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    Home » MAINS » VEGAN

    Beetroot Falafel (Vegan)

    Published: January 20, 2023 · Updated: May 2, 2023 by Ieva · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    If you love falafel, you must try this beautifully pink version! Our Vegan Beetroot Falafel has a deeper earthier flavour and incredibly vibrant colour, making these so inviting to just dig in! What is more, these beet patties have a wonderfully crisp exterior, thanks to a cornmeal coating! Baked, or fried this is a delicious falafel to try stuffed into pitta bread or as a snack with some dip!

    Take Me To:
    • Health Benefits of Beetroot
    • Falafel Ingredients and Substitutes
    • How To Prepare Beetroot If You Have Raw Beets?
    • Method
    • What To Serve Beet Falafel With?
    • How To Store and Reheat Falafel?
    • Other Vegan Lunch Recipes To Try
    • Recipe Card

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    Beetroot falafel balls on a piece of bking parchment on a black slate with fresh veggies in the background.

    Health Benefits of Beetroot

    Whilst research on the health benefits of beetroot is ongoing, there are many advantages to your physical well-being that beetroot is linked to. This beautiful root vegetable boasts high folate (B9) content which does a brilliant job of increasing your blood’s levels of haemoglobin. Beets are also a great source of Vitamin C and iron.

    According to BBC Good Food, beetroot may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, as well as improve digestive health and lower blood pressure. So if you want to incorporate more of this goodness into your diet, consider cooking some Beetroot Pasta, Beetroot Salad and Cold Lithuanian Beetroot Soup!

    Falafel Ingredients and Substitutes

    To make 12 small beetroot and chickpea falafel patties, you will need the following:

    • 1 tin of chickpeas: 400g tin will give you 240g drained weight of chickpeas. You may cook dried chickpeas, but we think tinned chickpeas do an excellent job here. 
    • 400 g cooked beetroot: you can use boiled or roasted beetroot (more details below).
    • 1 brown onion: can be substituted with shallots, white or red onion. Make sure to chop it very finely, as it goes into the falafel mixture raw, and you want the pieces small to cook and soften in time.
    • 2 garlic cloves: or a large teaspoon of garlic paste.
    • spices: 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp chilli powder.
    • 5 g fresh parsley: can be replaced with coriander, chives, tarragon or fresh thyme leaves.
    • 100 g cornmeal (fine polenta): use fine cornmeal for best results. Coarse cornmeal (polenta) will have a crust that’s too hard and unpleasant to eat.
    • oil: only needed if you choose to fry your falafel.
    Ingredients for vegean beet falafel on a wooden chopping board.

    How To Prepare Beetroot If You Have Raw Beets?

    If you have raw beets and would like to cook them for this recipe yourself, you have a couple of options. Make sure to trim the root and greens off of the beetroot (but not too much, or the colour will bleed out), then wash the beets gently, not tearing the skin. When your fresh beets are prepped like this, you can

    1. Boil them. Place them in a pan of water, bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer your beets until tender: around 30-40 minutes depending on their size.
    2. Steam them in a vegetable steamer, or covered, over a pan of simmering water. It will take a little longer than boiling.
    3. Roast. Wrap individual beets in aluminium foil and roast them at 200°C for 45-60 minutes, depending on their size, until tender.

    Once your beetroot is cooked, let them cool down until you can handle them without burning your hands. Peel them (the skin should peel off really easily if the beetroot is well-cooked) and use them in recipes.

    Method

    If making baked falafel: Preheat oven to 180°C Fan and line a large baking tray with baking parchment paper (we use and recommend Bacofoil Non-Stick Baking Paper).

    ***

    Drain the chickpeas in a colander and run some cold water to remove extra starch and sodium. Pat the chickpeas and beetroot with a piece of paper towel to dry them.

    Add the chickpeas to a bowl of a food processor and pulse to a coarse paste (leave plenty of texture in it though). Scrape the chickpeas into a large bowl.

    Place the beetroot chunks into the same food processor (no need to clean in between steps) and blitz it into a rough paste, similar to chickpeas). Add it to the chickpea bowl.

    Then add finely chopped onion, garlic, parsley, spices and a generous pinch of salt and pepper and mix well.

    Chickpeas blitzed in a food processor.
    all falafel ingredients in a large metal bowl.

    Take a small handful of the falafel mixture and shape 12 small tight patties of falafel. They should be about the size of a golf ball. 

    Roll each patty in cornmeal (polenta) and place on a baking sheet (or a chopping board if you want to fry them). It helps if you place the falafels in the fridge for a couple of hours before frying or baking them, as they have time to firm up. 

    If baking: Place the falafel balls in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, turning halfway through (be gentle as they will be fragile).

    If frying: heat odourless oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. You need just enough oil to cover the falafels halfway up the sides. Fry them for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown, flipping them carefully. Place the cooked falafels on a sheet of paper towel to absorb excess oil.

    baked and fried beet falafel in a piece of baking parchment.

    For serving suggestions, see the ‘What To Serve With Falafel?’ section in the text above.

    What To Serve Beet Falafel With?

