Uh hi, hello, Paris?
I’m sorry, I’m trying to reach France – the country not the Hilton.
Sure, I’ll wait. I understand the confusion.
Oh hi, hello there! My name is Andrea Mitchell and I just wanted to speak with someone about the food there.
No, not the crepes. Uh uh not the croissants or the escargot or even the croque monsieur (though I would like to speak about that at a later date). No, I’m actually calling because…well…you see…hah…it’s a funny thing…I – well – I came there about five years ago around this time in early spring and…ha…oh you see, I just haven’t for the life of me been able to forget that one hot and greasy falafel sandwich I bought at a little shop in your Latin Quarter.
Right, sorry, this is not about the crepes. No, ma’am, please. I don’t mean to insult your finer sensibilities. I have no doubt that the beouf bourguignon is all that. (I’m bringing that phrase back, thankyouverymuch.) Listen, I saw Julie and Julia. I get it.
I digress.
I just really need to speak to someone about the falafel.
Yes, I realize it’s not French.
Sure, I’d be happy to explain: it’s that hot buttered flatbread filled with crispy fried garbanzo bean patties, crumbled feta, velvety tahini, chopped lettuce, tomato, and sharp red onion.
Right, there’s a shop- it’s actually quite close to Shakespeare and Company bookstore. Mmm hmm just a stone’s throw from Notre Dame.
You’re sure you don’t know which one?
…Positive?
Hmm…well…okay. I guess it’s a lost cause. Thanks for your time.
I’ll just be over here…ya know…thinking about falafel and trying my damndest to ah… recreate a meal I ate five years ago.
No I have nothing better to do.
Nope, no siree bob, not a thing.
Really.
I know.
Super unfortunate.
KthanksBye.
Oh! And actually, can you put Paris back on the phone?
Yup, Hilton this time.
[Dialtone].
This falafel recipe, though not quite as lovely as the one that’s deep fried and waiting for me in the streets of Paris, is absolutely delicious. It’s one of those dinners that really makes me giddy. I like to wrap it in foil or parchment, load it with extra feta and creamy, smooth tahini sauce and eat with my eyes closed and smiling.
The patties are richly spiced with cumin, coriander, and a hit of spicy chili powder. Each one crumbles and almost melts into the silky tahini. There’s a sharpness from the garlic and onion, a brightness from fresh parsley and lemon, and then a cool, satisfying tang from crumbled feta. Find the best, most authentic pita bread you can for this recipe. I recommend a buttery flatbread, warmed in the oven for a few minutes to soften and blister.
Enjoy!
Baked Falafel with Lemon Tahini Sauce
serves 2
Falafel
15oz can chickpeas, drained
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Lemon Tahini Sauce
2 tablespoons tahini paste
zest and juice of 1 lemon
Remaining Ingredients:
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
2 pita breads (5” diameter)
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped green leaf lettuce
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine all falafel ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well blended. Scoop the bean mixture into a bowl and shape into 8 equal sized patties. Place on a greased baking sheet, brush each with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes.
Whisk the tahini, lemon juice, and zest in a small bowl.
Divide the hot falafel among the two warmed pita breads and top with chopped lettuce, tomato, thinly sliced red onion, crumbled feta, and the lemon-tahini sauce.
Nutrition info for 1 serving (1/2 of entire recipe):
Calories: 538, Fat: 18.7g, Cholesterol: 33.4mg, Carb: 73.1g, Fiber: 10.4g, Sugars: 0.1g, Protein: 21.2g
{ 88 comments… read them below or add one }
OoOo! mY MOM would LOVE something like this!! Im gonna have to make this! I love anything with beans!
Tahini makes everything better. I ate something like that on a trip to israel (that is also the country that made me fall in love with tahini ^^). I love the middle-eastern-kitchen
i will try this recipe asap. probably a good treat for myself after my exam week.
Def gonna make these tomorrow. Thanks!
Falafel is actually a VERY middle eastern dish, and we always eat it in Lebanon. If you’re frying the Falafel a very good addition would be to dip it in sesame seeds and THEN cook them. Trust me, it’s heavenly!
