Falafel Salad

Falafel Salad is the deliciousness of Falafel without the bread and made right in the convenience of your slow cooker!

Falafel Salad When I was working at Clarkson University, there was a faculty member whose spouse brought falafel to one of our departmental parties. That first taste had me hooked. I absolutely loved it and wanted to know how to make them! I ended up being invited to their house to be taught how to make them! I felt like I had a pretty good lesson considering they were from Jordan and I was getting an authentic recipe!

Then, just a few weeks ago when I was assigned my blog for the Secret Recipe Club for the month of June, I found a falafel recipe that was very unique in the fact that it was cooked in your crockpot!. Amanda, who is the author of Fake Ginger was my match for this month. I expected I was going to be making her Bang Bang Shrimp recipe that I have had saved forever. While I'm sure its an awesome recipe and I still plan to make it, I decided that it just didn't fit our lifestyle right now. When I read how easy the recipe for crockpot falafel sounded I couldn't resist.

Amanda has been around in the blog world a little longer than I have been. She mentions that she likes it when her hubby is away because it gives her the opportunity to make things that she likes to make but her hubby doesn't care for. The exact same thing I look forward to! We both belonged to Tuesday's with Dorie and Daring Bakers way back in the beginning (and which I dropped out due to gaining weight being a negative side effect!)

This is definitely a great way to make falafel without the frying, I loved it and will be definitely be making Falafel Salad again and again! Thanks Amanda for having such a terrific blog and sharing your recipes with us!

Falafel Salad

Author: Grumpy's Honeybunch

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 2 hours 30 mins

Total time: 2 hours 45 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2-½ cups chickpeas
½ small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1-½ teaspoon ground cumin
1-½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1 egg
1 lemon, juice of
⅓ cup flour
1-½ teaspoons baking soda
Falafal Dressing:
1 cup fat free yogurt
3 tablespoons tahini butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 2 lemons
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Drain chickpeas and place in food processor along with next 8 ingredients (onion through lemon juice) and pulse until mixture starts to come together but still is slightly chunky. Transfer chickpea mixture to mixing bowl and mix in flour and baking soda.
Place about 1 tablespoon olive oil in the bottom of crockpot (I used my large oval crockpot). Using a large cookie scoop, scoop falafel mixture and then form into slightly flattened balls with floured hands. Place in crockpot and spray tops lightly with cooking spray. Cover and let cook on high 2-3 hours.
Amanda instructed to use a little more oil than I did and I did follow her instruction to not turn the falafel over half way. They browned perfectly and were delicious!
Make dressing by blending together yogurt, tahini butter, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. To serve, place about 2 cups of chopped lettuce in center of plate. Place 2-3 falafel on top of the lettuce bed and arrange chopped cucumber and chopped tomato around the lettuce bed. Drizzle with Tahini-Yogurt Dressing and sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Makes 12 falafel patties.