Roasted Red Pepper Falafels with Tzatziki Sauce (Vegan, GF)

Sometimes, we have to put ourselves through misery in order to get a reward.

For some of you, that might be physical training for a marathon or athletic competition.  For others, it might be pushing through studies to earn a college or grad school degree.  For still others, it might be enduring labor or the adoption process in order to have kids.

For ME last week, it was making, baking, and photographing these Roasted Red Pepper Falafels with Tzatziki Sauce in an 85-degree, suffocatingly humid home!  And while this definitely pales in comparison to winning a marathon, earning a degree, or having a baby, I will say that getting to devour these spicy falafels smothered in cool, cucumber sauce felt like a pretty awesome reward to me! 😉Why did I put myself through such torture?

Well, I mentioned in my last post that our air conditioner broke during the hottest week of the year in Pittsburgh.  Sad, but true.  Fortunately, as I write this post, we’re now basking in crisp, cool air after getting a new one!  Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case when I made these Roasted Red Pepper Falafels with Tzatziki Sauce!  That should just be a testament to how good these are, since I was willing to sacrifice our comfort to bake falafels on one of the hottest days in Pittsburgh!I’m being a bit dramatic, since in actuality, this falafel dish is REALLY easy to make!  Especially in a nice, cool house! 🙂 All you need is a trusty food processor and some delicious ingredients to create this mouth-watering Middle Eastern meal.  If you’re not familiar with falafels, they are essentially a mash-up of chickpeas, tahini, herbs, and spices that can be baked or fried.  Recipes vary from there.  My falafels are loaded with roasted red peppers, hot sauce, and baby spinach to give them a spicy kick, beautiful color, and an extra dose of good-for-you greens.  I paired them with homemade Tzatziki Sauce – a dairy-free version, made with coconut milk instead of yogurt, cucumber, fresh herbs, and lemon juice.My mom’s side of the family is Syrian, so I grew up eating all sorts of Middle Eastern food.  While my Sittoo (Arabic for “grandmother”) never made falafels, my mom made them often and they have always been a favorite of mine!  I’m a fan of the paleo diet, but I appreciate a good meatless meal now and then, since I still eat legumes.   I try to cook some vegan entrees to add variety to my diet, and Roasted Red Pepper Falafels with Tzatziki Sauce has become a new favorite vegan dinner of mine. It’s definitely not paleo, but it IS gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and soy-free!

To put together the falafels, you just need to dump everything in a large food processor.  Sometimes I get asked about my food processor, so if you’re interested in the kind that I have, you can find it and other favorite kitchen appliances in my  Amazon Store.   I use the Ninja Mega Kitchen System, which has a motorized base that comes with a slew of attachments, like a blender, single-serve cups and lids, and my favorite – a food processor.  I also have a Hamilton Beach Food Processor, which is a more budget-friendly version that I had bought prior to the Ninja.  Sometimes I break out both of them to use simultaneously!  My food processor is an essential kitchen appliance that I use almost every day!  A lot of my recipes require one, so I encourage you to make the investment!

Where were we?  Ah, yes.  Time to blend up your falafel ingredients in the food processor.  Start by pulsing it several times, blend for a few seconds, then check the mixture.  You might have to scrape down the sides once or twice during blending.  Don’t over blend or you’ll end up with hummus.  The goal is a mixture that is a little chunky.Scoop out the falafel mixture and add flour to bind it together, since the roasted red peppers and hot sauce yield a more moist falafel “dough.”  I added Otto’s Cassava Flour – about 1/4 cup, plus an extra tablespoon.  Add the flour, one tablespoon at a time, and stir in between each addition.  The goal is a mixture that is still a bit wet – not dry or crumbly.  You should be able to form it into patties easily, like I did in this photo.I made 10 patties out of my falafel mixture.  Feel free to make yours larger or smaller, but note that it may change the baking time slightly.  Mine baked at 400 degrees for 25 minutes and came out with a slightly crispy outside and soft inside.  MMMMmmmm.All that’s left to make is the cool and tangy cucumber coconut milk Tzatziki sauce.  Just mix dill, scallions, coconut milk (cream only), spices, garlic, and lemon juice in a small bowl.  Grate the cucumber until you have about 1/3 cup.  Squeeze out the excess moisture and then add that to the sauce.  I stirred it up and added some sea salt, pepper, and garlic.Keep the sauce in the refrigerator until you’re ready for use.  The coconut milk might firm up a bit, but just give it a vigorous stir or let it sit out at room temp to thin it down if you need to.

Plate up your falafels and favorite toppings because it’s time to eat!  I love making my falafels into little sliders on lettuce wraps with fresh tomato, cucumber, and plenty of tzatziki sauce. Or, try them with your favorite pita bread or as a salad topper over a bowl of veggies.  You could also serve them as an appetizer for a Middle Eastern dinner party!    ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES!!Definitely add these vegan Roasted Red Pepper Falafels with Tzatziki Sauce to your menu this week!  You might like them so much that you’ll even be willing to bake them when your air conditioner breaks, just like I did! 😉  Eat up, my friends!

5.0 from 2 reviews

Roasted Red Pepper Falafels with Tzatziki Sauce (Vegan, GF)

 

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Created by: Joanna Smith

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

For the Falafels:

• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup baby spinach
• ½ cup fresh parsley
• ¼ cup roasted red peppers, drained
• ¼ cup chopped scallions
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup, plus 1 tablespoon Otto's Cassava Flour

For the Tzatziki Sauce:

• ½ cup refrigerated full-fat coconut milk, cream only
• ⅓ cup grated cucumber
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon minced garlic
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine falafel ingredients except for the cassava flour in a food processor. Pulse several times, then blend for a few seconds. Scrape down the sides and pulse again until the mixture is finely chopped, but not completely smooth.
3. Scoop out falafel mixture into a large bowl and add cassava flour, a tablespoon at a time, until you have a workable dough that is not too sticky but still a bit wet.
4. Form falafels into golf ball-sized patties and flatten slightly. I got about 10 falafels out of one batch.
5. Bake for 25 minutes until browned and crisp on the outside.
6. While falafels bake, prepare tzatziki sauce. Squeeze excess moisture from grated cucumber and add that and the rest of the ingredients into a small bowl. Stir until combined, then refrigerate until ready to use.
7. Serve falafels warm with tzatziki sauce.
8. They are great plain, as a lettuce wrap, on a salad, or as a sandwich! Enjoy!

Notes

~The tzatziki sauce will thicken as it refrigerates. For a thinner sauce, let it sit out for a bit and give it a good stir.
~Store leftover falafels covered in the refrigerator. They should keep for several days.

3.5.3208