I will have to try these, they do look very tasty. Oh by the way, we made the double chocolate coconut blondies this weekend and they are FANTASTIC !!!!!! That one will go into the family cook book as a must for desert
Hi, can you put Andrea on the phone?
Yes- the one who made that great baked falafel.
Oh you found her? Good.
Now tell her I’d love one of these delivered to my house for dinner.
K, thanks.
I love you right now.
I went to Paris two years ago, and the best thing I ate was a falafel from this little bity shop in the middle of a bustling quarter. It was the one of the best meals of my life. I’m going to pray to God the Husband will eat this because we’re having Falafel this week!!
These sound awesome Andrea! I made baked falafels a while ago – (http://bit.ly/i8VWsq) it was my first time ever having them – even though I spent 5 years growing up in the Middle East! They were delicious and yours sound amazing too! Love the photos!
Yum! Looks great!
love your pictures in this one!! sounds delicious right now.
I was making my grocery list yesterday, and I thought “I should find a recipe for baked falafel,” but then I felt too lazy so I came up with a different meal. When I saw this today, I was like, “WHAAAT?!” This will definitely be consumed in my house next week. So excited!
I love this post. So cute!
Just bookmarked this one – thanks for sharing it!
That looks unbelievably delicious.
Yuuuuuuuum!! Falafel is one of my favorites and this recipe sounds amazing!
There is a great Greek restaurant near where I live in Memphis, TN (I know strange place for it to be), but this is great for when I want to stay in for dinner but still crave!
that looks so good! i made a baked sweet potato falafel last summer – I need to make some more
Thank you for the recipe! I’ve bookmarked it and hope to make it soon!
I just wrote a post about French food too
PS- you make me laugh. And this makes me hungry. For falafel.
I actually have this on my menu for lunch this week – cannot wait for it!
Hope you had a great weekend Andrea!
I have never had falafel or tahini…sad huh?
These look fantastic. Eating it out of the aluminum foil wrapper makes it so much better, like you’re still walking down the streets in France.
mmm what a great way to make falafels healthy and still delicious, I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Thanks Jenny
This looks amazing! I’m a huge falafel fan, but I’ve never actually made it. I think I could handle it
I have a serious love affair with falafel! I have never made it from scratch before so I think I am just going to have to try this recipe! I usually buy a good container of the dried mix at a mediterrean market in Worcester and make it that way but this sounds easire. At the very least I wouldn’t have to wait an hour for the mixture to soak..
Love the baked version of falafel! Thanks for the comment on my Foodista profile, got to know about your lovely space here. Would love to hop over again for such wonderful delicacies from you.
forget about the bread and crepes! this looks absolutely fantastic!! i can not wait to try the recipe!!!
:::Salivating:::
Have I mentioned before how badly I want to live in your kitchen?
You’re welcome anytime
Wow that falafel looks amazing! I’ve never made any before and last time my brother tried, it was such fail lol
I adore the Latin Quarter! I was too preoccupied with the social acceptance of eating fries with mayo sauce (um, yes please?!) to get to the falafel, but I wish I had! You did a beautiful re-creation!
Ahhhh mayo- I love it. Glad someone else was as food-minded abroad
Oh, wow! Can I come over for dinner next time you make these?!!? They look amazing and so bright and colorful! I’m definitely going to have to try them!
Ummm can we talk about my love for you?
I only had my first falafel in October (sad, I know. I lived over 25 years without) and became instantly obsessed. Secret #2 is that I HAVEN’T HAD ONE SINCE!!! Andrea, what the eff is wrong with me?? And why aren’t you my neighbor? Can you ship these across the country?? In time for dinner tonight??
Pretty sure this is my dream recipe. I am obsessed with lemon and tahini recently, and I always love falafel!
Your recipe looks amazing and I’ll definitely book mark it…. But I’m going to Paris for the first time in a few weeks and im now dreaming of finding this sandwich (any tips to locate it, we’re staying in the Latin quarter
?) and having one just for you nd my favorite new blog!
Oh my gosh, falafel is one of my favorite things! I’ve never made it, but this definitely looks like THE recipe to try my hand at it!
