Super Easy Kale Falafel. Vegan & GF.
Kale falafel patties. Vegan. Gluten free.
Happy second Monday of the week (ha!). Hope you had a lovely holiday weekend with family & friends. Ours was productive & relaxing, which is exactly what we needed. We got to eat out a lot & enjoy some really awesome vegan food in Philly so that’s a win to me.
Today when I got home from the gym, I knew I had to mentally start prepping menus for the week. While going through some social media I saw that my favorite Minimalist Baker was promoting her e-book and that all sales today (you name the price) were being donated to a food bank in Houston… needless to say, I jumped all over that and lovingly devoured her recipes. This recipe stood out to me as my garden is bursting with enormous kale leaves. See pic below for evidence.
So I got started and adapted as I went along. The recipe turned out great, the falafel is tender and crunchy. The recipe made a nice batch with some to freeze for a quick dinner idea in the future. All made in the food processor so clean up is a cinch too! I hope you give this recipe a whirl. Perfectly served up on a bun, pita or straight away. I love adding one to my salad. Top with vegan mayo, hummus or whatever you like.
- 5 heaping cups of kale, washed, stems removed
- 1 15-ounce (425g) can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
- 4 very large garlic cloves (2-3 regular sized if you aren’t a fan)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp tahini
- 1/2 jalapeno, diced
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 5-6 tablespoons of oat flour
- Neutral oil for pan frying (I used olive oil)
- After you’ve washed and removed the thick stems from the kale, add all of your ingredients through sea salt to your food processor and pulse several times. Avoid over-mixing or you’ll end up with a super tasty hummus. Once blended, add 3 tbl of the oat flour. Pulse a few times. The oat flour will help bind the falafel together. If too wet, add the additional 2-3 tablespoons. I used all 6 in my batch. Taste test and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- In the meantime, add a few tablespoons of oil to your pan and place that over med/high heat. Once hot, scoop your batter into the pan. Avoid overcrowding. I pan fried 4 at a time. Allow the first side to brown and then flip. Once browned on both sides, place on a paper towel/plate to drain off any residual oil. Serve immediately or to reheat: baked in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
- To freeze: I placed each falafel burger on a sheet pan and flash froze in the freezer for 20 minutes. Once cold/solid, I wrapped individually and stored in one airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month.
I drained them for a few minutes and ended up baking for an additional 15 minutes to really crisp them up.
Sunday: 1h 50m 21 mile trail bike ride – hilly & oh so muddy
Monday: 55m weightlifting, 40m cardio
Tuesday: 54m weightlifting upper body & core, 45m cardio
That’s a wrap! Time to get our dinner ready and on the table π Happy September!
— Knead to Cook
