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Home » Recipes » Mediterranean Recipes

Green Falafel with Herbs and Spinach

Published: Feb 15, 2023 by Samantha Ferraro · This post may contain affiliate links · 8 Comments

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Perfectly fried falafel are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. This green falafel twist is made with the addition of fresh herbs and tender baby spinach, giving the homemade fried falafel an eye popping green hue. Serve herb falafel on top of hummus, your favorite salad or stuffed inside pita.

Fresh green falafel on a bed of creamy hummus.

These green falafel are an adaptation of my classic homemade falafel recipe, with the addition of fresh herbs and baby spinach, giving the fried falafel a gorgeous green color.

Traditionally, you'll find falafel with herbs added into the mixture, which usually offers a slight green or yellow hue. With this twist, I upped the amount of fresh herbs and added tender baby spinach, giving the fried falafel a pop of freshness and a deeper green color.

Once you make homemade falafel, the variations are endless! Keep it classic and serve falafel stuffed inside homemade pita bread or in Mediterranean falafel bowls drizzled with the creamiest tahini sauce or simply serve on top of homemade hummus like we have here.

Jump to:
  • 🌿 Ingredients
  • 🥙 How to Make Green Falafel
  • 📍 Falafel Making Tips
  • What to Serve Falafel With
  • More Falafel inspiration
  • Green Falafel with Herbs and Spinach

🌿 Ingredients

  • Dried Garbanzo Beans: Dried chickpeas are essential in making a crispy falafel. Canned beans are way too soft for falafel and won't produce the same texture. Make sure to soak the dried chickpeas for at least 8 hours beforehand.
  • Fresh Herbs: Cilantro, parsley and mint brighten the falafel with fresh flavors and also give the falafel a gorgeous green color.
  • Fresh Spinach: Baby spinach is tender and blends up with the herbs easily. This also gives the green falafel and beautiful green color. You can use baby kale instead of spinach.
  • Onion and Garlic: These are classic aromatics in most falafel recipes. I like using a yellow onion for falafel.
  • Spices: Cumin and coriander are warm spices that give depth to the falafel.
  • Flour: Use either all-purpose flour, chickpea flour or a gluten-free flour blend. A little flour is needed to help bind the mixture together.
  • Baking Soda and Baking Powder: Both of these are used to keep the falafel light and crisp.
  • High Heat Cooking Oil: Because falafel are shallow fried in batches, a high smoke point oil is important. Avocado oil is a a great high heat cooking oil but can be expensive. Other options are canola oil, grapeseed oil or vegetable oil.

🥙 How to Make Green Falafel

For a detailed step by step recipe with photos, check out my homemade falafel recipe.

  1. Add the dried chickpeas to a large bowl and completely cover with cool water. Allow beans to sit overnight or for at least 8 hours and doubled in size.
  2. Once done, drain the chickpeas and add them to a food processor and pulse a few times until texture looks crumbly and there are no large pieces left. Then transfer the processed beans to a large bowl.
  3. In the same food processor, add the fresh herbs, fresh spinach, onion, garlic and spices. Pulse everything together until it almost looks like a paste and there are no large pieces of onion or herbs.
  4. Add the herb mixture to the beans, along with the flour, baking soda and baking powder and use a large spatula to mix everything very well. Set the mixture aside and place in the refrigerator while the oil heats up.
  5. Heat a large skillet with vegetable oil and bring oil up to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a good time to use an infrared thermometer or you can test to see if the oil is hot by dropping a small piece of batter. If it sizzles, it's ready.
  6. Use a large tablespoon and form batter into balls, about 2 tablespoons worth and use your palms to form the mixture into a ball, without compacting too much.
  7. Carefully place the falafel in the hot oil. You can fit 4-5 in at once but don't overcrowd the pan. Fry on the first side until you can see it browning on the sides, about 4-5 minutes. Then flip over and fry other side.
  8. Transfer the falafel to a wire rack that is fitted on top of baking sheet and sprinkle with salt while the falafel are still hot. Continue frying the falafel in batches.
  9. To serve, place falafel on top of hummus and sprinkle toasted pine nuts, a pinch of cayenne and drizzle of olive oil. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.
Serve fried green falafel on top of hummus with a drizzle of olive oil.

📍 Falafel Making Tips

  • Use dried beans for the best authentic falafel. This recipe will not work with canned beans.
  • For gluten-free falafel, use a gluten-free flour blend or chickpea flour.
  • Make sure the oil is hot before adding the falafel. Test the oil with a small piece of batter, if it sizzles right away, it's ready.
  • Don't overcrowd the pan when frying, fry anywhere from 3-5 falafel at a time depending on the size of your skillet.
Can you make falafel ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the mixture ahead of time up to 1 day in advance, but don't add the flour, baking soda or baking powder until right before frying. You can also fry the falafel, chill and freeze for up to 2 weeks.

How do you keep falafel from falling apart?

A little flour is all you need to keep the falafel mixture together. As the falafel mixture sits, moisture can seep out and if that happens, mix in 1-2 more tablespoons of flour.

