Easy-Peasy Falafel
Dan Buettner
Photo by David McLain
- Serves
- 4
- Prep Time
- 30 minutes, plus overnight soaking if using dried beans
Falafel is a Blue Zones superhero that benefits from the longevity power of the mighty chickpea— a common ingredient in both Ikaria and Sardinia. Also known as garbanzo beans, chickpeas are good for digestive, bone, and cardiovascular health. Baking falafel is much easier (and healthier) than deep-frying it.
If you use dried chickpeas, you'll have to soak them overnight. Canned chickpeas make the recipe speedier, but you'll need to incorporate a filler, like whole wheat flour, to absorb some of the extra liquid (see sidebar).
Recipe courtesy of Dan Buettner, with Photography by David McLain.
Excerpted from "The Blue Zones Kitchen One Pot Meals: 100 Recipes to Live to 100" by Dan Buettner.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in 6 cups water and drained thoroughly (about 4 cups); or 2 (15-ounce) cans, drained and dried thoroughly on a kitchen towel
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 3/4 cup parsley leaves, chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and stems, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon plus ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Step 1
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Step 2
Put all the ingredients except the ¼ cup of oil in your food processor and pulse repeatedly, using a spatula to scrape down the sides several times.
You want the mixture to have the texture of wet sand. Put the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes or up to an hour. This rest helps your falafel stick together, so don't skip it.
- Step 3
Pour 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil onto a sheet pan and spread it around to evenly coat the surface.
- Step 4
Wet your hands and grab 1/4-cup-size handfuls of the falafel mixture and form them into small patties about 2 inches across and ½ inch thick. Place the patties on the pan, taking care not to crowd them. You should end up with at least 12 patties. (If you want to serve these like burgers, make the patties larger, about 4 inches across.)
- Step 5
Brush the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over the tops of the patties and put the tray in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping the patties halfway through. You want crispy brown outsides and fluffy, tender insides.
- Step 6
Serve on a salad of arugula, cherry tomato, cucumber, and slivered red onion with Black Tahini Dressing (page 56) or Tahini-Miso Sauce (page 53), as burgers on whole-grain buns, or as part of a Mediterranean platter with Hummus (page 45) and veggies.