I had a similar experience in Providence with some Falafel–I’d never even heard of it before, but this little hole-in-the-wall was giving out free samples while I was on a high school chorus field trip. I fell in love, but have yet to have falafel as delicious as I remember. I love the fried-ness, but I may have to try your version if only because I fail very much at frying!
Superb! Chikpeas are my favorite!
Does the calorie total include the pita bread?
Can’t wait to make this…sounds divine!!!
Yup! Including pita, feta, tahini, and falafel!
Yep, that’s the falafel place that was ON MY BLOCK. It was amazing. While you were getting healthy in Rome, I was eating falafel 23 times a day and packing on 15 pounds. Haha! I wouldn’t change it, though. Those were some damn good falafel.
Amen. Those falafel were the BEST. So glad you know the shop
I have now had falafel twice and it’s my newest obsession. I tried making it at home and it was tasty but not like the place I had ordered it either. I am going to have to try this recipe. It looks outer worldly!
I am literally like drooling over these delicious looking falafels! I want to make them NOW – thanks for the great recipe
This looks increeedible!!!!
Funny that your most memorable falafel was in Paris. Mine was in Florence. Sometimes I think to myself, “when I get back to Florence… first thing I’m going to do is have a falafel”. So wrong, yet so right.
Oh how I love Florence
Firenze! Aaaahhhh can I join you if you ever go back? 
Love falafel! And that lemon tahini sauce looks amazing. These will be on my list for next week.
These look outstanding!!! Amazing photos!!
Ohmygosh! This is amazing! I love falafel, but hate how it is deep-fried and filled with fat. Thanks for the healthier baked recipe!
I LOOOVE falafels! I can’t wait to try out this recipe. My first attempt at making them turned out a little dry and I haven’t tried again since…until now! Great pics!
I’ve hesitated to try falafel at home because of the deep frying. This makes it guilt-free! Thanks.
I prefer to deep fry my falafel (hey, I’m southern!) but these look mighty tasty as well.
Oh, the falafel in Paris is out-of-this-world!! I have yet to try replicating it at home, but your recipe looks delicious! (and obviously, healthier!)
Thanks for sharing!!
Mmm.. falafel. Memories of L’As du Falafel in Le Marais.
Mmm….I wish I were in Paris right now
I made these tonight for dinner. Oh my goodness, SO delicious. We didn’t throw onion on ours, but instead put in some diced cucumber. It went over so well.
I’ve just made this and I have to say that it was definitely delicious! I had utterly failed to find tahini at my grocery store, but I improvised somewhat and it was still so good. Thank you!
Yum! My boyfriend and I made these a few nights ago, and both LOVED them! I’m glad that they were still good when baked instead of fried. We added garlic to the lemon tahini sauce and a dollop of Greek yogurt on our wraps…so good! And perfect with a few stuffed grape leaves on the side. Thanks!
I made these and they were amazing! I’ve never had falafel before, and I can’t imagine what the “real” version would taste like fried. This baked version is just sublime!
I just recently discovered your blog by the way, and I love your food philosophy. Thanks for sharing your views on healthy eating with a healthy mindset.
I am trying this for dinner today… I am so excited to make it…
…
Everyone loved this recipe…. It turned out perfectly… Everyone praised n I told them
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Credit goes to this beautiful and intelligent lady. Thank you…
Definitely ate a falafel from L’As du Falafel in the Latin Quarter of Paris. It was amazing. The best I’ve ever had.
I made these last night for dinner. They were excellent. I didn’t have any pita so I served them over salad greens and used pita chips as croutons. Excellent!
Seriously going to have to make this- especially for my daughters who fancy themselves to be greek food aficionados. And goddesses.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Made the falafel recipe this evening and it was a hit with my entire family. Thanks you! I will make this again!
Just made these falafel and popped them atop a massaged kale salad. YUM! Thanks for the great recipe!
Made these for a a friend’s birthday dinner and everyone really enjoyed them! They were so flavorful and so simple to make!
YUM! Enjoying these right now and will be taking for lunch tomorrow. Such an easy recipe to make!
