Today we're making edamame falafel with spicy lemon aioli.
How to make edamame falafel with spicy lemon aioli
I'm not sure why I don't eat this stuff on the daily, but dang. It has incredible texture, and is really amazing in an Asian salad or just sprinkled with a little salt.
So hey, why not make it into falafel? You know, the deliciously crispy, yet soft and pillowy on the inside snack/side/appetizer you get at middle eastern restaurants or food cart? Yes, that stuff!
Falafel is typically made with fava beans or chickpeas, but I had some edamame staring at me from the freezer, so I decided to see what it would taste like in falafel form.
Or I suppose it's what it would be "decided to 'taste' what it would taste like in falafel form". Smh.
The best vegetarian appetizer, meal or snack!
Anyway, I'm not here for an English lesson. I'm here to eat. And let me tell you, I'm so glad I used that leftover edamame (with a few peas and lima beans thrown in for good measure, or maybe just because I didn't have quite enough edamame to make 1 ½ cups... this is real life) because this falafel is scrumptious!
It's a bright, beautiful green color, fresh and light, and the edamame goes so well with all the other flavas.
What are those flavas, you ask?
- Fresh cilantro and parsley, picked right from my herb garden (yay!)
- Garlic, and lots more than a falafel recipe would call for - I've eaten so much garlic in my day that I can't taste it unless there's at least 5 cloves... true story
- Onion, because let's be real - it's the basis for all good, flavorful things
- Lemon, which is also in the dippin' aioli for that freshy fresh
- The perfect amount of salt and pepper - seems like a lame statement, but seriously, the right amount of seasoning means EVERYTHING
Toss all these things in a food processor and give it a whirl until smooth.
Let it sit in the fridge until nice a chilled, roll 'em into balls and bake them until crisp.
And the dipping sauce is made with mayonnaise because, well, it tastes fantastic.
It's mayo you can feel pretty good about, folks. Paired with that fresh lemon, more garlic and a lil Sriracha, you won't be able to stop dippin'.
PS: I love mayo. Just sayin'.
So what do ya' say? Let's do this falafel thing!
PrintEdamame Falafel with Spicy Lemon Aioli
Easy falafel made with frozen edamame, lemon, garlic and fresh herbs, served with a spicy lemon aioli.
- Prep Time: 10-15 mins
- Cook Time: 15-20 mins
- Total Time: 25-35 mins
- Yield: Serves 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern, American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Lemon Aioli:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- Juice of ½ medium lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 teaspoon Sriracha
Falafel:
- 1 ½ cups shelled edamame
- ⅔ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ½ medium white or yellow onion, peeled
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- ½ cup fresh herbs (cilantro, Italian parsley)
- Juice of ½ medium lemon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together aioli ingredients. Place in the refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Place all falafel ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth paste forms. Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Form mixture into 2-inch balls and line them on the wire rack. Bake 15 minutes, or until outside is slightly crispy.
- Serve falafel with spicy lemon aioli.
Notes
Cooking Tip: Swap the edamame for chickpeas.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ of recipe
- Calories: 256
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 526mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 6mg
Keywords: baked, easy, healthy, from scratch, simple
