So how was everyone’s Christmas / Hanukkah / Holiday?! Did you eat lots of cookies? Anyone get any exciting presents? I’m over the moon because this year I got a VITAMIX!!! It’s red and has a 64-oz container and is pretty much the most perfect thing ever. Get ready for a deluge of smoothie recipes on Well and Full… it’s gonna be SMOOTHIE CITY!
Today’s recipe is a variation on my Summer Harvest Falafel, instead made with hardy winter kale. Falafels are one of the best vegan foods to make – they’re so easy, so delicious, and so filling! They’re also the perfect addition to my Winter Buddha Bowl (which you may have seen a sneak peak of on Instagram) – I’ll be posting the recipe for that this Thursday!

Winter Kale Falafel
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz Can Chickpeas
- 2 Cups Kale packed
- Juice from 1 Lemon
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1/4 Cup Chickpea Flour
- 3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 Tsp Cumin
- 1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Rinse and drain your can of chickpeas, making sure to dry them well. (If using home-cooked chickpeas, you'll need 1 and a 1/2 cups.) When done, set aside.
- Assemble your food processor. Add the cloves of garlic by themselves, and process until the cloves are minced.
- Then, add the kale greens, and process until they're finely chopped.
- Then, add everything else - chickpeas, lemon juice, chickpea flour, EVOO, spices - and process until a sort of "meal" is formed. Be careful not to overprocess - you'll want to see small chunks of chickpeas in the meal!
- Scoop out the falafel mix using an ice cream scoop (or by hand) and form little patties with your hands. I made 10, but it will depend on the size you make your falafels.
- On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, bake falafels in the oven for about 20-30 minutes (may vary depending on the size of your falafels).
- When done, let cool completely. This is a very important step - the falafel will be very fragile when they're first out of the oven.
- For a crispier falafel, sauté in a pan on medium-high heat with a little olive oil until browned. If not, enjoy as is!
Quote of the Day:
Hope is the only thing stronger than fear.
31 Comments
Abby @ Heart of a Baker
December 27, 2016 at 9:32 amOhh congrats on the Vitamix, THEY ARE THE BEST!! xoxo
Sarah
December 27, 2016 at 8:16 pmThanks girl!! :D
Maëva @ Travel&Food
December 28, 2016 at 6:40 amOh that looks so good!
Might have to try this one next week.
Thanks for sharing!
Sarah
December 28, 2016 at 9:23 amI hope you like it, Maeva! :D
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit
December 28, 2016 at 11:36 amAHHHHH congrats on the Vitamix!!!! That is huge. And so exciting. And like the best gift you can give a food blogger. Can’t wait for the smoothie mania. But for now, these falafels look wonderful–falafel for every season perhaps? :)
Sarah
December 28, 2016 at 7:38 pmThanks girl!! I’m SO excited to finally have the blender of my dreams ;)
Melissa
December 28, 2016 at 12:25 pmThese sound fantastic! I can’t wait to try them!
Also, looking forward to your smoothie madness! Hooray for vitamix!!!
Sarah
December 28, 2016 at 7:38 pmThanks Melissa!! :D
Josephine
December 29, 2016 at 1:15 pmLove the look of this recipe. If you haven’t got chickpea flour what is a good substitute?
Thanks
Sarah
December 29, 2016 at 1:48 pmYou could try subbing the chickpea flour with whole wheat flour! The falafels just might be a little bit more fragile. Let me know how it works out if you try it! :)
Rachel Irish
December 30, 2016 at 12:05 pmHi Sarah, Just recently found your blog and am so thankful for it! A question about the recipe: have you ever tried freezing these? If so, do you do it after they’ve been baked? I have three, ever-hungry, mini vegans (ages 1, 2.5, and 4) and I love the idea of making a big batch and pulling them out as I need them. Thoughts?
Sarah
December 30, 2016 at 12:54 pmHey Rachel! Thanks so much for stopping by :) I’ve never frozen these falafels, but you could definitely do it! I would recommend freezing them after they’ve been baked, and then reheating them in the microwave or sautéing them in a skillet with a little olive oil. Hope this helps :)
Rachel Irish
December 30, 2016 at 3:31 pmThanks Sarah. Happy holidays!
Audrey
January 16, 2017 at 1:13 pmHi! I have tried this recipe and subbed the chickpea flour with whole wheat flour and the falafels have turned out fantastic! I haven’t tasted them yet but they smell a-m-a-z-i-n-g, I will try your buddha bowl with them tonight, can’t wait!
Sarah
January 17, 2017 at 12:10 pmI hope you loved the falafels, Audrey!! Thanks so much for leaving a note :)
Kim
January 21, 2017 at 8:00 pmMy husband and I made these together. So excited to try them. We have been making meals during the weekend to use through the week. Looking forward to having them for breakfast and any time of day! Thank you
Sarah
January 21, 2017 at 11:20 pmI hope you like them, Kim!! :)
Première recette – ANNIE BANANIE
November 5, 2017 at 9:12 pm[…] La recette des falafels se trouve ici : https://wellandfull.com/2016/12/winter-kale-falafel/ […]
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November 17, 2017 at 2:03 pm[…] Winter Kale Falafel […]
Holly
November 26, 2017 at 8:54 pmHI, trying to eliminate oils from my diet. What could I use instead of EVOO. Thanks!
Sarah
November 26, 2017 at 9:52 pmHey Holly! While I haven’t personally tried this, I’d imagine 3 TBS mashed avocado would work just fine here as well :) Please let me know if you try this, and how it works out!!
Noyah
January 4, 2018 at 3:38 pmHi Sarah,
I read you’re not supposed to heat olive oil, I would recommend sunflower oil instead. Otherwise, look super yummy can’t wait to try it.
Sarah
January 4, 2018 at 9:33 pmHey Noyah! Any other neutral oil would work just fine instead of olive oil in this recipe :)
Delicious Dinner | Ample Perspectives
January 29, 2018 at 9:58 pm[…] Winter Kale Falafel Mine look a lot green then the recipe but they were good. I like that they are baked and not fried […]
Renee
June 9, 2018 at 6:25 pmHi Sarah.
Due to IBS I can’t have chickpeas, what would you recommend I use instead? I would love to try this as it looks amazing!
Sarah
June 10, 2018 at 1:24 pmHi Renee! Thanks so much for writing! I haven’t recipe tested this with anything other than chickpeas, so I can’t guarantee results. However, you could definitely try it out with kidney beans or navy beans! Just note that these beans aren’t as sturdy as chickpeas, so the falafel might be a little mushy. I’m sure it would still taste great though! :)
Homemade Falafel Platters – Stortz Wellness
November 27, 2018 at 9:09 am[…] Winter Kale Falafel Mine look a lot green then the recipe but they were good. I like that they are baked and not fried […]
Brandy Rolf
December 14, 2018 at 8:15 amI made this with the Winter Buddha Bowl. WOW! LOVE THIS! Thank you so much for posting :) I feel so much better when we are eating healthy and NOT eating vegan junk-food.
Sarah
December 14, 2018 at 3:55 pmHi Brandy, I’m so glad to hear you liked this recipe!! I feel so much better when I eat healthy too :) Thanks for leaving a note!!
Stacy
January 20, 2019 at 10:02 pmI made these tonight, not too bad. I paired them with some yellow and green zucchini I seasoned and sautéed….very nice pairing. Tomorrow Or sometime this week, I hope to make the Buddha bowl (which I am REALLY looking forward to!
Sarah
January 21, 2019 at 9:45 amHi Stacy, thanks for leaving me feedback on these falafel! I hope you like the buddha bowl too :)