A vegetarian dream lunch of Beetroot Falafel, recipe from the Minimalist Baker, was what I served as a sweet and tasty treat on my birthday this year. I invited a friend over for the festivities, and even though it was a dreary, rainy, March day my friend wore the swankiest leopard print shoes…which made an appearance in one of these photos! I don’t post enough vegetarian meals, and this was itself meaty enough, packed with protein and vitamins from the beets and chickpeas. It was surprisingly very sweet because of the beets and each bite was so satisfying. I couldn’t stop exclaiming how sweet it was…how sweet it is.
This sweet, beet falafel was served over salad greens, with orange peppers, cucumbers, feta, and that zesty and tangy Tzatziki Sauce that I can’t get enough of. I guess I have been on a bit of a Greek food bent lately, and it’s been yummy! These would make great appetizers on their own too!
If you are curious about how healthy beets are for you, Spread ’em Kitchen Co. spells it out here so well: beets regulate blood pressure, boost physical stamina, give you more brain power (who doesn’t need THAT?!), are full of fiber so you can do some damage in your bathroom (I won’t start joking about the color of that but I want to!), are good for your skin (with more antioxidants than you can shake a middle finger at), they fight inflammation, and are great for detoxifying (which I do need after that belated birthday party last night – ahem).
I was unsure about using raw beets in this recipe, I mean, I felt like they should have been cooked a bit prior. Nope, it was super easy to grate these with my Cuisinart food processor, just like that. No need to precook these since they are shredded. That is why I recommend baking them after the sear.
Roast a can of chickpeas in the oven. The recipe swears by this, but I might not roast them next time as I think they might turn out a little less crumbly. You’ll have to let me know how yours turn out!
Before pulsing with the beets and chickpeas, the spices and parsley get blended up first.
Look how pretty these are!!
There’s the shot with my good friend’s fancy leopard print stiletto heels~ anyway you can see these beetroot falafel patties want to crumble all over. You can add more tahini to add moisture before they get to this point. I wanted to sear them first in my Lodge cast iron pan, and then finish them in the oven. I do think the oven is necessary to cook the beets all the way through, and let the sweetness of them really come out.
Beetroot Falafel
- March 14, 2021
- 45 min
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Ingredients
- 1 large beet, or 1.5 cups shredded beets
- 1 15-ounce can of chickpeas
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh parsley
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 T tahini
- 1 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1-3 T oat flour (or chickpea flour) if the texture is too wet
- 1-2 T olive oil, or whatever oil you like to use, for cookings
- Tzatziki dressing to drizzle on top
Directions
- Step 1
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Step 2
- Shred the beet (or beets if yours are smaller) in a food processor, or with a hand grater. Transfer to a bowl.
- Step 3
- Add garlic, parsley, cumin, salt, tahini, and lemon juice to the food processor and pulse into small bits. Add chickpeas and beets and pulse for 15-30 seconds. The texture should be a bit course. If it is too wet add some oat flour. If it is too dry add some tahini or lemon juice. I didn’t need any of that but could have added more tahini I think.
- Step 4
- Form into balls and press into 1/2 – 3/4 inch patties. Place in oiled and heated cast iron pan and sear each side for 3-4 minutes, flip and sear the second side for 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to burn them.
- Step 5
- Transfer to baking dish and bake for 12 minutes.
- Step 6
- Serve over greens or alone, with tzatziki or tahini sauce.
Song for the Prep: Throw that Beat in the Garbage Can by The B-52’s
Oh my, the B-52’s performed this on the soap opera, Guiding Light, in 1982. That is just too funny. I think this is the second time I’ve linked this band…they are one of my favorites. ALSO a great band to prep some BEETS to! Haha. This album looks like it is already a collector’s item. I linked it below…it’s one of my favorites by them, if not THE best one.
