I’ve been waiting patiently to share this recipe with you guys and I can’t take it any longer. On a total whim, I somehow crafted a falafel recipe that’s better than any version you’ve likely had at a restaurant. Unless it was in the Middle East, then I’ll give you a pass. But the best part? It’s vegan, gluten free, and chock full of healthy ingredients.
Origins of Falafel
The origin of falafel is an ongoing and heated debate. Some would say it’s a quintessential Israeli food, while Palestinians claim its Arab roots, and still others claim it originated in Egypt, Lebanon, or Yemen.
While we claim no expertise on the origins of falafel, we do know we absolutely love its crispy texture and rich flavor. Falafel is traditionally a fried ball or patty made from fava beans, chickpeas, or both. What’s not to love?
Those looking for a deeper dive into the much-debated history of falafel can find more information here and here.
Our inspired version uses chickpeas as a base and includes collard greens for color and added nutrition. For a more traditional version of falafel, check out this recipe from Tori Avey, or this recipe from The Kat Chef.
Collard Green Falafel
I started with collard greens, a green I was completely unfamiliar with prior to this recipe. Next I added in chickpeas, sea salt, pepper, garlic, fresh lemon juice and tahini. The funny thing is, I was aiming for more of a “veggie fritter” but one bite in and I knew it was falafel heaven all the way.
As always, ingredients are simple and to the point and minimal equipment is required: a food processor and 1 pan. They also come together in about 30 minutes. Hello easy, healthy weeknight meal.
I made up one big batch last week and I’ve been having one or two here and there as a quick snack or easy lunch. I’m gluten-free right now for a cleanse I’m doing (a story for another day), but these would go fabulous tucked inside fluffy pita with lettuce, tomato, and a creamy garlic sauce. I just know it. Otherwise, they’re fantastic on their own with just a spot of hummus.
These little guys are amazing, and I don’t use that word lightly! I am so surprised at how healthy and simple they are, yet how packed with flavor they are. They are crispy and flavorful on the outside, tender on the inside, and loaded with bursts of lemon, garlic, and tahini in each bite. I highly recommend serving these with freshly made hummus or they’re delicious on their own. Simply don’t pass up this recipe! It’s one of my most proud kitchen accomplishments to date.
Better-Than-Restaurant Falafel (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 4 cups stemmed and torn collard greens (one bunch // or swiss chard)
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
- 3 large cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp tahini
- 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1 pinch each sea salt and black pepper
- 3-4 Tbsp oat flour (ground from gluten-free oats)
- ~4 Tbsp avocado or olive oil (for cooking)
Instructions
- Add collard greens, chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, and a healthy pinch each salt and pepper to a food processor and mix to combine (see photo).
- Once well incorporated, transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in oat flour 1 Tbsp at a time until the mixture is thick enough to handle – about 3-4 Tbsp (as original recipe is written).
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. I added more salt, pepper, and lemon juice, and a touch more tahini.
- Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat and add 2 Tbsp oil at a time. Swirl to coat pan.
- Add 4 falafel (or however many will fit very comfortably) to the pan at a time.
- Check at the 1-2 minute mark to ensure they’re not browning too quickly. If they are, slightly reduce heat. Flip once deep golden brown – about 3-4 minutes.
- Cook until the underside is golden brown as well.
- Serve immediately with hummus and paprika or inside a pita with garlic sauce or hummus.
- Will store in the fridge, layered with parchment paper in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Freeze up to 1 month.
Notes
*Adapted from Real Simple.
Galit says
Hi! I am definitely going to make these this week. I was wondering if these could be premade into patties (uncooked) and frozen to be cooked at a later date? I’d love to be able to pop these out of the freezer and cook them quickly on a crazy busy weeknight!
Kate says
I just made these for dinner – I subbed kale for collards since they’re not commonly sold in the UK and skipped the tahini. They were absolutely delicious! I was nervous that they’d be too crumbly and fall apart but they were really great. I gave them an hour in the fridge to firm up then baked them. We had them with salad and soy yogurt in homemade sourdough tortillas. Really really good. Thank you!
Jennifer says
Just tried those and they turned out great, nice texture. Think i’ll try them in the oven next time, not a fan of fried things, but they were tasty! My first experience with collard and falafel, but not the last! thanks!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Jennifer! Baking them will yield a slightly less oily and more evenly crisp falafel. Give that a try next time!
