As seen on CTV Morning News: Make Ahead Baked Falafel Salad

January 18, 2018

Did you see Angie this morning and wanna make the fantastic salad she featured? Look no further:

Make Ahead Baked Falafel Salad

A Well Seasoned Recipe - Visit us in store on 64th Avenue, in Langley, BC

Ingredients for the falafels:

1 cup Dry Split Red Lentils
2 cups Loosely-Packed Italian Parsley Leaves, Stems Removed
2 cups Loosely-Packed Cilantro Leaves, Stems Removed
5 Garlic Cloves
1 small Red Onion
1 To 2 Jalapeno Peppers, To Taste - Minced
1 ½ tablespoons Tahini Paste
1 ½ tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
½ teaspoon Baking Soda
1 To 3 tablespoons Chickpea Flour Or All-Purpose Flour
Olive Oil Spray

Ingredients for the tahini dressing:

1/3 cup Whole Sesame Seed Tahini Paste
Juice of 1 Lemon
3 tablespoons Water
1 Garlic Clove, Finely Grated
¼ cup Minced Italian Parsley
½ teaspoon Sweet Paprika
Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste

Ingredients for the salad:

3 cups Shredded Kale Or Lettuce
3 Carrots, Grated
¼ cup Thinly Sliced Red Onion
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper, To Taste

Instructions

Soak the lentils in fresh water overnight. When ready to make the falafels, strain and rinse the soaked lentils. Make sure to pick through the batch and discard any stones or debris.
In a food processor, pulse the lentils until they are coarsely ground, 3 to 5 times. Add the parsley, cilantro, garlic, onion, and serrano pepper to the bowl, and pulse another few times. Drizzle in the tahini paste, olive oil, spices, salt and pepper, and blend until almost smooth. Make sure not to over blend the mixture; you still want some crumb. Taste the mixture, and adjust the seasoning according to your liking. Add the baking soda and the chickpea flour. Start by adding 1 tablespoon of chickpea flour at a time. If the mixture is still too liquidy add another. The mixture should be fairly moist, and if you add too much flour, the falafels will become too dry and hard when baked. I wouldn't add more than 3 tablespoons.
Refrigerate mixture for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375° F.
To make the tahini dressing, whisk the tahini paste, lemon juice, water together until creamy. Mix in the grated garlic clove, minced parsley, paprika, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Toss the salad ingredients together.
Using a cookie scoop measure, scoop out 2 tablespoons of the refrigerated falafel mixture into the palm of your hand. Roll into a ball and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. Generously coat the falafels with olive oil spray and bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Make sure not to over cook these — you don't want them to dry out.
To serve, plate the falafels over a bed of salad with a heaping dollop of tahini dressing