely weekend with a visit from my friends from home. We went out for dinner on Friday night and had a mammoth burger which was super tasty.

On Saturday we went out for a bottomless brunch and drank A LOT of mimosas and then we had a few hours of recovery before heading out to a show in the evening (we went to se Kinky Boots and it was really good, I’d recommend!).

On Sunday my friends headed home and then Will and I went for drinks and dinner with some friends.

It was so much fun but I woke up this morning feeling like I need a whole other weekend to recover from it. I sat at my desk like a zombie all day trying to stay awake and I’m so glad to be home now and can’t wait to go to bed!

What a crazy party animal I am.

Anyway, one of the things about these kinds of weekends is that I tend to eat and drink a lot more than necessary and start the week feeling a little bloated and sluggish.

Mondays are always a good time to kick off a healthier start though and these herby baked falafel are the thing to fix up all those weekend regrets.

This recipe is a pretty typical falafel one. It uses chickpeas as the base and then just a few other simple ingredients all blitzed together in a food processor before shaping into patties and baking.

It’s so simple and so quick. I highly recommend making double the recipe and keeping a stock of these in the fridge for quick lunches. Added to salads or folded into a flatbread these baked falafel are an absolute dream.

Why we love this baked falafel recipe:

• First off it’s baked which makes it lighter than a traditional fried version so it’s especially good for a healthy weeknight dinner
• It’s also suitable for vegans which is great for us because we avoid eating meat during the week
• It’s super versatile and these falafel taste so amazing as part of a salad, on flatbreads, in sandwiches and any other way you can think of!

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED TO MAKE THESE BAKED FALAFEL:

• Chickpeas – I always use tinned because I have never and will never have the kind of brain that can remember to soak chickpeas in advance of needing them
• Red Chilli
• Coriander
• Parsley
• Olive Oil
• Garlic
• Lemon
• Salt
• Flour

Keep scrolling to get the recipe for this baked falafel…

My favourite thing about this falafel is that its got so many fresh herbs in there. That’s what gives it that greenish colour.

I used coriander (cilantro) and parsley but you could add in whatever others you like, just make sure you make it really herby, that’s where loads of the flavour comes from.

HOW TO MAKE FALAFEL (STEP BY STEP):

1. Heat the oven. Blend the chickpeas with chilli, coriander, parsley, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and salt.
2. Tip into a bowl and add enough flour to be able to form into patties. Place on a lined baking sheet.
3. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Equipment you need to make this recipe…

Get the full printable recipe below!

When you’re adding the flour to the falafel mixture you kind of just need to use your judgement. It took a couple of tablespoons to get it dry enough to shape into patties.

Pop them on a baking tray, I lined mine just to make it that bit easier to get them off the tray, and then they go into the oven for 20 minutes until they’re crisp on the outside and still soft on the inside.

Expert tips for making baked falafel:

• I would highly recommend making the full 10 that the recipe is for because these are a great thing to keep around for quick lunches or dinners, they’ll last for about a week in the fridge
• I use coriander and parsley as the herbs in this falafel but if you’re not a fan of then then feel free to switch out for herbs of your choice, this is a great base recipe for you to play around with
• When adding the flour to the falafel mixture make sure to just add a bit at a time until the mix comes together

Want more? Try these other vegan recipes!

• Brussel Sprout Slaw
• Vegan Breakfast Tacos with Black Beans
• Leek Salad with Apples and Carrot
• Chickpea Curry with Coconut Milk
• Sweet Potato & Shitake Potstickers
• Pressure Cooker Vegetable Curry

Or try out some of these amazing chickpea recipes!

Lighter Herby Baked Falafel

Baked falafel is a perfect vegetarian meal and it's light and healthy as well! Serve with flatbread and some cucumber and tomato for added crunch.

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 10 falafel

Calories: 147

Author: Amy Fulwood

Ingredients

• 2 400g tins Chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 1 Red Chilli deseeded
• 1 large bunch Coriander (Cilantro)
• 1 large bunch Fresh Parsley
• 1-2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1/2 Lemon juiced
• Salt
• Flour as needed

UK Measures - US Measures

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Add the chickpeas, chilli, coriander, parsley, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and a good sprinkling of salt to a food processor and blend until smooth. The mixture should be pretty sticky.
• Tip out into a bowl and stir through the flour, a spoonful at a time, until you have a dry enough mixture to make patties out of it. Form into 10 patties and place on a greaseproof paper lined baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Lighter Herby Baked Falafel

Amount Per Serving

Calories 147 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Sodium 6mg0%

Potassium 254mg7%

Carbohydrates 23g8%

Fiber 6g24%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 75IU2%

Vitamin C 10.7mg13%

Calcium 42mg4%

Iron 2.4mg13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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