Recipe- Healthy and Delicious Vegan Falafel Smash Pita Bread

Vegan Falafel Smash Pita recipe is a fun and healthy take on Mediterranean street food. Here, homemade falafel mix is served with mini pita bread and cheese! This cuisine uses a lot of olive oil, fresh vegetables, herbs, spices like cumin, whole grains, and protein-rich legumes which makes it a very viable diet.

Ingredients

To prepare the Jalapeno Pesto Yogurt Sauce

1 Jalapeno
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp parsley, chopped
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp pine nuts
1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup vegan yogurt
La Baleine Essentiel Sea Salt for seasoning

To prepare the falafel smash

15.5 oz chickpeas
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup onions, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic
1/2 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
La Baleine Essentiel Sea Salt for seasoning

Other ingredients

8 mini pita breads
Shredded vegan cheese for garnish
Red pepper flakes optional
Tahini sauce optional

Method

To prepare the Jalapeno Pesto Yogurt Sauce

- Grill or roast jalapenos and garlic till they are somewhat charred. Allow them to cool.
- In a blender jar, add cilantro leaves and parsley leaves.
- Add the roasted jalapenos and garlic along with pine nuts, crushed black pepper, and olive oil. Blitz to make a pesto.
- Add vegan yogurt to a bowl.
- Top it with the prepared pesto sauce and season it with La Baleine Essentiel Sea Salt.
- Mix and keep this sauce aside for now. You can store it in the fridge till needed.

To prepare the falafel smash

- Transfer the cooked or canned chickpeas into a mixing bowl. Using a potato masher, mash them lightly. You need not mash them completely.
- Add chopped parsley to the bowl.
- Add sliced onions and minced garlic.
- Add cumin powder, lemon juice, crushed black pepper, and olive oil.
- Season it with La Baleine Essentiel Sea Salt as needed.
- Give it all a good mix. Keep this aside for now. It can be stored in the fridge till needed.

How to assemble it all

- If the pesto yogurt sauce and the falafel mix are in the fridge, take them out and bring them to room temperature.
- Place the mini pita bread on the baking tray. There is no need to heat or toast them first but you may do so if you want.
- Spread a generous layer of jalapeno pesto yogurt sauce over it.
- Then layer it with the falafel mixture.
- Top it with shredded cheese and broil for 2 minutes (or until the cheese melts) at 400 degrees F.
- Garnish with crushed red pepper flakes and drizzle tahini sauce over them. If you want, you can also drizzle some tomato ketchup over them.
- Serve them warm or cold.