This vegan falafel recipe is a bit different than the others. It starts off the right way with soaked raw chickpeas and all the essential spices but these falafel get an extra hit of flavor from the addition of vegan feta. Vegan feta, you say? What is this sorcery? Read on…
I challenge you to bring me one vegan or vegetarian who doesn’t love falafel. It’s un-possible. Not only is it cheap and easy, there are lots of creative vegan falafel recipes out there. From falafel burgers to beet falafel to falafel curry, I can never get enough of these tasty little fritters.
When I was a teenager, I used to make falafel from one of those box mixes. Little did I know how easy it is to make falafel from scratch! I think the “right” way and best way to get the super crispy outside is to use dry chickpeas rather than canned.
It’s not at all more difficult, you just have to remember to put them in a bowl to soak 8 hours in advance. From there they go straight into the falafel mix without ever being cooked so no need to factor in another 2 hours on the stove.
To make the falafel mix you simply pulse together the chickpeas with onion, garlic, herbs and ground spices in a food processor. Chill this mix for a bit to help it stick together and then you’re ready to roll.
This is where my vegan falafel recipe gets a bit fancy. A few weeks ago I discovered a product in my supermarket claiming to be vegan feta. If you’ve read my about me page then you know that I’m not a fan of vegan cheese products.
It’s not because I think that they are unhealthy or anything, it’s because they’re so darn expensive and I usually end up disappointed by their plastic-y texture and odd taste. That being said, I’m willing to try anything once before I make up my mind.
So I picked up a block of this vegan feta and was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t terrible! I think calling it feta is a bit of a stretch, however, as it’s more creamy than crumbly and not sour or salty enough, in my opinion. But it is quite good as far as vegan cheeses go and I wanted to see if it would melt if I stuffed it into falafel.
Sure does! To make this stuffed vegan falafel recipe you simply take a heaping tablespoon or so of your falafel mix and flatten it in you palm. Add one or two cubes of the vegan feta and close your hand to encase the feta in the falafel mix. Gently roll and form it into a ball before frying.
This brand of vegan feta is new and you may not have seen it before. You can find out where to buy it by checking the website’s store locator. Of course you don’t have to use this particular brand. If you can’t get a hold of it or if you have another favourite brand of melt-y vegan cheese you can use that instead (this is not a sponsored post, no one has paid me to write about this brand).
Of course you can also use this vegan falafel recipe to make straight up normal falafel, no stuffing. Falafel is delicious no matter how you serve it. I served mine in a Buddha bowl with roasted squash, veggies and hummus, but they’d also be good in a pita pocket or just straight up with a delicious tahini dip or vegan tzatziki!
Stuffed Vegan Falafel Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 grams) dried chickpeas - $0.50
- Half a small onion roughly chopped - $0.08
- 3 cloves of garlic roughly chopped - $0.24
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley - $0.17
- 1 - 3 tablespoons chickpea flour or all-purpose flour - $0.07
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander - $0.10
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin - $0.10
- ½ teaspoon chili powder - $0.03
- ¼ teaspoon pepper - $0.01
- 1 teaspoon salt - $0.01
- Half a block of vegan feta cubed - $2.65 (can sub with any other melt-y vegan cheese)
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Cover the chickpeas with water and leave to soak overnight. Drain and spread them out on a tea towel. Pat dry (the drier the chickpeas, the crispier the falafel). Add the chickpeas to a food processor along with the remaining ingredients minus the vegan feta and oil. Start with 1 tablespoon of chickpea flour at this point. Pulse until you reach a mealy texture that holds together when you squeeze it. Refrigerate for one hour.
- Take a heaping tablespoon of the mix and flatten it in the palm of your hand. Place one or two cubes of vegan feta in the middle and close your hand to encase the cheese in the falafel mix. Carefully shape the mix into a ball. If the mix is not holding together well, add additional chickpea flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you can form balls that hold together. Try not to add too much or it will negatively affect the texture of your falafel.
- Heat enough oil in a pan over medium heat to cover the falafel at least halfway. Fry the falafel in batches, flipping once, until they’re golden brown on both sides. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
Notes
Nutrition
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Stephanie Baker says
I was too cheap to get the vegan feta but I did make the falafel. So yummy. I put them in wraps I had with cashew cream and sriracha.
Katja says
Hi Melissa, I just stumbled over your blog and tried out the falafel (sans the filling, because I did not have vegan feta at hand).
I love that I had all the regular ingredients in my pantry - a cheapskate delight 🙂 The falafel turned out GREAT! I only tried to make some once before, with canned chickpeas. They did not taste very good. Your recipe however was even a hit with my young notoriously picky eater. This will get a spot on the weekly meal plan! Thank you and greetings from Germany.
Melissa says
Great! So glad you enjoyed it!
Mary Jean says
can these be baked successfully?
Mateo Pedersen says
Oh I love this recipe! It looks fairly easy to make so I won’t mess it up haha great recipe, thank you!