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!
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.