Best with Organic Cooked Beets

Beet Falafel Bites with Pink Tahini Sauce

Prep Time: 20 Minutes // Cook Time: 30-40 minutes Servings: 4-6

What to do

  1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the rinsed and drained chickpeas. Bake for 10- 15 minutes, until the chickpeas are dried out and starting to split. Set aside the chickpeas, leaving the oven on.
  1. To a food processor, add the chickpeas and beets. Pulse until broken up into small pieces. Scraping down the sides a few times before pulsing again. Place the beet chickpea mixture in a large bowl.
  2. To the food processor (no need to clean it out) add onion, garlic, and parsley. Pulse until finely chopped, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the parsley mixture to the bowl with the beet chickpea mixture.
  3. Toss together the two chopped mixtures. Add cumin, salt, freshly cracked black pepper, baking powder and chickpea flour. Fold together until a loose dough forms. If still too crumbly, add an additional tbsp chickpea flour.
  4. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of the falafel mixture. Using your palms, pat the mixture into a ball. Flatten the ball slightly with the palm of your hand. Set aside on a parchment lined baking sheet. This will yield 12-16 falafel.
  5. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 1⁄2 tablespoons avocado oil. Add 1/2 the falafel to the pan, not overcrowding. Fry for 3-4 minutes each side, until golden brown. Return fried falafel to the lined baking sheet. Add 1 1⁄2 tablespoons avocado oil and fry the second batch of falafel, returning to the lined baking sheet,
  6. Once fried, bake the falafel for 15-20 minutes, until crispy on the outside.
  7. While the falafel bake, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, beet juice, maple syrup, cold water, garlic, salt, and pepper to make the Pink Tahini Sauce. Taste and add more salt,pepper, or lemon juice as desired.
  8. To serve as an appetizer, place the falafel on a large platter, top with Pink Tahini Sauceand any desired toppings. To serve as a meal, stuff the falafel into a pita and drizzle with Pink Tahini Sauce and any desired toppings.

What you’ll Need

Falafel Bites
– 1 cup Love Beets Organic Cooked Beets, chopped (about 140 grams)
– 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
– 1⁄2 cup onion, roughly chopped
– 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
– 1 cup parsley, roughly chopped (stems and leaves)
– 1 tsp salt
– 1 1⁄2 tsp cumin
– 1⁄4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
– 3 tbsp chickpea flour (AP flour or oat flour work too)
– 1 tsp baking powder
– 3 tbsp avocado oil for cooking
Optional Toppings: sliced cucumber, sliced beets, pomegranate seeds, za’atar, fresh dill and parsley

Pink Tahini Sauce
– 1⁄2 cup tahini
– Juice of 1⁄2 lemon, about 2-3 tbsp
– 2 cloves garlic, minced
– 2-3 tbsp beets juice (reserved from Love Beets Organic Cooked Beets package)
– 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
– 2 tbsp cold water
– 1⁄4 tsp salt
– Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste