Low carb falafel (without chickpeas)

Low carb cauliflower falafel are made without chickpeas and are incredibly delicious & simple to make! Add falafel to the top of a bed of hummus and Shirazi salad for a super nutritious and absolutely delicious, plant-based meal!

Falafel was always one of my favorite things to order at Mediterranean restaurants, but they can be extremely hard to find gluten-free and if you can’t tolerate beans, you most likely will have no hope finding any that you can eat.. So here is a recipe that meats all the criteria! These cauliflower falafel’s are gluten free, vegan, and paleo friendly, while being perfectly crispy and full of that authentic falafel flavor.

When Thomas and I were in Costa Rica recently, we ate at a restaurant called the Falafel House. They had a dish called hummus plates where the plate was covered in a thick layer of homemade hummus, topped with salad, falafel, pickled onion, and avocado. It was amazing and I knew I had to recreate it when we got home.. and here we are!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Customizable: Switch up the herbs and spices you use, cooking method, etc!
• Dietary needs: Whether you don’t digest beans well or consume a paleo diet, this falafel recipe is made without chickpeas and is low carb, keto, and paleo-friendly!
• Wholesome and nutritious! Packed with nutrients and fiber, these flavorful falafel bites make an amazing addition to any meal!
• Quick & easy! These come together in a food processor for minimal effort and clean-up! They are baked so no frying is required!

How to make low carb falafel

Equipment

• Food processor
• Baking sheet

Ingredients

Low carb falafel

• Cauliflower
• Spices & nutritional yeast: I use a mix of sea salt, pepper, cumin, nutritional yeast, garlic
• Parsley: Fresh parsley is what gives these falafel tons of fresh flavor
• Eggs – I haven’t tested a vegan substitute but a flax egg or egg replacer may work!
• Almond flour: I haven’t tested any substitutes for this either, but if you can’t have almonds you can blend cashews in a blender until it resembles flour and use that! I recommend a nut flour because it gives them a light, crispy texture.
• Arrowroot or tapioca flour: this helps hold the falafel together while also allowing the centers to stay softer and the outsides to get crispy
• Onion: We chop these up and add it to the mix!

The shirazi salad

• Tomato
• Cucumber
• Red onion
• Green bell pepper
• Mint, parsley, cilantro
• Lime & extra virgin olive oil

Steps to make low carb falafel

1. Add the cauliflower to a food processor and process until it’s broken down, smaller than cauliflower rice.
2. Add the cauliflower mixture to a large bowl with the remaining ingredients. Mix everything together well. Then form into balls and place on a lined baking sheet.
3. Spray with avocado oil spray (or other spray oil) and bake, flipping half way through the time.
4. To assemble the plate, add a thick layer of hummus. Top with the salad, pickled onions or kraut, and avocado. Serve with toum (garlic sauce) or tzatziki!

How to build a hummus plate

Hummus: the base! Slab it on thick!
Salad: We made a simple shirazi salad (you can store leftovers for lunches for the week!)
Pickled onion or kraut: I love adding pickled veggies or kraut for a tang and their gut-health benefits!
Falafel: This is where our homemade cauliflower falafel comes into play!
Avocado: I like adding a healthy fat source. Avocado is delish with this!
Sauces: I’m a toum girl – it’s a super thick garlic sauce that is incredible with literally anything. Highly recommend googling a recipe to try out! Tzatziki or tahini sauce is also amazing. I left a lemon tahini recipe below for you!

Serving suggestions

• Add to salads.
• Serve on top of greek lemon rice.
• Add to a plate of hummus and shirazi salad (pictured!)
• Snack on them straight up or dip in hummus or toum!

Storing leftover falafel

Store leftover shirazi salad in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Store leftover falafel in an air-tight container in the fridge. To reheat, throw in the airy fryer, oven, or on a grill pan with some spray oil or drizzle of olive oil until crispy. Alternatively, you can microwave them but they’ll be softer.

More healthy, low carb recipes you’ll love

• Cornbread Chili Casserole
• Zucchini pizza bites
• Cauliflower steak pizzas
• Loaded baked cauliflower
• Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
• Healthy spinach wraps
• Mexican Shakshuka
• Paleo sandwich bread
• Crunchy Thai Peanut Salad

If you try this recipe and love, it’d mean the world to me if you left a star rating and review below and be sure to tag me in your creations on Instagram @danishealthyeats!

Low Carb Falafel (without chickpeas)

Low carb cauliflower falafel are made without chickpeas and are incredibly delicious & simple to make! Add falafel to the top of a bed of hummus and Shirazi salad for a super nutritious and absolutely delicious, plant-based meal!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 33 minutes mins

Course dinner, lunch

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 4

Calories 1 kcal

Ingredients

  

Cauliflower falafel

• 1 medium head of cauliflower (2 cups processed cauliflower)
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 3 tbsp arrowroot or tapioca flour/starch
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds *optional but adds protein!)
• 1 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup white or yellow onion, diced
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Shirazi Salad

• 3 roma tomatoes
• 1/3 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 english cucumber, diced small
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tbsp dried mint
• 3 tbsp chopped parsley & cilantro
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt & pepper, to taste

Lemon tahini sauce

• 1/2 cup tahini
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup water, as needed
• sea salt & pepper, to taste

Assembling the plates

• hummus
• red onion
• avocado (optional)
• tzatziki, tahini sauce (above), or toum (garlic sauce)

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Add the cauliflower to a food processor and process a few minutes until it's really broken down (smaller than cauliflower rice) and almost sticky-like.
• Add the cauliflower to a large bowl with the remaining ingredients. Mix by hand, well, until a dough forms.
• Roll the dough into balls and place on a lined baking sheet. You can flatten them slightly to resemble falafels. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip. Bake for another 15 minutes, or until golden and crispy to your liking.
• While the falafel is baking, make the shirazi salad. Add all of the ingredients to a bowl, adding the olive oil and lime juice last. Give everything a good toss.
• When ready to assemble the plates, add a thick layer of hummus to the bottom of it. Add some of the salad on top, some falafel, pickled onion or sauerkraut, and avocado.
• Top with your favorite sauce! I love doing tahini sauce, tzatziki, or toum (garlic sauce!).

Tahini sauce

• Blend everything in a blender. Taste & adjust as needed. Store leftovers in an air-tight container.

Notes

*You can store leftover falafel and salad in air-tight containers in the fridge. To reheat the falafel, you can pop them in the air fryer, oven, or heat on a pan with a tiny bit of spray or olive oil to crisp them back up. Alternatively, you can reheat them in the microwave.

Keyword cauliflower falafel, falafel, gluten free falafel, greek salad, hummus, low carb pizza, mediterranean salad, shirazi salad, vegan falafel