Holly says
Just to say these are amazing falafel – last recipe I tried was so dusty and was too packed out with filler e.g breadcrumbs. I stumbled across the site looking for a dusty-falafel-antidote. These up the veggieness to 11 and I loved them. I added a hefty squeeze of chilli sauce because I put chilli sauce in everything. I also used kala chana rather than regular chickpeas, spring greens as they are readily available here in the UK and peanut butter instead of tahini. Served them with wholewheat pitta bread and oven roasted aubergines, peppers and courgettes from the freezer coated in a spicy creme fraiche sauce :)
Glad you enjoyed these, Holly! Thanks for sharing your experience and additions. Much appreciated! -Dana
Kelzee says
I’ve made these approximately 2,472,608 times now and it’s always a miracle if I can get to the cooking part without eating the “dough” straight off the spoon first. So good!
anina says
Hello there, I’ve been eyeing this recipe for a while and will taking the plunge tomorrow. My question is regarding the chickpeas. If using dried chickpeas would 2C suffice? Thanking you in advance for your response.
Andi says
I made these for the 2nd time last night. They are chock full of healthful ingredients, and they taste amazing! I cooked my garbanzo’s in a veggie stock that I made which adds a ton of flavorful goodness to the them! Thanks for the easy/delish meal prep idea! :)
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Andi! Glad you like them.
Sonia Button says
So, I was craving falafel but didn’t have the right ingredients. But, I had garbanzos! I was determined. The result was much different, but also very, and I stress very, yummy patty. Thank you for the inspiration!
It has kind of a Thai twist to it because of the PB and nuts; next time I’d love to add some shredded sweet potato to the mix, used lime instead of lemon, whip up a lime-style peanut sauce and serve it over stir-fried quinoa.
I didn’t have chard so I used some brussel sprout greens and lots of basil from the garden.
I used two tablespoons of rolled oats and two tablespoons of flour (I was too lazy to just grind the oats, but I found that having oats gave the patties a great texture.)
Two tablespoons of natural, chunky peanut butter instead of tahini.
I added a heavy dose of curry powder and an awesome spice mix called Gun Powder that I picked up at a magical Indian market in Austin, TX.
Irene Siqueira says
OMG…. Seriously, these are amazing! I just made them, along with the hummus recipe you suggested. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Love it! I didn’t have oat flour, so I just used 3 tbsp of a gluten free flour mix I had on hand, plus about a tsp of flaxseed meal (I wanted to see if it worked as a binder). The falafels definitely needed to be handled delicately while cooking, but it wasn’t difficult. Also used lime instead of lemon (I’m living in Brazil and lemons are quite uncommon here). I used 2 cups of freshly cooked chickpeas, and cooked the collard greens a little, just until willing, or else I couldn’t have fit it all in my food processor! I ate 3 right after cooking, with that yummy hummus on top. Perfect! 5 stars!
Thanks Irene!!
Rebecca Miller says
You were right–these are amazing to my surprise. Thank you for sharing this. The only negative is I ate too many. :)
Meghann says
These look so great. I love your idea about making a big batch and then eating them here and there throughout the week. If I do that, should I cook them first and put them in the fridge, or do you put them in the fridge before cooking and then cook as you eat?
Thanks!
You can do it either way. I’d probably cook them and then freeze them. That way they only need a quick microwave or warm up in a 375-400 degree oven. Hope that helps!
Sue says
Has anyone tried making these without a food processor? Can it be done in a ninja blender or by hand?
It can be done, and although Ninjas don’t really work that great for these types of recipes (they’re best for smoothies), it should get the job done.
Cynthia says
Questions: Can I replace the collard greens with spinach, and use garbanzo flour instead of oat?
I’d use kale over spinach – you want something heartier. Garbanzo should work in place just fine!
Cynthia says
I actually made these last night with the spinach and garbanzo flour because I got too impatient to wait for your reply. :) It worked out perfect. I’ll switch to kale next time. I also added carrots and onion, it gave them a flavor almost identical to what I’m used to.
Also, for the breakage, I added flax seed gel instead of an egg since I’m vegan. I baked them instead of pan frying trying to go as healthy as possible, but the bottoms stuck to the wax paper. That’s a problem I’ll solve next time.
I pretty much completely transformed your recipe, but that’s the fun thing about food. You can tweak it and make it different every time.