Hi
The israelo-parisian I am know exactly where you bought your falafel but WAIT there are some other place where it’s waaayyyy more tasty ! If you come back to Paris, please go to the jewish neighborhood, your tummy will hate me, but your stomach will be so thankful. If you want to do even better, go to Israël (or Libanon, both beautiful countries), falafel are everywheeeereeee
I made this tonight. It was amazing! I did not make the tahini sauce and I added lemon juice to the patties. I didn’t have any cumin or chili powder. I added a 1/2 teaspoon of paprika and a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne which gave them quite. Kick. Thank you for a great recipe.
This recipe is amazing – made them with my family (husband and two kids – ages 14 and 10) and everyone pronounced them to be fantastic! This is our go-to falafel recipe now … and the kids love ‘em! (And I love that they’re baked and not fried – although I admit to having cravings for crunchy, deep-fried falafels – and the spicing is perfect.) These are incredibly tasty falafels.
Enjoying your blog … great writing makes for pleasurable reading!
Just made this. It was a little dry and could have used a bit more taste in the actual felafel itself. I ended up adding olive oil to the felafel mix as well as some jalapenos.
The tahini sauce needed to be a little less thick so I also added some milk to it which helped the spreadability factor.
All in all, I ate all of it and it still tasted good, but I had a little higher expectations.
Update:
I reheated the leftovers today and they were a lot better than I remember them. So, I actually rate this recipe as good
So funny. I spent a summer in Dublin during law school and my best food memory is the falafel we got from a little stand down in Temple Bar. Not that Dublin is the gastronomical equivalent of Paris by any stretch, but still. It’s counterintuitive.
Hi! I just found this recipe on Pinterest. I had to tell you that I was in Paris 6 years ago, and I ate at that same shop in the Latin Quarter. I didn’t have the falafel, but I still drool when I think about the food I did have.
This recipe looks great! I can’t wait to try it!
YES!! L’As du Falafel was one of the best food experiences of my life! I can’t wait to go back AND to try this recipe. Thanks!
I love your blog! I found you on pinterest and am really looking forward to trying some more recipes. I made this recipe tonight for dinner and it was pretty darn good- love that it’s a no-fry option for falafel
I doubled the recipe so that we could have leftovers and found the mix to be pretty dry. In your pictures your falafels look moist. Would you add something to make them less dry, or go lighter on the flour? Thanks!
Thanks Rachel!
Hmm, I wonder if adding an egg to this recipe would be a good binder and moistening agent. If not that, I’d say a good addition to the falafel mix would be 2-3 tablespoons of yogurt or sour cream.
I really appreciate you trying the recipe and I’m thankful for your honest review!
Andie
Hey Andie! I came across your blog today and I’ve been poring over recipes to plan my meals for next week. On a relevant note, I’m studying abroad in Paris this semester—I think the place you’re talking about is called L’As du Falafel. After reading your review I’m definitely going to check it out!
I just made these and they were a huge hit! I didn’t have any pita’s, so I made big falafel salads. It was a huge hit with the meat-loving husband!
I’m guessing you drain the water from the chickpeas? I am staring at a thick, unmoldable paste in my kitchen…
Hi Jessica,
Yes, you do drain them, and I’m sorry that I hadn’t mentioned that in the process. I just edited the recipe.
Andie
I have to go on record as saying this was DELICIOUS AND I’M SO GLAD I TRIED IT. I ended up modifying the tahini sauce a bit, because mine didn’t end up like the photos; I must have had a different tahini paste to start with. I mixed in some nonfat Greek yogurt until I got a silky consistency, and I ended up adding a clove of crushed garlic (because my household adores garlic).
Once again. Just fantastic.
No way! I KNOW your falafel man! I lived on blvd St. Michel & we stopped at this place all the time! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Also, my roommate also had some confusion with Paris. She was trying to notify her bank before she moved, and she said that she was moving to Paris. The operator responded with “Paris, Ohio; Paris, Texas; Paris, Michigan; or Paris, Kentucky?” (Btw, I don’t remember where all these other Paris’ were, so I’m making them up….)
Her response…
“Uh…the one in France?”
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