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Home » Recipes » Seasonal » Spring » Spinach Artichoke Falafel

Spinach Artichoke Falafel

April 16, 2015 By Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan 18 Comments

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Hearty baked falafel made with fresh spinach and artichoke hearts, lightly spiced and totally vegan, grain- oil- and gluten-free! | yupitsvegan.com

Spinach artichoke falafel. Also known as the falafel whose leftovers nearly didn’t survive the evening because they were so irresistible to snack on!

My personal belief is that it’s impossible to have too many recipes up your sleeve for cooking with leafy greens. The more greens the better, I say! This spinach artichoke falafel was inspired by spinach artichoke dip. That, and a kitchen game I play with myself, where I open the fridge, figure out what veggie needs to get used, and turn it into baked falafel. I usually keep canned artichoke hearts in the pantry, so when it came time to give our CSA spinach some love, it seemed like an obvious choice.

Closeup of crispy baked spinach artichoke falafel with homemade tzatziki sauce, fresh crunchy vegetables, and a tart kumquat addition wrapped in a simple whole grain bread served on a black plate

I based this off of my kale falafel recipe, which also packs in a ton of greens. Since spinach doesn’t have as powerful of a flavor, I amped up the spices and tahini in this version. I’m really pleased with the way the delicate flavor of the artichoke comes through, and the texture is nicely crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. That’s all without any oil, aside from a little bit sprayed on the baking sheet.

Is anyone interested in me sharing this stupidly simple whole wheat flatbread recipe? I’ve been making it a lot lately – it comes together in minutes and it’s 100% whole grain – just not sure if a plain ole’ bread recipe would bore people. The topping you see is a quick vegan tzatziki-style sauce made with vegan cashew cream cheese, a splash of almond milk, shredded cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, and some chopped cilantro and scallions. To finish off these little sandwiches I added more sliced cucumber, shredded carrot, cherry tomatoes, and sliced kumquats. The kumquats might seem like a strange choice, but I honestly did love the sourness and texture they brought to the table. Optional of course 🙂

Creamy home made vegan tzatiki, red and orange cherry tomatoes, tart kumquats, crunchy carrots, and cucumber slices, garnished with cilantro and scallions

I hope you enjoy this baked spinach artichoke falafel recipe – and that the leftovers survive for longer than mine did :).

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5 from 1 vote

Spinach Artichoke Falafel

Easy vegan spinach artichoke falafel, baked instead of fried and made totally gluten- and grain-free!
Course Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, vegan
Keyword spinach artichoke falafel
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 36 falafel
Calories 73kcal
Author Yup, it's Vegan

Ingredients

  • 4 cups baby spinach leaves loosely packed
  • 2 shallots chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1/3 cup freshly parsley loosely packed
  • 8 oz artichoke hearts (this is the drained weight from a 14 oz. can), rinsed, drained, and patted dry
  • 3 cups cooked chickpeas (equal to two standard cans)
  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • 1 tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 and 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp paprika (regular or smoked)
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 pinch ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt plus more to taste
  • 1/4 cup chickpea flour plus more as needed

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat-type liner, and spray lightly with oil.
  • Add the spinach, shallots, garlic, and parsley to a blender or food processor, and combine until smooth - about as smooth as you can get it.
  • Add the artichoke hearts, tahini, lemon juice, and spices, and blend to incorporate.
  • Add the chickpeas and chickpea flour. Pulse until the chickpeas reach a very crumbly (but not smooth) texture.
  • If the mixture is still too thin to shape into a ball, stir in more chickpea flour as needed. Avoid using the blender to add it so that you don't break up the chickpeas too much more.
  • Scooping 2-3 tablespoons at a time of the chickpea mixture, form into round shapes and place on the baking sheet, then flatten slightly. Repeat until the whole mixture is used. I filled up both of my small baking sheets.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until firm enough to flip over. Bake for another 20-25 minutes on the other side, until browned and slightly crispy on the outside.
  • For ease of removing from the baking sheet, let cool for a few minutes first.

Notes

For best results, the artichoke hearts should be as dry as possible.
The mixture may not taste super great before baking because of the raw chickpea flour!

Nutrition

Serving: 2falafels | Calories: 73kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 240mg | Potassium: 180mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1950IU | Vitamin C: 12.4mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1.1mg

Spinach artichoke falafel adapted from my kale falafel.

Healthy baked spinach and artichoke falafel spiced with cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, oregano, and garlic and wrapped with fresh homemade whole grain bread and topped with nutritious vegetables!

Filed Under: Lunch, Spring Tagged With: CSA, gluten-free, grain-free, greens, high-vegetable, legumes, Middle Eastern-inspired, nut-free, oil-free, plant-strong, soy-free, sweetener-free

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Comments

  1. Steve Erickson says

    February 11, 2020 at 21:09

    Where can I find your stupidly simple whole wheat flatbread recipe?

    Reply
  2. Susan Iseman says

    July 19, 2015 at 06:42

    5 stars
    YES! I would love your flattered recipe- hate buying them in the store and would be more than happy to have yours!

    Reply
  3. amy says

    May 28, 2015 at 09:44

    I as well would love the flatbread recipe! I have never been able to make a falafel that holds together, hoping this one does and thank you!

    Reply
  4. kate @ vegukate says

    May 26, 2015 at 18:03

    I am a falafel feign! And tahini – oh my goodness, give me all the tahini! This looks so wonderful Shannon!

    Reply
  5. janet @ the taste space says

    April 22, 2015 at 08:26

    Great way to use artichokes. I just made your puttanesca pasta, so I will need to buy more. 🙂

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      April 25, 2015 at 17:08

      Awesome, hope you enjoyed it 😀

      Reply
  6. Melissa Belanger says

    April 21, 2015 at 21:34

    Oooh! I love falafel AND spinach artichoke stuff! This looks so yummy. 🙂

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      April 25, 2015 at 17:09

      Thanks! 🙂 there’s just something about spinach + artichoke!

      Reply
  7. Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says

    April 18, 2015 at 03:23

    I really like artichokes but am not very confident in using them. I also really like falafel and green leafy veg, so this recipe holds great appeal! I love your photos too (as always) – so bright and colourful 🙂

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      April 25, 2015 at 17:09

      Thank you Kari 🙂

      Reply
  8. Lori says

    April 17, 2015 at 17:30

    I would love to have the whole grain flatbread recipe! This falafel looks great!

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      April 25, 2015 at 17:07

      Thank you Lori! Flatbread recipe will be coming soon.. 🙂

      Reply
  9. Jenn says

    April 17, 2015 at 12:51

    My kids love falafels so this sounds fabulous; especially for daycare…no nuts! I would love your flatbread recipe since the storebought kind isn’t nearly as good as fresh from the oven.

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      April 25, 2015 at 17:07

      Cool, Jenn, I am going to try to post the flatbread recipe soon! It’s actually cooked on the stovetop instead of the oven – even easier 😀

      Reply
  10. Richa {VeganRicha.com} says

    April 16, 2015 at 13:08

    ooh fabulous idea. so many wonderful flavors going on in that tiny falafel!

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      April 25, 2015 at 17:06

      Thanks, Richa! Spinach & artichoke such a good combo 🙂

      Reply
  11. Cadry says

    April 16, 2015 at 08:54

    What a fun way to use artichoke hearts! Great idea! These falafel sound wonderful.

    Reply
    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      April 25, 2015 at 16:51

      Thanks, Cadry!

      Reply

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I'm Shannon, founder of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. I create healthy plant-based recipes that everyone will love, using seasonal produce and global inspiration.
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