Anyway, I’ve tried multiple falafel recipes in the past and they’ve all been so horrible, so I was a bit nervous when making these. I didn’t even taste them before baking them because I thought they would suck, but boy was I wrong. Served them with basmati rice, salad, and tzaziki sauce and it was the best meal I’ve had in a while. These falafels made me so happy, so thank you for that.
Sue says
I used spinach and they worked great!
Kati says
Hello! Not sure if someone has already asked, but wondering how large each falafel is (in inches, let’s say). 154 calories per falafel seems a bit heavy considering they are almost 50% greens! Thanks!
Hannah says
This looks great, can’t wait to try it!!
Julie says
I made these last night and the flavor was totally fantastic! I did have some problems with them staying together during cooking though. I added about double the lemon juice and skipped the flour entirely in a (misguided??) effort to get them to stick together, but then I added an egg and they cooked up just fine (I’m veg, but not vegan). I also wound up subbing peanut butter for the tahini since we were out, and that was perfectly delicious. Thank you, I will definitely make these again!
GoodFoodMarsh says
I attempted this glorious recipe today – thank you for making it s straightforward!
Amanda says
these were PHENOMENAL. I used olive oil and peanut butter instead of tahini because that’s what I had, and I made a little sauce using mayonnaise, lemon, parsley, and black pepper. so in love!
Andrea says
With just a bit of oil in the pan, these turned out tasting a bit too raw greens-ish for me to call them falafel. Since we cooked our chickpeas from dried I should have stuck the greens in the boiling chickpea water to blanch them for a few minutes when the chickpeas were about done.
Still.. pretty tasty, healthy and especially good inside homemade pitas.
Deb Broday says
Can you tell me what I can substitute the tahinin with? My daughter is allergic to nuts, sesemi seeds and gluten – among other things. Would like to try this and the hummas.
Pongodhall says
Oh Deb your daughter sounds allergic to more than I am!
Other nut butters, flax seed eggs, pumpkin seeds, I mix and match what I fancy too. I think those greens wreck things for me too. I like cauliflower, broccoli, I do red/white cabbage (raw) I use neutral mashed potato rather than pinko, or semolina, I hope your daughter gets to eat things she likes too.
Lisa says
Usually not a fan of vegan food but these falafels were great! While frying them I didn’t really know if I was using enough oil but they turned out splendid, I wish a garlic white sauce came along with this recipe because I tried to make my own and failed miserably.
Andrea says
I cannot BEGIN to tell you how happy I am {and how full my other half’s belly is} since the stars aligned and I found your website! We are on a culinary adventure, hoping that food can help heal my insides in a way that Western medicine has failed to do thus far. I have Crohn’s Disease and both R. and I have been on the roller-coaster that is my health and we have turned to a vegan diet as a means to try and regain some of that control back. It has been difficult, as prior to this, I was not very eager to try new things in the kitchen and I had very little confidence that what I was making would be tasty as well as healthy. Enter this website. I love, LOVE how you take wonderful, beautiful, healthful dishes and somehow make me believe that I can attempt to recreate them at home! You have a real gift and I thank you for sharing it with us. I have just made the hummus recipe you recommended above as well as these oh-my-sweet-good-gracious-I-would-eat-the-batter-with-a-spoon Falafel recipe for dinner tonight {I substituted mustard greens instead of collard, and a Tbsp of organic, hulled sunflower seeds with a few drops of sesame oil instead of the tahini because that’s what was in my pantry} and I will be proud to serve them tonight. Thank you again for your imagination, your sheer brilliance with making the food come alive through photography and your sublime palate. I look forward to your next creation.
Thank you so much for the kind words! So glad you’ve found encouragement and recipes here that are healing and healthy for you! Thanks for sharing! Cheers.
lauren says
I just made these based on the awesome reviews. I fried them first and then baked them to make them crispier. They were WAAAAY too bitter and green tasting for me. Maybe I did it wrong?? I followed the recipe exactly… It says 1 bunch of collard greens, that seems to have been a lot. Next time I will substitute some other veggies in there? What do you think?? Are they supposed to be this bitter?
Dax says
I can’t wait to try this. My friend the Greek Vegan (www.greekvegan.com) has a wonderful recipe for revithokeftedes. By the way, though the recipe sounds great, I do need to correct the comment in the blog post about falafel and Greece. Falafel is a Middle-Eastern dish, not a Greek one. Revithokeftedes is the similar (but not exactly the same) Greek chickpea patty. Just a small point.