What to Serve Falafel With

  • Israeli Chopped Salad
  • Homemade Pita Bread
  • Chopped Kale and Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing
  • Heirloom Tomato Fattoush Salad
  • Quinoa Tabbouleh with Mint

More Falafel inspiration

  • Black Bean Falafel with Heirloom Tomato Salsa
  • Falafel Collard Wrap With All The Fillings
  • Learn how to make homemade Lebanese falafel recipe with dried chickpeas, loads of fresh herbs and warm spices. Serve with creamy tahini yogurt.
    Homemade Lebanese Falafel Recipe with Tahini Yogurt
  • Fried falafel balls served in a bowl with chopped salad and hummus.
    What to Serve with Falafel (20 + Ideas!)
Green falafel with herbs is perfectly fried and served on top of hummus.

Green Falafel with Herbs and Spinach

Samantha Ferraro

LittleFerraroKitchen.com

Green falafel are made with loads of fresh herbs and tender baby spinach, giving the homemade falafel a gorgeous green hue.
5 from 8 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Soaking 8 hours hrs
Total Time 8 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 12 falafel
Calories 74 kcal

Equipment

  • skillet
  • Infrared Thermometer
  • Fish Spatula

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 cup dried garbanzo beans
  • 1 cup fresh baby spinach
  • ½ cup fresh mint leaves
  • ½ cup fresh parsley leaves
  • ½ medium sized yellow onion roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • Pinch of cayenne optional, for heat
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt + more for garnish
  • 3 tablespoons flour all-purpose or gluten free
  • Canola or vegetable oil for frying

For Serving

  • Hummus homemade or store bought
  • Toasted pine nuts
  • Fresh mint leaves for garnish
  • Pinch of cayenne
  • Olive oil for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Add the dried chickpeas to a large bowl and completely cover with cool water. Allow beans to sit overnight or for at least 8 hours and doubled in size.
  • Once done, drain the chickpeas and add them to a food processor and pulse a few times until texture looks crumbly, and there are no large pieces left. Then transfer the processed beans to a large bowl.
  • In the same food processor, add the fresh herbs, fresh spinach, onion, garlic and spices. Pulse everything together until it almost looks like a paste and there are no large pieces of onion or herbs.
  • Add the herb mixture to the beans along with the flour, baking soda and baking powder and use a large spatula to mix everything very well. Set aside and place the mixture in the refrigerator while the oil heats up.
  • Heat a large skillet with vegetable oil and bring oil up to about 375 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a good time to use an infrared thermometer or you can test to see if the oil is hot by dropping a small piece of batter. If it sizzles, it's ready.
  • Use a large tablespoon and form batter into balls, about 2 tablespoons worth and use your palms to form the mixture into a ball, without compacting too much.
  • Carefully place the falafel in the hot oil. You can fit 4-5 in at once but don't overcrowd the pan. Fry on the first side until you can see it browning around the sides, about 4-5 minutes. Then flip over and fry the other side.
  • Transfer the falafel to a wire rack that is fitted on top of baking sheet and sprinkle with salt while the falafel are still hot. Continue frying the falafel in batches.
  • To serve, place falafel on top of hummus and sprinkle toasted pine nuts, a pinch of cayenne and drizzle of olive oil. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Notes

  • 1 cup of dried beans yields about double or 2 cups of beans after soaking.
  • If making the falafel mixture ahead of time, don't add the flour, baking soda or baking powder until right before frying. 
  • Make falafel ahead of time and freeze. Fry, chill and place falafel in a resealable plastic bag in the freezer for up to 1 month. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 74kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gSodium: 248mgPotassium: 215mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 539IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Let us know by leaving a comment and 5 star rating!

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Comments

  1. Mike says

    February 16, 2023 at 10:26 am

    5 stars
    It's about time we try this recipe. Samantha makes it sound so easy and if it's like the last few we have made it will be easy to make. Hummus and Falafel sounds like the perfect match.

    Reply
  2. Rachel Cooks says

    October 13, 2014 at 11:50 am

    5 stars
    This looks like some amazing falafel!!! Love that you served it on hummus. <3

    Reply
  3. Erin+@+The+Spiffy+Cookie says

    October 09, 2014 at 7:11 pm

    5 stars
    I love this. Must remember to try it out the next time I want falafel!

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      October 10, 2014 at 10:09 am

      Yes...thanks Erin!! Falafel, FTW!! :))

      Reply
  4. Amy @ What Jew Wanna Eat says

    October 03, 2014 at 9:11 am

    5 stars
    These look so good! Love the green color. I need to make some falafel stat!

    Reply
  5. Cut 'N Clean Greens says

    October 01, 2014 at 3:52 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my gosh Samantha! You have outdone yourself. What an inventive dish. Our utensils are poised and ready to dig in to this. Bet our ready-to-use kale made this dish faster than usual for you.

    We're going to share on our social media and link here so everyone can see how you did this.
    Well done, chef Sam, well done!

    --Your friendly Southern Calif. farmers at Cut 'N Clean Greens

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      October 02, 2014 at 12:46 pm

      Thanks you so much for sending such an awesome package!!

      Reply
  6. Liz @ Floating Kitchen says

    September 30, 2014 at 8:34 pm

    5 stars
    Yum! These look absolutely delicious! Looks like a fantastic mail day :-).

    Reply
5 from 8 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Hi, I'm Samantha! I started this blog for my love of world cuisine and cultural flavors! You’ll find everything here from Jewish recipes, Middle Eastern, Italian and more!

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