    Here are some of the ways to best enjoy beetroot falafel:

    • In flatbreads (like pita bread or naan flatbread) with some crunchy veggies (like red pepper and slices of cucumber) and hummus, yoghurt and tahini.
    • With a Middle East-style couscous salad and shatta (hot sauce).
    • On their own as a snack, with mayo or yoghurt-based dip, like coriander mayo. Tahini sauce goes very well with this beetroot falafel recipe as well.
    • Mash any leftover falafel, mix with mayonnaise and fresh herbs and use it as a delicious sandwich filling.
    • Beet falafels make a beautiful topping for a range of grain bowls. 
    • With some fresh and crunchy salad, like Persian Shirazi Salad or Courgette Ribbons.
    Beetroot fafale; stuiffed into a flatbread with vegetables and drizzled with tahini yoghurt.

    How To Store and Reheat Falafel?

    To store any leftover beet falafel, cool it down to temperature. Line an airtight container with a piece of paper towel, place the patties on top and cover it with a lid. Falafel will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Note though that the longer you store them, the dryer they’ll get, so you may need some extra sauce to serve them with after 4 days.

    To reheat the falafel, we recommend preheating the oven to 180°C and arranging the falafel on a baking tray. Cook the falafel for 5-6 minutes, or until hot. If you prefer moister falafel, use a baking tray with high rims and cover the top with foil before reheating.

    Other Vegan Lunch Recipes To Try

    We love flavoursome vegan food here at Somebody Feed Seb. Why not try some of the below for your next great light lunch?

    • Coronation Chickpea Sandwich (Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwich)
    • Veggie Quinoa Bowl with Avocado Dressing
    • Tofu & Pineapple Skewers

    Recipe Card

    Beetroot falafel inside a flatbread with vegetables on a wooden table.

    Beetroot Falafel (Vegan)

    If you love falafel, you must try this beautifully pink version! Our Vegan Beetroot Falafel has a deeper earthier flavour and incredibly vibrant colour, making these so inviting to just dig in! What is more, these beet patties have a wonderfully crisp exterior, thanks to a cornmeal coating! Baked, or fried this is a delcious falafel to try stuffed into pitta bread or as a snack with some dip!
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course Lunch, Snack
    Cuisine Middle Eastern
    Servings 12 small patties
    Calories 65 kcal

    Equipment

    • Food Processor

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 400 g tin chickpeas 240g drained weight
    • 400 g cooked beetroot peeled and chopped into chunks
    • 1 brown onion very finely chopped
    • 2 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
    • ½ teaspoon chilli powder
    • 5 g parsley finely chopped, including stalks
    • 100 g fine cornmeal (fine polenta)
    • oil for frying

    Instructions
     

    • If making baked falafel: Preheat oven to 180°C Fan and line a large baking tray with baking parchment.
    • Drain the chickpeas in a collander and run some cold water to remove extra strach and sodium. Pat the chickpeas and beetroot with a piece of paper towel to dry them.
    • Add the chickpeas to a food processor and pulse to a rough paste (leave plenty of texture in it though). Scrape the chickpeas into a large bowl.
    • Add the beetroot chunks into the same food processor (no need to clean in between steps) and blitz it into a rough paste, similar to chickpeas). Add it to the chickpea bowl.
    • Add finely chopped onion, garlic, parsley, spices and a generous pinch of salt and pepper and mix well.
    • Using your hands, shape 12 small tight patties of falafel.
    • Roll each patty in cornmeal (polenta) and place on a baking tray (or a chopping board if you want to fry them).
    • If baking: Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
    • If frying: heat odourless oil in a large frying pan. You need just enough oil to cover the falafels half way up the sides. Fry them for 2-3 minutes on each side (be gnetle when flipping them over). Place the cooked falafels on a sheet of paper towel to absorb excess oil.
    • For serving suggestions, see the 'What To Serve With Falafel?' section in the text above.

    Notes

    The approximate nutritional values above are for 1 baked falafel patty. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 65kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 3gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gSodium: 74mgPotassium: 198mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 81IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword Baked Beetroot Falafel, Beet Falafel, Beetroot and Chickpea Falafel, Beetroot Falafel, Fried Beetroot Falafel
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Farah Abumaizar

      January 21, 2023 at 8:23 am

      5 stars
      I LOVE falafel. But have never tried a beetroot version. So excited for this recipe, thank you for the inspiration!

      Reply
    2. Seema Sriram

      February 01, 2023 at 3:08 pm

      5 stars
      It is such a lovely treat to have these super delicious pink falafels. My family brunch was perfect.

      Reply
    3. Eni

      February 05, 2023 at 7:28 am

      5 stars
      Wow! I love the colour! I am thinking these falafels will make a great starter at my next dinner party. Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
    4. Vidya Narayan

      February 14, 2023 at 7:15 pm

      5 stars
      We are big falafel fans at home so had to try the recipe. We baked the falafels and it turned out delicious.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        February 15, 2023 at 6:27 am

        Thanks for giving this recipe a go! Very glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply

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    Hi, I am Ieva – the face behind this blog. I live in North Wales with my husband Seb and our golden retriever Sawyer. It’s safe to say that I live and breathe food: from researching and reading about food to creating new recipes and growing vegetables to use in my cooking.  The great thing is, Seb appreciates all the good meals that are also essential at his worst ‘hangry’ moments! Somebody HAS to feed Seb…

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