Pistachio Herb Falafel

Falafel and I have had a longtime love affair. It's always been a classic festival favorite. You know, when you're enjoying a beautiful day, you need something quick, easy, and filling that wont weigh you down. Falafel is like my ideal meal. Tons of fresh herbs, vegetarian protein, creamy tzatziki if you're feeling frisky. You just can't go wrong. This is a great one that comes to you adapted from Green Kitchen Stories cookbook, Vegetarian Everyday.

I love this with whole wheat pita, plus some more fresh mint and dill, and my Quinoa Tabbouleh.

Pistachio Herb Falafel makes about 20 

parsley, mint, pistachio

• 12 sprigs mint
• 12 sprigs parsley + cilantro (a mixture of the two, or whatever you have)
• 1.5-2 cups shelled pistachios
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas
• 1/2 small yellow onion
• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 Tbsp buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

method

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a food processor, pulse mint, parsley and cilantro. Add the pistachios and pulse again until the mixture is coarse. Add the chickpeas, garlic, onion, olive oil, cumin, flour and baking soda. Process until you have a uniform texture that's still a bit rough.

With clean hands, form falafel into small balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until browned.

Enjoy in pita, on a green salad with pickled vegetables, or alongside quinoa tabbouleh (linked above!)