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Simple and delicious red lentil falafel with creamy cashew tzatziki.
In today’s recipe some simple ingredients transform into little balls that are bursting with flavour and have awesome texture. These spiced red lentil falafels with fresh parsley and cilantro are super simple and quick to make, and I know you all will love them. Because these red lentil babies are also healthy, oil-free, gluten-free, high in protein and most importantly extra delicious! The nutty and herby vegan red lentil falafels go perfectly with creamy cashew tzatziki or any of your favourite sauce. Serve them warm or cold, with a big salad or baked potatoes, in pita bread or in a sandwich. You can also use them as ‘meatballs’ over spaghetti, or just snack on them throughout the day.
Is it just me, or soaking legumes is really the biggest pain in the ass? Even if I plan well ahead that I wanna make falafels or some stew, I still forget to soak my chickpeas overnight. Every. Single. Time. You see, up until a few years ago I’ve only ever bought canned legumes, so soaking them was not part of my daily routine. But nowadays I try to avoid buying cans to minimise my waste, which means I can’t rely on that quick solution anymore. Unfortunately it doesn’t mean, that I ever remember to place those babies in a little water bath for a few hours…I guess my new years’ resolution will be to try to become a better person aka not to forget soaking legumes. Yes, it definitely will be.
Long story short, a few month ago I had an extreme falafel craving and I had obviously no soaked chickpeas. Sometimes in desperate situations I grab a store-bought bag of falafel, but to be honest I haven’t found any yet, that’s actually delicious. Most of them are dry and boring (especially if you don’t deep fry them), and on that very special day, I really didn’t feel like having bad falafel. But as I sadly stared at the legume shelf in the kitchen, I noticed the red lentil jar and it was an instant enlightenment. If red lentils have such a short cooking time, they must have a short soaking time too, right?
Yeeeees! I was absolutely right and the result was amazing. I don’t say that from now on I’ll give up on regular falafels entirely, but so far this red lentil version took over its place. It’s quick and easy and tastes sooooooooo good! Surely a winner recipe, so try it!
If you try this recipe, let me know! I would highly appreciate if you could leave a comment and rate it. Also don’t forget to take a picture and tag it on Instagram (use the hashtag #greenevi) or post it on Facebook! I love seeing what you come up with! ♥︎
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Red Lentil Falafel with Cashew Tzatziki
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 20 falafels 1x
Ingredients
For the red lentil falafel
- 1,5 cup of dry red lentils, soaked for an hour
- 2–3 tbsp of flour (I use chickpea flour)
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup of fresh parsley
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp za’atar
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- salt, pepper
For the cashew tzatziki
- 1 cup of cashews, soaked
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 lemon, juice
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp maple syrup
- 1/3 cup of water
- 2/3 cup of grated cucumber
- salt, pepper
To serve
- massaged kale salad
- quinoa
- beet slices
- carrot slices
- fresh mint leaves
Instructions
Red lentil falafel
- Place uncooked, but soaked lentils, flour, flaxseed, herbs, garlic, tahini, and spices in a food processor, and blend until well combined. Make sure not to over-process the mixture, you still want some texture. You can adjust the consistency with flour, but don’t add too much, otherwise falafel gets really hard. The lentil mixture should be moist, but shapeable. Let set in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180°C/360ºF. Make about 20 small discs or balls, and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
Cashew tzatziki
- Place cashews, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, maple syrup and water to a blender, and blend until completely smooth. Adjust consistency with water and season with salt and pepper.
- Give grated cucumber a squeeze, to remove excess water, then mix into the sauce.
To serve
- Serve falafels warm or at room temperature with kale, beets, carrots, quinoa, fresh mint and cashew tzatziki. Or in a pita sandwich. Or with spiralized zucchini. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Main, Snack
- Cuisine: Vegan
Oooo yummy! I love the sound of the cashew tzatziki!!
Thanks!
YUM! Cashew dressing looks really inviting!
Thank you!
It looks great. I agree with you, the shop-bought falafel is not as lovely as the one made at home and I always want falafel or houmous in the mornings, but forgot to put the chickpeas to soak overnight.
Hahaha, then you understand the struggle 😀
These look absolutely incredible and your photography is really nice <3
Thank you so much!!
Yummerz! They look delicious! I’ve never had red lentil falafel before, but after seeing this, I may just do that! And so true, sometimes it’s the desperate situations that create the best dishes! 😉
I think you’d love these, Anna 😉
Now I know what we’ll have for lunch next Sunday. 😉 Thank you for this recipe, the picture looks soooo inviting – as always!
I hope you’ll like it 🙂
This is my first time on your blog and I’m loving what I’m seeing. I shared your issues with soaking beans until I got an Instant pot.. seriously- unsoaked beans in 45 minutes and they come out soft, creamy, and delicious. Just saying!
Anyway- love the idea of red lentil falafel. Brilliant!
Thank you so much! 🙂
Aaaaa….instant pot. I keep hearing it from everybody, I think I should really look for one. Which brand do you use?
A bit too dry.
Hey,
You can drizzle the falafel balls with a little oil before baking, that way they are way less dry. Or you can also fry them, if you prefer. 🙂