Thanks!
Dax
Curtis says
I can’t get collard greens where I am, nor can I get lemons, so I used parsley instead of collard greens, and lime instead of lemon. Also, I started with dried garbanzos that I cooked and I used the water I cooked the garbanzos in to blend them with the rest of the ingredients. It did not turn out well. Next time perhaps I need to drain the water off and I think I will use chard instead of collard greens, and I will skip the citrus. I think if I had actually followed the recipe it would have been delicious. My version is two stars, but I will give you the benefit of the doubt and rate this five stars.
Christina says
I’m not sure what I missed here. Maybe it’s because I don’t normally eat vegan, but these did not taste good to me. I even liked the puree well enough raw (though I found nearly overwhelmed by the collard greens), but once it was cooked, the falafel took on a bitter, alkaline flavor. So non-vegans, take note: this probably won’t work well for your palate.
cactusren says
I’m not vegan (though my boyfriend is, so I do frequently eat vegan food), but I thought these were amazing and would recommend them to vegans and meat-eaters alike. They didn’t seem bitter at all, especially considering the amount of greens in them (I used kale). I’d say they’re a great way of disguising dark greens for those who don’t particularly like them.
Rayca says
Funny, people talking about rating system and soft on inside. Soft on inside is just what I’m looking for. Crunchy or hard on outside. I don’t care if they’re fritters. Those are good too. I rate recipes on the ingredients and my perception of how it will turn out. I then come back and give my review after I’ve tried it, giving suggestions that I may have tried. Guess I’m doing that wrong. Having said that, I’m giving 5 stars cuz I’m a good enough cook to know how they will taste and turn out.
Thanks Rayca! And thanks for your insights, too. Super helpful. Appreciate the honest review and so glad it turned out for you! Cheers.
Gizem says
I usually use your recipes. They always work good !
but,
am I wrong or you really did not cooked chickpeas? Only soaking does not sound logical to me. Could you please make it clear?
Yes! They were cooked! I used canned chickpeas, but if you’re using dry make sure to cook them first!
Jillian @ Newly Bread says
I can’t wait to try this! Falafel is one of my favorite foods. Do you think coconut flour would work in this?
It may affect the flavor and it will require a little less than the suggested amount, but yes! I think it would work!
Sophie says
Hi there,
I couldn’t find any collard greens or chard so used kale instead. Totally scrumptious thank you for the delicious recipe !!
Jennifer says
I made these tonight and they were excellant!
I did not have any oats on hand to grind so I just used regular flour and I did not have an Tahini so I use a bit of egg. I followed all the other directions/ingrediants and I loved them! I made a taziki sauce and we had them in a pita with lettuce and tomato! So yummy!
xo Jennifer
So glad to hear you enjoyed them, Jennifer! Thanks for sharing your changes!
Stacie says
I promised to stalk you and here I am… Laying in bed, stuffed full of falafel and hummus (and black bean brownie – had to make a new batch because I gave them all away!) I gave up making my own hummus because I couldn’t find a decent recipe. This hummus recipe is perfect for me. Love it. Now, I can’t say I’ve ever had a falafel before, or at least it wasn’t memorable, so I have no falafel experience for comparison. I can say that I devoured these scrumptious greenies up like someone was going to steal them… No joke, I stopped to breathe only once. Clearly I MUST continue to stalk you. ;)
B.P. says
I loved the use of collard greens. We use spinach, carrots and zucchini in our felafels usually, just salt a little to get the veggies to give up their water. I have read a lot of recipies lately and I am wondering why people are using grain flours instead of besan, aka chickpea flour, my nanous would twist my ear for adding anything but besan. Its gluten free after all.
Taylor says
These are great! I love that they are so simple and easy to make. I had a ton of beet greens laying around after making your vegan lava cakes (!!!) for v-day and this was the perfect recipe to use them up!
Amanda says
These look great! I can’t wait to try them =) Recipe says it makes 4 servings, and nutrition says 1 falafel is about 154 calories….Should it be 1 serving (3 falafels) is 154 calories?
Amanda, sorry for any confusion. Yes, it serves 4 people, but each falafel has about 154 calories. Hope that helps!
