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Vegan Falafel with Fresh Herbs and Lemony Kale Salad
Author: Gay Van Beek for Canterbury Cottage Designs
Ingredients
For the Falafel:
  • 1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1/2 cilantro chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 Tbsps flour
  • Zest from one lemon
  • Juice from two lemons
  • 1/2 tsp salt optional for those on salt restricted diets
  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • Cooking spray
  • Optional ingredients to add to falafels: only use if you have fresh!
  • 3-5 fresh mint leaves
  • a handful of chopped fresh parsley
For the Summer Salad:
  • 6 Lacinato Kale leaves stems removed and chopped (can sub any hearty lettuce leaf for this)
  • 2 cups of purple cabbage finely chopped
  • 2 large carrots finely chopped or grated
  • 1/2 pine nuts toasted*
  • the juice of one lemon or more to taste
  • Lots of pepper
  • 1 cup total of any herbs you have on hand- parsley, cilantro or mint
Instructions
  1. Pulse the chickpeas and onion in the blender until they are just broken up. Do not over process or your Falafel will be pasty.
  2. Add in cilantro and garlic, and pulse once or twice until just incorporated. Add lemon juice and pulse once or twice more.
  3. Remove the mixture from the food processor to a large bowl. Add spices, baking powder, lemon zest and flour and optional parsley and/or mint. The dough should not be pasty or sticky, and you should be able to pick it up with your hands and shape into patties about the size of hamburger sliders and no more than 1/2 inch thickness. If you find that your dough is too watery or sticky, add more flour, 1 tsp. at a time.
  4. Add panko bread crumbs to a plate and dip patties in the panko breadcrumbs.
  5. To a skillet (I used an enamel grill skillet) that you have generously sprayed with cooking spray, add your patties. Cook over medium heat (any higher and the spray will burn) until one side is brown, flip over gently and cook the other side. It takes anywhere from 10-20 minutes per side. If you want, you can finish them off in the broiler for about 2 mins. on high.
  6. While your Falafels are cooking, assemble your salad.
  7. Add all salad ingredients to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and more lemon juice if needed.
  8. Serve with hummus and pita!
  9. *to toast pine nuts, add to a preheated skillet and toast over medium heat for about 5 mins. Shake often to distribute and watch closely – you will smell them when they are toasted and they will turn a nice golden color.