Baked Falafel Sandwiches
This falafel sandwich, a la carte, is rich, acidic, and herbaceous. While the veggies inside make the falafel simple and fresh, the falafel bakes up lovely and crispy. To make preparation easier, prepare the tahini sauce in advance . Tossing the sandwich in foil helps keep it together when eating on the road and makes it a great carry-along lunch.
Ingredients for baked falafel sandwich:
- One fifteen-oz can of washed, unsalted chickpeas
- ½ cup of freshly cut flat-leaf parsley
- ½ cup of freshly chopped cilantro
- One cup finely sliced and divided red onion, plus ½ cup grates
- Half a cup of panko breadcrumbs
- One tablespoon of tahini
- One tsp finely grated lemon zest
- two tsp lemon juice, separated
- One teaspoon of cumin powder
- One-half teaspoon of salt
- one big, grated garlic clove
- One cup of English cucumbers, thinly sliced
- a quarter of a cup of extra virgin olive oil
- Four whole-wheat wraps (10 inches)
- Two cups of arugula, packed loosely
- One big tomato, sliced into eight pieces
- One recipe for lemon-garlic tahini sauce.
Directions for baked falafel sandwich:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil; coat with cooking spray.
- Use a food processor to pulse the chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, chopped onion, panko, tahini, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, cumin, salt, and garlic until a coarse meal forms—scrape down the sides as needed—for 10 to 12 pulses. Form the mixture into four 1/2-inch-thick patties, each weighing about 1/2 cup. Place the patties on the baking sheet that has been preheated, and spray cooking spray on top. For ten minutes, bake. After flipping the burgers, apply cooking spray on top. For another 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown, keep baking.
- In the meantime, place the cucumber, onion, and oil in a medium-sized bowl along with the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice. Allow to stand at room temperature for approximately 20 minutes, stirring from time to time.