You won’t miss the meat in this gyro-falafel mashup! Falafel is a Middle Eastern specialty made from ground chickpeas. This recipe adds mushrooms to give the falafel a meatier texture reminiscent of Greek gyros. It’s served in a pita with tangy cucumber-yogurt sauce to add brightness.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 pound mixed mushrooms (such as portobello, stemmed shiitake, white button)
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for sautéing, brushing and drizzling
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 large clove garlic, smashed
- 1 large egg
- Kosher salt
- 4 pita rounds
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 seedless cucumber, grated (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/3 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1 clove garlic, grated
Instructions
- For the mushroom falafel: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Cut the mushrooms into large chunks and spread on a large, rimmed sheet tray. Toss with the olive oil and thyme. Roast, stirring halfway through, until golden brown and a majority of the liquid is evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
- To the bowl of a food processor, add the chickpeas, panko, parsley, cumin, cayenne, garlic, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the cooled roasted mushrooms. Pulse until finely chopped but not pureed (about 10 pulses), scraping down the sides of the food processor as necessary. Scoop 1/4-cup portions of the mushroom mixture and shape into 1/2-inch-thick patties.
- Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook, turning once, until evenly browned, 3 minutes per side. Season with salt to taste.
- For the lemony green beans: To a small bowl, add the tarragon, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon salt. Mix to combine, then set aside.
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and generously season with salt. Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, then immediately transfer the green beans to the ice water. When cool, drain well and slice into 1/4-inch-thick pieces.
- Add the green beans to a bowl, toss with the olive oil and season to taste with the seasoned lemon salt; toss to coat. There will be leftover lemon salt.
- For the cucumber yogurt sauce: Stir together the cucumber, yogurt, sour cream, cumin, salt and garlic in a medium bowl.
- To assemble: Brush the pita with olive oil. Toast over an open flame or in a pan set over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, 1 minute. Toss the cut tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Cut each pita in half, then stuff with the cucumber yogurt, 2 falafels, more cucumber yogurt, the lemony green beans and cherry tomatoes. Serve with more cucumber yogurt on the side if desired.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 608 |
| Total Fat | 27 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 78 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 16 g |
| Sugar | 12 g |
| Protein | 23 g |
| Cholesterol | 59 mg |
| Sodium | 1098 mg |
Reviews
I’ve had falafel lots of times but this has to be one of the best tasting I’ve ever had. I have to now double the recipe. The kids and I devour these. Thank you Carla!!!
This was AMAZING! I am not a fan of falafel because they tend to be dry. These were perfect. Everyone – even picky kids – said I nailed it. Thank you for a fantastic recipe that satisfied even the meat lovers. Delicious.
Loved these falafels! Pretty simple to make and delicious.
Delicious. Easy to make and very flavorful.
Way to go Carla, delicious! I didn’t have fresh thyme so I used dry but less and had leftover green beans from last nights dinner that I used. I strained the grated cucumber for 1 hour so the sauce would be less watery but might double the amount next time because it was so good on top the falafel. This is a recipe I will be definitely craving! Thanks!,
This is absolutely the best falafel I’ve ever made!!! It’s delicious! I omitted the green beans for my gyro and added shredded lettuce instead! Yum yum!! I will definitely be making these often!
Absolutely delicious. The only drawback is it called for a tablespoon of salt to be added to the green beans. This needs to be cut back to a half teaspoon. Other than that this is wonderful. Although next time I make it I am going to try it in the air fryer.