This fresh take on a falafel wrap is filled with chopped tomatoes and cucumbers, wrapped in a collard leaf and drizzled with a parsley tahini sauce.
These vegan falafel wraps are my idea of fast, fresh portable food. All it takes is a bit of prep work, which can mostly be done ahead of time, and they’re ready to pack in a lunchbox or take on a picnic.
What's in the wraps?
I should start off by saying that these aren’t your typical falafel wraps. You won’t find any chickpeas or pita bread here. There’s also no frying involved and they’re totally raw which means they’re nice and fresh and great served at room temperature.
They’re made with raw vegan falafel balls, chopped fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, and then wrapped in a hearty collard leaf and drizzled with a fresh parsley tahini sauce.
How to make raw vegan falafel:
The falafel balls themselves are made from a mix of pistachios and sesame seeds along with a generous pinch of spices like cumin and coriander and fresh herbs like parsley and chives.
They come together quickly in the food processor and keep well for a few days in the fridge so you can make them ahead of time. You can also prepare the tahini sauce ahead of time and keep it alongside the falafel until you’re ready to assemble your wraps.
I like to use a hearty green like collard leaves for wrapping because they don’t get soggy from the fillings but you can also substitute chard or another leafy green if you’d prefer.
Wrap them up small for a bite-sized appetizer or snack or stuff a large leaf to the brim for a great portable lunch; no fork and knife required!
More wrap recipes:
Vegan Falafel Wraps
This fresh take on a falafel wrap is filled with chopped tomatoes and cucumbers, wrapped in a collard leaf and drizzled with a parsley tahini sauce.
Ingredients
For the Falafel Wraps:
- 3 large collard leaves,
- 3 small Persian or 1 hothouse cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- Pistachio Falafel (recipe below)
- Tahini Parsley Sauce (recipe below)
For the Falafel Balls: (makes about 9 ½ inch balls)
- 60g/1/2 cup shelled raw pistachios
- 28g/1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 small garlic clove
- ⅓ cup roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 Tablespoon chopped chives
- ¼ teaspoon of sea salt
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
For the Parsley Tahini Sauce:
- 30g/ 2 Tablespoons Tahini
- 15g/ 1Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 15g/ 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 30g/ 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 small garlic clove
- ⅓ cup flat leaf parsley
- ⅛th teaspoon sea salt
- 15ml /1 Tablespoon filtered water to thin (plus more if necessary)
Instructions
Make the Tahini Parsley Sauce:
- Blend all the ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth adding a Tablespoon of water or more if necessary to make a sauce-like consistency.
- Set aside or refrigerate in an air-tight container until needed.
Make the Falafel Balls:
- Pulse all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor until you have coarse crumbles that hold together when pinched.
- Roll into ½ inch balls and set aside or refrigerate in an air-tight container until needed.
Make the Falafel Wraps:
- Remove the stem from each collard leaf and trim down each side of the thick part of the stalk with a sharp paring knife so you have a flat foldable surface. If the leaves are particularly large cut them down the center to make two pieces.
- Arrange collard leaves on large platter. Divide chopped vegetables and falafel balls among collard leaves. Drizzle sauce over each, roll and serve.
Notes
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegan, Raw, Paleo
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 307Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 283mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 7gSugar: 1gProtein: 9g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Kelly Smith says
You are so creative! I love this idea and the photos are so gorgeous. I wish I could just reach in and grab one of these falafels! YUM! Thank you for sharing!
Arthur in the Garden! says
Yummmmy!
linda spiker says
Truly beautiful!
Amanda says
I am so so excited to try these falafels since I don't tolerate chickpeas. And the tahini sauce sounds like it would be good on just about anything!
Julia says
I have never had raw falafel. I love the idea. These are so up my alley and perfect for lunch!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Totally in love! Raw falafel sounds incredible!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
I JUST discovered tahini, and now I basically want to put it on EVERYTHING that goes into my mouth, so I am all about these wraps! Love how healthy and easy they are - perfect for lunch! Pinned!
Catherine says
Dear Sylvie, what a wholesome and beautiful meal. I could never tire of this...sounds wonderful! xo, Catherine
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
All I needed to read was tahini! But then I saw the pistachios too! What a fabulous way to make the falafel! Yum x 100000!
Rosa says
A wonderful idea and delicious looking dish.
Cheers,
Rosa