EASY BAKED FALAFEL AND TAHINI SAUCE

These easy baked falafel patties are sturdy and have bright, fresh herbs running through them. Goes great with the creamy tahini sauce!

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE FALAFEL:

• 2 (14.5 oz.) cans chickpeas (or 3 cups crock pot chickpeas), rinsed and drained
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro
• 1/4 cup loosely packed parsley
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pita bread, for serving
• Lettuce and tomato, for serving

FOR THE TAHINI SAUCE:

• 1/4 cup tahini (see notes)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2-3 tablespoons of water
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the chickpeas, red onion, garlic, cilantro and parsley in a food processor. Process until broken down but still a little chunky.
2. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the remaining ingredients (through baking soda). Mix well.
3. Form the falafel mixture into patties. I like doing small, thick patties - it makes it easier to flip them and they hold together better. Plus, you get a generous bite!
4. Place the patties on a plate, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Or, you can stick the patties in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 400. Remove falafel patties and space them out evenly on a baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.
6. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, then flip carefully. If any of the patties fall apart a little, you can carefully use the spatula and your hand to smush them back together. They firm up by the time they are finished baking.
7. Bake another 10-15 minutes, until well browned and firm.
8. In the meantime, make the tahini sauce. Mix the tahini, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of water and a dash of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add an additional tablespoon of water, if needed, to get it to a drizzling consistency. (It will depend on the thickness of your tahini.)
9. Once they are finished cooking and nicely browned, remove the falafel patties and let cool for a couple minutes on the pan.
10. Serve in the pitas with the tahini sauce, and enjoy!

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