Squash Falafel with Chipotle Ranch
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 4 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 4 servings
- Calories
- 1209
- Total Fat
- 87
- Saturated Fat
- 8
- Carbohydrates
- 95
- Dietary Fiber
- 21
- Sugar
- 13
- Protein
- 21
- Cholesterol
- 8
- Sodium
- 1116
- Total: 9 hr 30 min (includes overnight soaking time)
- Active: 45 min
Ingredients
Grain Salad:
Kosher salt
6 ounces (170 grams) green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
1 cup (210 grams) pearl barley
2 tablespoons (25 grams) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
Chipotle Ranch:
1/2 cup store-bought ranch dressing
1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo)
Falafel:
1 cup (200 grams) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight (see Cook’s Note)
1/2 medium onion, cut into chunks
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup (12 grams) fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup (12 grams) fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley leaves
1 chipotle in adobo, plus 2 tablespoons (40 grams) sauce from the can
4 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
2 tablespoons (16 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups coarsely shredded (on a box grater) butternut squash (about a 6-ounce/170-gram peeled chunk)
Neutral oil, for frying
Salad:
1 romaine heart, coarsely shredded
4 radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 Persian cucumbers, sliced
Lemon wedges, for serving
Directions
- For the grain salad: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until bright green and just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the green beans and rinse under cold water to cool. Pat dry and set aside.
- Add the barley to the boiling water and cook until tender but still with a bit of chew, 35 to 40 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a large mixing bowl. While still warm, add the olive oil, lemon zest and juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss well to combine and set aside.
- For the chipotle ranch: Into a small mixing bowl, add the ranch dressing and whisk in the adobo sauce. Set aside.
- To make the falafel: Drain the soaked chickpeas well and add to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Add the onion, lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, chipotle and sauce, garlic, flour, cumin, coriander, salt and baking soda. Pulse 80 to 100 times (this is the magic number!) to make a thick batter that is still slightly grainy. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in the grated squash until well combined. (Or if your food processor has a shredding attachment, switch to that and shred the squash right in.)
- Heat 1/2 inch of neutral oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a cooling rack.
- Form 1/4-cup portions of the batter into patties (you should get about 12 patties). Add as many patties to the oil as will fit comfortably and fry until browned, crispy and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove to the cooling rack to drain of excess oil and repeat with the remaining patties. Season lightly with salt.
- To assemble the salad: Divide the barley and romaine among the serving bowls. Top each with the falafel, radishes, red onion and cucumbers. Drizzle each with some chipotle ranch and serve the rest on the side for dipping. Serve with lemon wedges.
- Falafel batter can be made ahead without the baking soda and frozen. Thaw and add the baking soda right before cooking. The barley and green beans can be made a day ahead, but return them to room temp before serving. Leftover falafel will keep, covered, in the fridge for a day or two. Reheat in a toaster oven to serve.
Cook’s Note
If you opt to use canned, drained garbanzo beans, dry them well, as they hold more moisture than dried and soaked. Before frying, form about a tablespoon of the mixture into a small “test patty” and fry; if it holds together, you’re good to go. If not, add another tablespoon or so of flour and try again.