Description
These Falafel-Spiced Cucumber Bites are a refreshing and flavorful appetizer featuring a creamy chickpea purée seasoned with traditional falafel spices, served on crisp cucumber slices and garnished with fresh herbs and optional toppings like grape tomatoes, shallots, and Sriracha for a tasty bite-sized treat.
Ingredients
Scale
For Cucumber Bites:
- 1 (15.5 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons Stonyfield Double Cream Plain or plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground paprika
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, divided
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, divided
- 1 English cucumber
For Garnish (optional, but encouraged):
- Ground paprika
- Grape tomatoes, quartered
- Thinly sliced shallot
- Sriracha
Instructions
- Prepare the chickpea purée: In the bowl of a food processor, combine chickpeas, Stonyfield Double Cream Plain or Greek yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground paprika, kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and half of the chopped parsley and cilantro. Process until smooth and creamy.
- Slice the cucumber: Cut the English cucumber into ½-inch thick coins. For visual appeal, you can peel off a few strips of the cucumber skin lengthwise before slicing to create a striped effect.
- Assemble the bites: Scoop or pipe the chickpea purée onto each cucumber slice evenly.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle the remaining chopped parsley and cilantro on top along with a dash of ground paprika. Optionally, add quartered grape tomatoes, thinly sliced shallots, and drizzle Sriracha for an extra kick. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to enjoy.
Notes
- The chickpea purée can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- If the purée isn’t smooth enough after processing, continue blending; if it remains too thick, add an additional tablespoon of Double Cream or yogurt to reach desired consistency.
- Use a vegetable peeler to peel a few stripes down the length of the cucumber skin before slicing for a decorative striped look.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 45 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 2.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 1 mg
