Spinach Almond Falafel Salad + Vegan Garlic Mayo Dressing
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Vegan
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 15
 
This falafel salad combines crispy, pan-fried spinach almond falafel and a simple vegan garlic mayo dressing for a meal even non-vegans will love.
Ingredients
For the Falafel:
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • ¼ cup cilantro
  • ½ cup spinach
  • 1.2 cup spinach
  • juice of ½ a lime
  • 2 tbsp almonds
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • ¼ cup spelt flour
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • olive oil for cooking
For the Vegan Garlic Mayo Dressing:*
  • 3 tbsp vegan mayo
  • 1 tbsp almond milk
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp garlic
  • Optional: 1-2 tsp dried thyme
For the salad:
  • Greens of choice (I chose lettuce)
  • Tomatoes
  • Shallots, thinly sliced
  • Slivered Almonds
  • Cucumbers etc.
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients for the falafel to the bowl of a food processor and pulse. scraping down the sides, until everything is broken down and a crumbly 'dough' is formed. You may need to add more lime juice to get the food processor working
  2. Transfer the falafel mix into a bowl and continue to mash with a fork if necessary (i.e. if there are any large chickpea chunks still visible)
  3. Optional: At this point, you can refrigerate mixture for a couple hours or overnight. I've made the falafel with and without this step and I like it both ways. But, the texture of the falafel is a bit more authentic after refrigerating
  4. Scoop out spoonfuls of dough and form into small patties or disks. I used a tablespoon for this and was able to get about 15 falafel patties*
  5. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat
  6. Once the oil is hot, place the falafel into the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until the patties are golden brown. Watch them carefully as they burn easily
  7. Transfer the patties to a paper towel to drain off any excess oil
  8. Serve with salad or a pita and top with Vegan Garlic Mayo Dressing below
For the Vegan Garlic 'Mayo' Dressing
  1. Add all ingredients for the dressing to a small bowl and whisk until well combined
Notes
* I only make small batches of the salad dressing at a time, enough for two salads. But you can double or triple the recipe and store the dressing in the fridge for up to a week.
Recipe by Diary of an ExSloth at https://exsloth.com/falafel-salad-vegan-garlic-mayo/