Amy Greenlaw says
Hello,
I tried making these and they didn’t cook all the way through and the whole house was starting to smoke when cooking them.
Also I used brown rice flour.
Do you think I could bake them to get the middle’s cooked?
Thanks,
Amy
Amy, I’m not certain but brown rice flour might be the culprit. Next time, since you had trouble mainly in the cooking process, I would suggest baking these at 375 for 20-25 minutes and flipping once halfway through. This should help!
Tessa says
Made this last night and it was delicious. I was worried that the collard flavor would be too strong but it wasn’t. Served it with a lightened up tahini sauce from oh she glows. I used soaked dry chickpeas instead of canned. Used quick soad method of 1 minute boiling and then left them for 8 hours.
Thanks for the recipe!
Nice! I’ve been experimenting with a cashew based garlic sauce that I think would be great on these little dudes. Will share soon! Thanks for sharing your experience, Tessa!
mireaux says
I just made these tonight and ate them in lettuce wraps with smoked tomato basil hummus and tomato. I haven’t cooked something good for myself in so long and it was a real treat. Thank you very much!
joy says
I just tried this with you hummus recipe. I love the hummus and am in like with the falafel. I think I over processed the mixture my Cuisinart because I had to use way more flour than what was instructed. I cooked them way longer because I couldn’t seem to get the middles cooked through. I think I’ll try again in the oven though because I am close to making it work out. Thank you for the cool recipes. I never thought to add collard greens (Or greens of any type). And I love the parsley addition to the hummus.
Dominique says
Hi Im planning to use j this recipe over the weekend and just raised I have dried chick peas rather than canned and was wondering what the weight of the chickpeas was once they were rinsed and drained? I can’t find any chickpeas that are canned that are the same weight as the ones used in the recipe.
Thanks for your help
Dominique, excellent question! I speculate that the weight is roughly 12 ounces post draining. The good thing is this recipe is fairly forgiving, so it shouldn’t matter too much if you’re an ounce off. Hope that helps!
Jennifer says
I just made these, and the flavor is fantastic. One BIG word of caution – DO NOT OVER PROCESS! I made the mistake of pureeing the mix before adding the flour and ended up having to use 1 CUP of oat flour just to handle them. I also ended up using more oil than I needed to just to get them to crisp up (which they did, beautifully). I also finished them in a 400 degree oven for 9 minutes just to cook the flour all the way through. This of course meant that the seasonings needed to be upped as well, so more salt and cumin were added to the batter. Other than my rookie mistake, these are really delicious and I will try them again once this batch is finished.
Lindsay Lucarlli says
I didn’t have Swiss chard or collard greens, so I used kale. I also added a teaspoon of chopped garlic and 1/4 tsp of coriander.
Xan says
I made these yesterday for a family get-together. The only thing I changed about the recipe was that, having doubled it, I decided to use the oven rather than pan-fry. That part worked great, though it took them a little longer than I expected. Something that surprised me was that they tasted best as “dough”, and that before adding any oat flour. Once cooked, I felt they had taken on a little bitterness, which is odd. Well, never mind. They were still good enough to eat. The husband had made a super spicy raw tomato and bread crumb sauce for some potato tapas which went great with these, plus some tahini sauce.
Laurie says
I made these and had trouble keeping them from crumbling in the frying pan. I know they are meant to be vegan, but i think an egg would have helped a lot.
Laurie, they are definitely tender and take some careful handling so yes, an egg would help. I opted not to keep them vegan. But baking them in the oven (perhaps 10-15 min at 400 F) may help keep them from crumbling. Hope that helps!
Vendela says
This recipe seems awesome. I have one question though, and I don’t know how stupid it is and if I need to ask it because my native language is not English and/or because I am tired and/or because I am relatively new at cooking. But I can’t make sense of these steps:
4. Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat and add 2 msk oil at a time. Swirl to coat pan.
5. Add 4 falafel (or however many will fit very comfortably) to the pan at a time.
What am I supposed to do with the skillet really? Only add oil to it when there is no falafel in it or is it implied that I am putting the falafel in it too? How many falafel “bits” am I supposed to do and when? Before the pan or the skillet?
Thanks for reading this! I feel like my question is ridiculous…
/Vendela
Vendela says
(Right, I changed Tbsp to msk, nevermind that, it’s just Swedish! :P)
Sounds like you figured it out! Let me know if you have any more questions, Vendela!! P.S. I visited Orebro, Sweden earlier this year and LOVED it. Beautiful country you live in!
