Low FODMAP Falafel Salad

What do I even say about falafel? Little puffs of herbacious goodness with a golden crust. Falafel are without a doubt one of my most favorite foods. Usually made with chickpea or fava bean flour, and eaten with an assortment of delicious salads and sauces, falafel are a widely popular street food in the Middle East and across the world. 

Falafel hold a special place in my heart due to a small sliver of Lebanese heritage and my mother, who trod forward in instilling me with a love for these pungent flavors despite my childhood food pickiness. I ate them often, served with lettuce, tomato and yogurt sauce wrapped in a fluffy pita from food carts. Sometimes mom would make them, and I would peek on tiptoes into the bowl where she mixed the falafel by hand, and it was always a treat. 

There are many variations of these delicious fritters, but my favorite are the ones that have a popping crunch on the outside, and are fluffy and bright green on the inside. 

Remember that canned chickpeas are low FODMAP up to 1/4 cup, and they need to be properly rinsed. I go heavy on the herbs here for a big punch of flavor, and use cooked quinoa to add some bulk and extra nutrients. This makes about 20 falafel, with four being a serving. 

If you'd prefer, you can bake these falafel in the oven instead. Just line a baking sheet with parchment, grease it lightly, and grease the top of each falafel lightly before baking at 425(f) for about 30 minutes, or until the falafel are hot and crispy. 

Low FODMAP Falafel Salad

Serves 5

For the Falafel:
1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed very well, lightly dried
1 bunch cilantro/coriander
1 bunch flat-leaf Italian Parsley
6 green onions, green part only
2 tbs lemon juice
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
1/4 tsp ground cumin 
1 tbs Low FODMAP flour*
​Canola/vegetable oil for frying

For the salad:
Mixed spring greens, about 10 cups
1 medium carrot, peeled into ribbons
1 common tomato, sliced into half-moons
1/4 cup feta cheese OR 1/4 cup  sunflower seeds to keep vegan

For the dressing:
Juice of one lemon
1 tbs white wine vinegar
1 tbs garlic infused oil
1 heaping tsp Za'atar seasoning**
1 tsp maple syrup
1/3 cup canola/vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

*I use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten-Free for Baking, be sure to avoid high FODMAP flours
*I used Private Selection Za'atar, which is a mix of ground sumac, sesame seeds and salt

Per Serve: Calories 521, Fat 27g, Sodium 339mg, Carbs 60g, Fiber 13g, Sugars 7g, Protein 17g

Start by pulsing the chickpeas, cilantro, parsley, green onion, lemon juice, salt, pepper, coriander and cumin in your food processor until it is just barely smooth enough to hold it's shape in patties. 

Fold in the cooked quinoa, and flour. 

Form into uniform patties - I used my 1oz spring loaded scoop - and fry in batches in hot oil until the falafel are a deep golden brown, about 5 minutes each batch, flipping once. 

Drain cooked falafel on a paper towel when they're done and set aside. 

Blend all the dressing ingredients however you please, I prefer shaking it in a mason jar. 

Assemble the salad by tossing the greens in dressing to your taste, sprinkling with feta cheese crumbles, carrot ribbons, and slices of tomato. Serve four falafel per serving to keep it Low FODMAP. 

Enjoy!