Starter & Snack

Southwestern Falafel

Name: Southwestern Falafel
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 (16 ounce) can pinto beans, drained; 1 pinch cayenne pepper; 1 cup dry bread crumbs, or more as needed; 1 egg; 3 cloves garlic; 1 small green bell pepper, chopped; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 dash hot sauce, or to taste; 1 onion, quartered; 2 teaspoons peanut oil; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 (1.25 ounce) package dry taco seasoning mix; 1 quart vegetable oil for frying, or as needed

6 October 2026

Not yet ratedRate Recipe

Total Time35 Mins

Serves6

Per Serving$1.22

Southwestern Falafel takes around 35 minutes from beginning to end. For $1.22 per serving, you get a hor d'oeuvre that serves 6. Watching your figure? This dairy free and lacto ovo vegetarian recipe has 459 calories, 7g of protein, and 35g of fat per serving.

Dairy Free Vegetarian Middle Eastern Starter & Snack Onions Eggs Beans

Method:

1
Heat vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2
Place onion, green bell pepper, egg, garlic, taco seasoning, baking powder, peanut oil, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper in a food processor. Puree until smooth.
3
Pour pinto beans into mixture and pulse until pinto beans are chopped and integrated, but not smooth.
4
Transfer bean mixture to a large bowl; stir hot sauce into mixture.
5
Stir enough bread crumbs into mixture to form a dough that holds together, but isn't sticky.
6
Form dough into quarter-sized balls.
7
Deep-fry in hot oil until falafel are deep brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.