This Falafel with Tzatziki recipe is best made with a mix of herbs. To make it easier to form the chickpea mixture into patties, I oil my hands first.

This recipe was developed by Kate Sherwood, The Healthy Cook. Have a comment, question, or idea? Email Kate at healthycook@cspinet.org.

Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 12 falafel

Ingredients

  • ½ white onion, chopped
  • 1 cup soft fresh herbs, leaves and tender stems (parsley, mint, cilantro, and/or dill)
  • 1 15 oz. can no-salt-added chickpeas, drained
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup whole wheat panko or breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp. ground coriander or cumin
  • ¼ tsp. sweet or smoked paprika
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ lemon, cut into wedges
  • ½ cup Tzatziki (see recipe)

Instructions

  1. In a food processor, pulse the onion and herbs until uniformly minced, about 10 pulses. Remove to a large bowl.
  2. Add the chickpeas, egg, breadcrumbs, spices, and salt to the food processor. Pulse into a rough paste, about 12 pulses. Add to the bowl with the onion and herbs, then mix everything together.
  3. Form the mixture into 12 falafel patties. In a large nonstick pan over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Sauté the falafel until browned, 3–4 minutes. Gently flip and cook through, 2–3 minutes. Serve with the lemon wedges and tzatziki.

Tzatziki

Makes: 1 cup (16 Tbs.)

Ingredients

  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (0% or 2%)
  • ¼ cup minced cucumber
  • 2 Tbs. minced fresh dill or mint
  • 1 Tbs. lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients together.

Nutrition Information

Per falafel (1 falafel with 2 tsp. tzatziki):

  • Calories: 90
  • Total fat: 4 g
  • Sat fat: 0.5 g
  • Carbs: 9 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Total sugar: 1 g
  • Added sugar: 0 g
  • Protein: 4 g
  • Sodium: 80 mg

Photo: Kate Sherwood/CSPI.

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