Feel-Good Falafel
What starts with an awkwardly measurable, gluten-free, just-add-water falafel mix from Trader Joes gets a big boost with my Mediterranean Seasoning and some dehydrated veggie soup mix we find in bulk from WinCo.
The recipe on the box calls for something like 1c of the dry falafel mix and 3/4c of water, but there’s about 2 1/3c of mix in the box. And, to be perfectly honest, the flavors are there, but lacking. I don’t want falafel that’s bland like wonder bread, I want to feel the heat from the herbs and spice. I want that garlic flavor to linger on my tongue, and unfortunately, on its own, this mix is on the bland side. Somewhere in the past few years, we find Trader Joe’s foods just do not have the same level of flavors they used to, but ohh how I loved the idea of a just-add-water falafel mix that is gluten-free, with options to fry or bake the falafel.
I figured out to actually make it GOOD, and totally worth it for us to keep a couple boxes on hand. I figured out how to make the whole box at once, bake it, and freeze them for when we want just a couple falafel! More flavor, more herbs and spices, more health and wellness benefits from quantities of these herbs and spices that you can actually taste. A squeeze of fresh lemon on it right before you eat it also gives it a whole new dimension of flavor.
1 box of Trader Joe’s Falafel Mix
2c of water
1T garlic powder (granulated garlic or fine garlic powder is fine)
1/3c dehydrated veggie soup mix (a blend of dehydrated carrot, celery, onion, parsley, and tomato, nothing else, no salt, nothing else, that we find at WinCo grocery store, in their bulk section)
2-3T olive oil brushed on the tops of the falafel before they go into the oven
Thoroughly mix everything together and it might seem on the soupy side, but after letting it sit for 45-60 minutes per the instructions on the box, the dehydrated veggies and herbs absorb and balance the moisture and the texture is something like ground beef for meatballs. A whole box of mix makes 24 falafel, and I bake it according to the directions on the box. We usually eat a couple and freeze the rest, and they retain moisture and flavor!
We’ll then repurpose the box it comes in as a trash receptacle. And while we are advocates for not eating highly processed and boxed foods, this is one exception we make. If you don’t have access to dehydrated veggie soup mix, one option is to use 1 1/2 – 1 3/4c of a low sodium or no sodium vegetable broth instead of the water and dehydrated veggies, and add another 1T of our Mediterranean Seasoning Blend. As mentioned in that recipe/post, we enjoy having this seasoning blend on hand for things like this.
Our homemade tahini and hummus are perfect sauces and dips for our version of falafel, and add extra nutrition, healthy, and wellness benefits. Another great option is adding garlic powder and parsley and a little garlic salt to greek yogurt for a creamy, dreamy garlic sauce.