Vendela says
Hi again,
thanks for the reply! It’s not the measurement standard that is the problem, however, but I don’t know what to do with the skillet and the pan as I wrote above – are those the same thing? :P
Glad to hear you like Sweden, it’s a bit dark at this time of the year – hopefully it will snow soon :)
Olga says
Yes, they are the same thing. a skillet is also called a frying pan, sometimes it is shortened to pan. Don’t be embarrassed, English is not my first language either, so I also have trouble when Americans do this.
courtney says
Just made these, so DAMN good!!!!! Made some spicy hummus and threw the falafel on a gluten free wrap, hummus and fresh coleslaw mix (no dressing) by far one of the best meals i have ever cooked myself! can’t wait to wow friends with it!!!! thanks.
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Courtney! So glad to hear they exceeded your expectations.
Marz says
I’ve just made them and while frying they were falling apart so I transferred them to the oven. I wonder if anyone else had this problem? I’m thinking what I did wrong. Maybe too much tahini or too much oil?
Hmm, they are gentle but they shouldn’t be falling apart. Make sure to use a very slim spatula and only lift them when ready to flip.
abby says
Can you use coconut flour for this recipe?
Heather says
Hi there, just a a quick question! ..If I don’t have oat flour, what other kinds can I use? Right now, in my cupboard, I have whole-wheat flour and all-purpose unbleached flour and I think some bread flour. Thanks!
I’d say use a mix of all purpose and whole wheat!
Bridgett says
I just wanted to say thank you for giving us a healthy option of falafel…It is absolutely delicious! adding cilantro and spring onions or red onions will also boost up the flavor a bit as well! I did want to give a tip to others out there that may have the same problem as me with browning…3/4 of my 1st batch were burnt within 2 minutes using the med-high setting as indicated above and even after lowering it to medium. I have an electric maytag stove and the perfect setting for this was 4, which is 2 settings below medium. They turned out perfect after that! you can also pop them in the oven at about 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes after browning or w/o browning =)
Thanks so much for the comment, Bridgett! I’ve cooked this recipe in several different kitchens and all oven tops and skillets seem to cook differently! So thanks for these tips as well as sharing your experience in baking them. So helpful!
Karin says
They look lovely! Is that 15.5 oz drained or undrained? The chickpeas I mean? I’m going to attempt these(but with kale instead) tomorrow but as we don’t have the same size cabs here in Sweden, or the same measuring system, I’ll have to do some maths first! :-)
Rinsed and drained! Great question – it’s listed in the ingredients section.
Karin says
Yes, of course it is! Don’t know how I could miss that :-) thank you for the reply anyway! By the way, I’ve got a batch of black bean brownies in the oven right now and I can’t wait to try them! :-D
Amanda says
What is the lovely-looking sauce you have drizzled on top? Looks delicious.
Allison says
Soooo yummy! I was just telling my boyfriend today that I was craving a falafel burger but I’ve recently found out that I’m allergic to gluten… Thank you so much for this recipe! Satisfied my craving and then some :)
Kyle says
Maybe I made them incorrectly, but unfortunately these were not good at all. they just tasted like fried collared greens and not like a falafel at all. they were also very mushy, which was okay but could not get past the taste :( the hummus was good though..
Catherine says
Very good flavour! Should they be very soft to eat? The browning was fine but the texture throughout was really soft. Delicious though…
Donna says
I just made this but with kale and rice flour. Tasted ok but didn’t hold together well, fell apart as I tried to eat it! I think it needs more spices
Nancy says
We made these tonight and LOVED them! So easy and so tasty! Thank you!
Caron says
My daughter has only been gluten free for about two weeks. We tried this recipe last night and it was excellent. We actually substituted kale which required us to add a little water but we were happy with the result which we had with homemade tzatziki sauce. Thank you. :)
Love to hear it! Thanks for sharing, Caron.
Bonnie says
Made these yesterday because I was craving falafel after a month-long trip around Europe. You said they were amazingly better. They weren’t. They didn’t taste like falafel. The texture was off. I tried refrigerating the mixture before cooking, but that didn’t help… These aren’t falafel, but are veggie fritters. And I’m annoyed, too, that these were rated five-stars by people who didn’t even make them.
