White Bean Falafel with Pickled Vegetables & Yogurt Sauce
Navy beans stand in for chickpeas in this twist on falafel. Sweet and sour pickled radish, garlic yogurt sauce and pita triangles round out the meal.
Photo: Ted Gibson
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp organic evaporated cane juice
- 1 tsp sea salt, divided
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 cup thinly sliced radish
- 1/2 cup Balkan-style yogurt
- 1 tsp lemon zest plus 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
- 3 small whole-grain pitas, halved and split open
- 4 cups BPA-free canned navy beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large egg
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
- 1/4 cup whole-wheat panko bread crumbs
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 3 cups loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped grape tomatoes
Preparation
- In a small pot, bring vinegar, cane juice and 1/2 tsp salt to a boil, stirring until cane juice is dissolved. Add red onion and radish. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, prepare yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, mix together yogurt, 1 tbs lemon juice and 1 minced clove garlic. Set aside.
- Toast pita and cut into triangles. In a large bowl, mash beans with a potato masher; mixture should be slightly lumpy. Add egg, green onion, flour, bread crumbs, rosemary, pepper, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 tbsp lemon juice, remaining 2 minced cloves garlic and 1/2 tsp salt; mix until well combined. Form 12 golf ball–sized balls and place them on a large rimmed parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently flatten into patties.
- In a large skillet on medium-high, heat 1 tbsp oil. Working in 2 batches to prevent overcrowding, add patties and cook for about 4 minutes, turning once, until crisp and golden. Add another 1 tbsp oil between batches. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate and cover to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine parsley, tomatoes, remaining 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp oil, tossing to coat.
- Place 2 patties on each plate. Divide pickled vegetables, yogurt sauce, salad and pita among plates.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1 falafels and 1/6 of toppings
- Calories 312
- Carbohydrate Content 47.5 g
- Cholesterol Content 34 mg
- Fat Content 8 g
- Fiber Content 13 g
- Protein Content 15 g
- Saturated Fat Content 2 g
- Sodium Content 148 mg
- Sugar Content 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 1 g