Falafel Pitas With Cilantro-Cashew Sauce

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Perhaps the world’s astir iconic vegetarian sandwich, falafel deserves its spot successful a plant-based-eating repertoire. It requires a spot of planning, but it’s good worthy the effort, and leftovers reheat easily.

Dried chickpeas, not canned, marque for conscionable the close texture successful these pan-fried patties. Combine them and caller vegetables successful a creamy cilantro-cashew sauce, and a fewer dollops of harissa for bully measure.

A nutrient processor is adjuvant here, and a high-powered oregon modular blender.

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The cashews and dried chickpeas request to soak for 10 to 12 hours. The condiment tin beryllium refrigerated for up to 1 week, oregon frozen for 2 to 3 months. Falafel are casual to marque up and reheat. Refrigerate for up to 3 days, oregon frost for months. Reheat the falafel connected a baking expanse successful a 375-degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes until heated through.

From Sonja Overhiser and Alex Overhiser, of ACoupleCooks.com.

Ingredients

measuring cup

Servings: 4 (makes 24 tiny disks)

For the sauce

1 cupful (5 ounces) raw, unsalted cashews, soaked (see headnote)
1/2 clump caller cilantro leaves (1 cupful packed)
1/2 cupful water, oregon much arsenic needed
1/4 cupful caller citrus foodstuff (from 1 ample lemon)
1/2 spoon kosher salt, oregon much arsenic needed
1/8 spoon crushed cayenne capsicum (optional)

For the falafel

1 cupful (7 ounces) dried chickpeas, soaked (see above)
2 mean cloves garlic
1/4 mean reddish onion, coarsely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 tiny carrot, scrubbed good and coarsely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoonful coarsely chopped cilantro stems
1/3 cupful loosely packed parsley leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed cumin
1 spoon kosher salt
1/4 cupful positive 2 tablespoons neutral lipid oregon much arsenic needed, for frying

For serving

4 pita breadstuff rounds, each chopped successful half
1/2 English (seedless) cucumber, thinly sliced into rounds
1/2 cupful thinly sliced reddish onion
1 cupful (2 ounces) babe spinach
1 cupful cherry tomatoes, chopped
Mild harissa (store-bought; optional; spot note)

Nutritional Facts

Per serving

Calories
630
Fat
24 g
Saturated Fat
4 g
Carbohydrates
78 g
Sodium
730 mg
Protein
21 g
Fiber
14 g
Sugar
5 g

This investigation is an estimation based connected disposable ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s oregon nutritionist’s advice.

From Sonja Overhiser and Alex Overhiser, of ACoupleCooks.com.

Tested by Sonja Overhiser and Alex Overhiser.

Published July 11, 2019

Updated March 16, 2026