This week’s Meatless Monday recipes is Baked (yes, baked) Falafel with Homemade Tzatziki. It was my first attempt at making Falafel, but I was pleasantly surprised at how simple they were to make. I baked them instead of frying to prevent oil absorption for a healthier version.

I’ll be giving you some reference measurements for a mild spice mix, but this part is completely to taste. I personally do not love spicy foods but I know that some of you do. Therefore, feel free to double or even triple the spice blend in this recipe.

Additionally, if you want to be truly authentic, you could also add a tahini sauce. I’m including a Lemon Tahini Sauce in the printable recipe below. A few thinly sliced red onion would also have been nice for garnish. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any on hand. I’m sure you can relate 🙂

The best part of making falafel is that the food processor does nearly all of the work. We have drained and rinsed chickpeas, flour, parsley, garlic and our spice mixture. Ground cumin, coriander, chili powder, salt and pepper round out the flavors.

The mixture seems like it might be too dry, but resist the urge to add liquid. These form into perfect little patties on their own.

I used a 2 Tbl cookie scoop to measure the mixture and just flattened those balls out a bit. I placed the patties onto a lightly oiled baking pan and then lightly sprayed the tops with cooking spray. This serves two purposes. It keeps them from drying out and also helps them to turn a nice golden brown. I baked for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, flipping halfway through. This is important so that both sides get an opportunity to brown up.

It’s time to make the sauce(s). For the Lemon Tahini Sauce, you’ll just need Tahini paste and lemon juice to taste.

For the Tzatziki Sauce, I used this SO Delicious Dairy Free Plain Greek-Style Cultured Coconut Milk Yogurt. To that, I add diced cucumber, minced garlic (optional), the juice of 1 lemon, white wine vinegar with salt and pepper to taste.

You can use traditional Pita bread or as I have today, a softer flat bread. Then I line the bread with lettuce leaves, add the falafel along with slices of tomato and cucumber. As I mentioned above, I meant to add thinly sliced red onions. They add both flavor and color. Drizzle with sauce and you are ready to enjoy!

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