Elizabeth says
lol y so mad tho? Sorry we’re not all as privileged as you were to go to Europe and have them made for us there. But yes, in comparison to gyro and middle eastern eateries out here, these were and still are some pretty top notch falafels (actually about to make these again for the 4th time). Take your attitude somewhere else…actually, back to Europe.
*still rating this recipe a 5 too
Davina says
Well said.
Shauna says
I COMPLETELY 100% agree that the 5 star ratings by people who haven’t even tried this is extremely frustrating. I chose to make this recipe for dinner tonight based on the high star rating, before actually going through the reviews to make sure they were legit. Note to everyone: don’t rate something just because it SOUNDS good…rate because you tried and it WAS good. Thank you. That being said, I am still excited to try these for dinner tonight.
Sue says
Instead of using canned garbanzos (chickpeas) soak dry garbanzos over night then put them In The food processor with the collard greens and process until they are small pieces. Don’t make it into a purée. Stop when thery are about the size of bulgar wheat or quinoa. You will find that this method has the right texture and is more authentic.
Connie says
Last time I made falafel I subbed kale because I didn’t have parsely. I liked them must better with the kale.
Kara says
I just made this falafel recipe and it was really yummy! The collard greens gave the falafel a mild, spicy flavor. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
kate says
Could i use a blender instead of a food processor?
If your blender has the blending power to bind it all together.
Elizabeth says
I have never had a more satisfying and moist falafel EVER! I love falafels but have always had a hit or miss relationship with the places I go to get pitas at because they’re usually too dry, but these were just right! AND VEGAN!!! :D I used spinach instead of collard greens and berbere instead of cumin, added a pinch of fennel and extra lemon. So darn delicious! I can’t wait to make these again and play with the recipe as I go. For everyone else that has already made these, how did you get the sides/edges browned? I like my falafels larger than average so I had a hard time getting the sides browned as well. Also, the insides didn’t cook all the way through (which I kind of liked because the moister the better for me), but I’m afraid they won’t last as long in the fridge because they’re not completely cooked. I’m thinking of lightly browning them in a pan then throwing them all in the oven for a little next go round. Any advice?
Thanks for this awesome recipe! Much love! :)
Steph says
Exactly, give them a good sear then into the oven they go!
Nicole says
I am going to try this with kale and chickpea flour tonight. Thanks for the recipe!
Jeni says
My husband is falafel OBSESSED… and he was floored (as was I). :) So easy and tasty!! And the collard greens were a nice change up. Thank you so much for sharing.
Marlies says
I just made these and they’re SO GOOD! Thanks for the recipe :)
Tatiane says
Hi, could you say how much grams or kl is in “1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas”?
I’m brazilian and we don’t buy chickpeas in can so I’m having difficult to convert…
Thanks
Alisha says
15 oz is 425.25 grams
Tatiane says
Thank you
Alisha says
Keep in mind though that 425 grams of dried chickpeas is going to be a different quantity than 425 grams of canned chickpeas. If you’re buying them dried then go with 425 grams, soak them and then weigh out 425 grams again when they’ve absorbed the water. You’ll have leftovers.
Natalie says
How do you think kale would work in place of collard greens?
Lindsay @ Pinch of Yum says
Your blog is awesome and I adore this recipe. <3
mmmmm, that makes my heart glad. Thanks Lindsay!
Scrambled Megs says
Going to try these tonight. If they turn out well, I’m going to blog them with a credit to you. They look divine and a good way to sneak in some greens, eh! x
Brooke Schweers says
These look amazing! Fresh and healthy, cannot wait to try them :)
Alanna says
Spectacular – I am all over these!!
Yvonne @ bitter baker says
I loooove falafel! Especially homemade. I have to try this recipe, never made a green version before! Also, I love your pictures :)
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
Love falafel, I just can never find the right recipe! Can’t wait to try : )
Alisha says
Your nutritional info says per falafel but I think (by my calculations) that’s per serving. I got 12 falafels out of the recipe so the nutritional value you have posted should be per 3 falafels? Either way, I’m still really excited to make these again. The boyfriend gave them a 10/10! (That never happens – he’s a meat and potato kinda guy)
Jacquie says
Has anyone tried to bake these? I’m not sure I want to fry them!
