These Easy Falafel Inspired Chickpea Patties with Garden Salad and Tzatziki are perfect for your weekly meal prep. Make a batch on Sunday and bring one for lunch each day. They’re so simple to make and ready in 30 minutes!
Traditional falafel is typically made using dried chickpeas rather than canned, and are fried in oil. Patties using dried (cooked) chickpeas tend to hold together better than canned when being fried in oil at high temperatures.
These chickpea patties are oven-baked rather than fried, so canned chickpeas work well here. These patties are a versatile option that you can use for salads, pitas, or vegetarian burgers.
How to make it:
Caramelize Onions
To make these Falafel Inspired Chickpea Patties with Garden Salad and Tzatziki, you’ll start by sautéing the onions in oil until caramelized, adding the garlic toward the end of cooking. You’ll then add the spices to the onion and garlic and stir until fragrant, about one minute.
Mix Patty Ingredients
Meanwhile, in a food processor, process chickpeas and parsley. I have made this recipe using both fresh parsley and parsley paste – both work here! Though I suggest adding a bit of oil to your patty mixture if you’re using fresh parsley.
Next, using a large bowl, combine the processed chickpeas with the caramelized onion mixture. Then add the remaining patty ingredients. Mix the ingredients well then form into four equally sized patties.
Form into Patties and Bake
Lay patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned, flipping mid-way through.
Serve
My favourite way to serve them is on a bed of quinoa, thinly sliced cucumber and tomato, topped with tzatziki. I love shaving the cucumbers in thin ribbons because it adds a nice texture to the salad. To do this, just use your vegetable peeler or a mandolin and make thin slices lengthwise across the cucumber.
Tzatziki
If you have all of the ingredients on hand, homemade tzatziki is actually quite simple to make. Tzatziki is basically a garlicky yogurt-based dip. To make it from scratch, you’ll need Greek yogurt, cucumber, fresh garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and dried dill.
Simply mix the ingredients together and keep in the fridge until dinner time! There are also lots of tasty store-bought options that you can when you’re short on time. Just look for an option without many added ingredients beyond what would be in a tzatziki recipe.
You can also use these patties as meatless burgers and serve on a bun with a side salad. Or make smaller patties to use in pitas.
These falafel-inspired chickpea patties are simple to make and so versatile. I originally developed this recipe for two but loved the idea of using these for work-week lunches, so I decided to post this recipe with 4 servings. If you only want two patties, you can half each of the ingredients and it will turn out the exact same!
Easy Falafel Inspired Chickpea Patties with Garden Salad and Tzatziki
Easy Falafel Inspired Chickpea Patties with Garden Salad and Tzatziki
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 Patties 1x
Description
These Falafel Inspired Chickpea Patties with Garden Salad and Tzatziki are perfect for your weekly meal prep. Make a batch on Sunday and bring one for lunch each day. They’re so simple to make and ready in 30 minutes!
Ingredients
Patties:
2 x 398ml can chickpeas
½ onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp coriander
¼ tsp cheyenne
2.5 tbsp parsley paste OR ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp water
1 Tbsp olive oil (if using fresh parsley)
1 tbsp flour
Salad:
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cucumber, shaved into ribbons
2 tomato, thinly sliced
Tzatziki:
½ cup full fat Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp shredded cucumber
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp dried dill
Instructions
- In a small pan, heat oil and sauté onion until softened and caramelized, about 10 minutes. In the last few minutes of cooking, add the garlic. Add spices in the last minute of cooking and combine until fragrant.
- Meanwhile, process chickpeas and parsley in a food processor. The chickpeas should almost be completely ground, though a few chunks are OK.
- In a large bowl, combine chickpea mixture, onions and remaining patty ingredients. Form into 4 patties. Bake at 400F for 20 mins, flipping half way.
- Meanwhile, make tzatziki by mixing all ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Divide quinoa, cucumber and tomato slices between four plates. Top each with a cooked patty and serve with tzatziki.
Notes
Short on time or energy? Use store bought tzatziki.
Alternative serving methods:
- serve on a bun with a side of veggies
- make smaller patties and serve inside a pita with veggies and tzatziki
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
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About Brittany
Hi there! I am a registered dietitian and I ? food! I am passionate about making it easier for busy people to eat well by sharing quick and healthy recipes. Healthy cooking at home can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. I love helping people uncomplicate weeknight dinners and reduce stress around meal time, so I’m so glad you’re here!
