Falafel...one of the original meat-free street foods! It is a savory, meat-free, deep fried ball or patty made from chickpeas & fava beans, usually served wrapped in a fluffy pita topped in veggies & sauces. I consider falafel gateway food into the world of vegetarian & vegan diets.

This recipe is loosely inspired by my favorite dish from a restaurant & brewery here in Omaha, NE called The Upstream. This place disguises itself as a sports pub-like brewery. My first time there, I never thought they would have anything more than standard pub food. Boy was I wrong! Not only do they have some of the best bar food I’ve had in Omaha, but they also have several vegan and vegetarian options to choose from. Which brings us back to the Falafel Sandwich. Three little falafel patties with tabouli and arugula nestled in a warm, fluffy pita and served with homemade hummus, a garlic & sriracha.

I still have not been able to replicate their falafel, but I have come up with one I very much like in the meantime. I hope you like it too.

Notes & Substitutions:

Sour Cream: You can also use vegan greek yogurt. If you don’t mind dairy, you can sub for greek yogurt or dairy sour cream.
Pita Flatbread: I prefer the Greek-style Flatbread rather than the pocket style pita.
Kale: I used a mix of green kale from the grocery store & purple kale from my garden.

Ingredients: See ‘A Pinch, A Dash & A Smidge’ for measuring references.

For the Falafel:

About ⅔-½ box of Falafel Mix
½ Sweet Yellow Onion (roughly diced)
1-2 Handfuls of Raw Walnuts
1-2 Handfuls of Kale
1-2 Handfuls of Fresh Spinach
About a half handful of Fresh Chopped Parsley
A few splashes of Water
A couple drops of Olive Oil

For the Garlic Sauce:

About 6-8 Cloves of Fresh Garlic (finely minced)
A dollop of Mayo (or vegan mayo)
A dollop of Sour Cream (My favorite vegan sour cream is by Tofutti)
A Pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt

Additional Ingredients:

A few slices of Cucumber
A few pinches of Hemp Seeds
Pita Bread
½ Handful of Kale

Instructions:

In a high powered blender or food processor, add the raw walnuts & onion. Pulse about 5-6 times.
Add kale & spinach, then pulse 3-4 more times, then transfer to a large bowl.
Mix in about a mug of Falafel mix, a couple drops of oil & a splash of water to the walnut mixture.
Form mixture into a large ball, cover with plastic wrap & let chill in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
Preheat cast iron skillet or pan on medium heat.
Form mixture into 2”-3” wide patties.
Add a few drops of cooking oil to the pan, then sear both sides of each falafel patty.
Finish baking patties in the oven at 325 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.
While patties are baking, mix together garlic, mayo, sour cream & salt. Let chill in the refrigerator until the patties are ready.
Warm the pita in the oven for 1-3 minutes.
Spread garlic sauce on one side of the pita. Add kale, cucumber, hemp seeds & falafel to pita. Fold in half & eat like a giant taco.