Alisha says
I haven’t baked them but I pan fried them with just cooking spray and medium-high heat. They came out nice and golden brown
Alisha says
Holy balls. These are sooooooooooo good! Simple to make, fast to put together and are just delicious. I used spinach, lime juice and gluten free all purpose flour. I’m also confident that this would make an A-grade hummus if the flour is nixed. I’m in love. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for reviewing! Love to hear what people think : )
Bernadette @ Now Stir It Up says
I would have never guessed that collard greens are in these. They provide such a pretty green color!
dixya@food, pleasure, and health says
I have never cooked nor eaten collard greens but this falafel is delicioussss looking. Cant wait to try it :)
hanah says
Made these along with your hummus tonight — so so so good! Best hummus recipe I’ve ever had/used — & the falafel were to die for. I will say I did have to add a tad bit more flour (I used Chickpea flour) but other than that everything was spot on!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Love the collards in there! Yum!
Courtney West says
I happen to have half of a monstrous bunch of rainbow chard left in my fridge and it’s totally being made into felafel. Thanks!
Jess says
I do love falafel, but I especially love how much good stuff you’ve managed to pack into these! Good luck with that cleanse, Dana – if these are on the approved eating list, it might be just about the only cleanse I could ever hope to make it all the way through!
Mimi @ Culinary Couture says
I LOVE falafel! I never thought of using collard greens, so I can’t wait to try these!
Ashley Naomi says
SO YUMMY! I just made this for lunch! I didn’t have tahini or collard greens so I used spinach instead and added chilli! Will be adding this to my staple weekly meals! Thankyou x
Don B says
Make your own tahini. It’s easy. Toast some sesame seeds, then in the food processor with olive oil. It’s that simple.
Catherine says
I’ve always made tahini with sesame seeds, no additional oil. Does it change the consistency?
I think it makes them a little more moist, but try omitting it and let me know how it goes!
Eileen says
I keep seeing all these amazing falafel recipes lately, and then being sad because our lack of food processor makes grinding all those chickpeas a serious challenge. Maybe it’s time to actually get one… :) These look so good–I would never have thought to add collards to falafel!
Kelly says
You will NEVER regret buying a food processor! You will regret not having done so sooner.
cactusren says
I just made this using an immersion blender, as I don’t have a food processor, and it worked out fine. The mixture is definitely too thick for a regular blender, but being able to move the immersion blender around to different sections of the bowl and work through the greens bit by bit was pretty easy. Plus I only had to wash out one bowl, the blender, and the pan.
These were fanstastic–thanks so much for the recipe!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing.
Dana @ Conscious Kitchen Blog says
These look delicious! I’ve wanted to make falafel for awhile now, but most of the recipes I find are complicated and/or involve deep frying of some sort. This version seems like the perfect beginning of a falafel making adventure. Thanks for sharing.
Alexandra @ Lean Green Healthy Machine says
Love your spin on the falafel…adding greens into recipes is always a plus in my book. I recently blogged about a quinoa falafel that I tried which was tasty…and now I’m looking forward to try your innovative version! Thanks!
Tieghan says
You know I have never tried falafel, but this looks to good not to try!! Love everything in these!!
Ashley says
We are infatuated with collard greens over here as of late, so I love the addition of collards in this recipe! Also, Chris has a MAJOR thing for falafel. :)
Joy says
You had me at falafel. Seriously, you could have just posted a picture and said the word falafel and I would still be dying to try this!
Abigail says
Agreed!
Lisa says
Love everything about this! I have some prepared chickpeas so maybe this will be made tomorrow or Thursday night :)
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough says
These are the prettiest falafel I’ve ever seen! Gotta try this.
chelsy says
Damn these look out of this world delicious!
Nancy says
These sound/look delicious and definitely easier than most falafel recipes I’ve seen!
Ashley M. [at] (never home)maker says
I love this! Ada really likes falafel, and this is a recipe I wouldn’t mind giving her!
thelittleloaf says
I love love love falafel. I’ve made them with peas and spinach and butternut squash but never with greens – making this next week for my packed lunch!
Ando says
I’m going to make some of these today, they look delicious! Thanks for the inspiration!
Kathryn says
I’m actually eating some pretty average falafel right now – these look like total beauties. Can’t wait to upgrade to them!
Megan @ megbakes says
I never would have thought of adding collard greens to falafel. I will have to try these!