Recipe For Falafel Salad with Lemon Tahini Vinaigrette

During our last trip to Philadelphia, Lulu and I realized how narrow the vegetarian options were in restaurants. Lulu had falafel during the entire time of our stay there.

He hasn’t touched it since we got back and I thought it was time to re-introduce him to falafel. I served them in a Mediterranean-style salad along with lemon tahini vinaigrette, candied walnuts and thinly sliced kumquat preserves from last winter’s harvest.

1. Info for Falafel Salad with Lemon Tahini Vinaigrette

• Cook Time: unavailable
• Total Time: unavailable
• Servings: 10
• Calories: unavailable

2. Ingredients for Falafel Salad with Lemon Tahini Vinaigrette

• 1-1/2 cups dried chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon bread crumbs
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup curly parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons brown rice flour (or chickpea flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1-1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sumac (or paprika if not available)
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1-1/2 cups red oak leaves
• 1-1/2 cups frisée lettuce
• 1-1/2 cups romaine lettuce
• 1-1/2 cups arugula
• 1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1-1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 2 teaspoons coarse grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder, freshly ground
• 3/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/8 teaspoon anise seeds, freshly ground
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 lemons, zested, freshly squeezed
• 4 preserved kumquats with their syrup, thinly sliced, + 1 tablespoon of syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 clove pickled garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 cup black sesame Persian cheese (see tips), diced
• 1 drizzle sesame oil

3. Directions:

1. Wash and soak the chickpeas overnight. The next day, drain them and remove as much liquid as possible.
2. In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, onions, shallot, garlic, cilantro, flat-leaf parsley and curly parsley and blend until it becomes a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl. Add the brown rice flour, baking soda, bread crumbs, 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne powder, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder, 1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley, 3/4 teaspoon of cumin powder, sumac and soy sauce. Season with 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Using food service disposable gloves, knead the mixture. Chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to fry.
3. Grease the disposable gloves with oil and form about 20 small balls.
4. In a deep fryer filled with hot oil, fry the falafel balls for about 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Transfer onto a platter lined with paper towels. Let cool a bit. Cut them in quarters.
5. For the candied walnuts: In a small pan, dry roast the walnuts for about 2-3 minutes, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Sauté the walnuts in sugar for another minute by shaking the pan so each nut is coated with sugar. Remove from the heat. Let the walnuts cool completely.
6. For the lemon tahini sauce: Combine the mustard, kumquat syrup, the pickled garlic, remaining dried parsley, anise seed, the remaining cumin, cayenne, lemon zest, lemon juice, tahini and olive oil. Whisk until emulsified. Season with salt and white pepper. Thin the vinaigrette with about 2 tablespoons of water.
7. Assembly time: On a large platter, start by layering a bed of greens (arugula, frisée, romaine and red oak leaves). Add the diced black sesame Persian Cheese, thinly sliced preserved kumquats, candied walnuts and quartered falafel. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil.
8. Serve the lemon tahini salad dressing on the side along with toasted pita bread.
9. Bon appétit!