Falafel Salad With Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Deep-fried falafel can be a total grease bomb. But these pan-seared falafels still get crispy in just a few tablespoons of oil with equally satisfying results. Be sure to use dried, instead of canned, chickpeas in this healthy recipe — canned chickpeas add too much moisture.

Prep/Cook Time: 50 Minutes (plus 12-24 hours soaking time), Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried chickpeas
• 2 cups packed flat-leaf parsley, divided
• ¼ cup chopped red onion plus ¼ cup thinly sliced, divided
• 2 cloves garlic
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 5 tablespoons tahini
• 5 tablespoons warm water
• 6 cups sliced romaine lettuce
• 2 cups sliced cucumbers and/or radishes
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered

Directions

1. Soak chickpeas in cold water for 12 to 24 hours.
2. Drain the chickpeas and transfer to a food processor. Add 1 cup parsley, chopped onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, cumin and ½ teaspoon salt; process until finely and evenly ground. Shape into 12 patties (1½ inches wide), using a generous 2 tablespoons each.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Cook the falafel until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn, swirl in 1 tablespoon oil and cook until golden on the other side, 3 to 5 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, whisk tahini, water and the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon oil and ½ teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Transfer ¼ cup to a small bowl. Add romaine and the remaining 1 cup parsley to the large bowl and toss to coat. Top with cucumbers and/or radishes, tomatoes, the sliced onion and the falafel. Drizzle with the reserved ¼ cup dressing.

Nutritional Information

Per Serving: 499 calories; 31 g fat (4 g sat, 18 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 45 g carbohydrate; 0 g added sugars; 10 g total sugars; 16 g protein; 13 g fiber; 626 mg sodium; 1,024 mg potassium

© Dotdash Meredith. All rights reserved. Used with permission.