Dinner: Baked Falafel With Orange-Tahini Sauce

Recipe by Katherine Sacks This weeknight falafel dinner brings the Middle Eastern platter home with a tangy, orange-spiked tahini sauce, bright quick-pickled red onions, and an easy green cabbage and tomato salad. Serve it with prepared hummus and pita f

Ingredients

1 small red onion
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice, divided
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained, rinsed
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup chopped parsley, divided
5 tablespoons chickpea flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil, divided, plus more for pan
4 pita breads
1/2 cup tahini
2 cups shredded green cabbage
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
Homemade or store-bought hummus (for serving)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 °F. Thinly slice one-third of onion. Toss slices with 1/4 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup vinegar, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a small bowl; set aside.
Pulse chickpeas, garlic, coriander, cumin, 3/4 cup parsley, 1 tsp. salt, and remanining onion in a food processor until very coarsely chopped, about 30 seconds. Add flour and baking powder and pulse a few more times to combine.
Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup, portion out 12 ping pong-sized balls and place on sheet, spacing 1" apart. Gently press down on tops to flatten slightly. Brush tops with 1 Tbsp. oil. Bake falafel, turning balls halfway through, until golden brown and crispy, 20 –25 minutes. Wrap pitas in foil and warm in oven during last 5 minutes of baking.
Meanwhile, whisk 1/4 cup oil and remaining 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon orange juice, 2 tsp. vinegar, and 1 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in tahini and 1/4 cup water until a smooth sauce forms.
Whisk 2 Tbsp. pickling liquid from reserved onions with remaining 3 Tbsp. oil in another medium bowl. Add cabbage, tomatoes, and onions and toss to coat.
Cut each pita into 4 pieces. Drizzle falafel with 2 Tbsp. tahini sauce and top with remaining 1/4 cup parsley. Serve with pita, hummus, salad, and remaining tahini sauce alongside.