Inspired by falafel, these baked broccoli and chickpea bites deliver a crunchy exterior and a creamy interior, seasoned with fresh herbs and warm spices. Serve them as a lighter party appetizer, a fiber-rich side, or a topping that adds crunch to salads. A tangy harissa-yogurt sauce complements the bites, and since harissa brands differ in heat, you can dial the spice up or down to suit your taste. They also freeze well, so a double batch is worth making for a future meal.
Info
- Cook time: 25 minutes
- Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
- 5 cups broccoli florets (about 12 ounces; see Cook's Note)
- One 15-ounce can chickpeas
- 1 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves and stems
- 1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 small onion, diced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 to 6 teaspoons harissa paste
- Olive oil cooking spray, for coating the broccoli balls
Instructions
- Bring roughly an inch of water to a boil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the broccoli florets in a single layer in a steamer basket, set the basket over the boiling water, and steam until crisp-tender, about 8 minutes, depending on floret size. Move the broccoli to a large plate and let it cool slightly.
- Place paper towels on a baking sheet. Drain the chickpeas, keeping the liquid, and rinse them well under cold water. Spread the chickpeas on one half of the prepared sheet and the broccoli on the other half. Blot both with more paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- In a food processor, combine the parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, baking powder, garlic, onion, 1 teaspoon salt, several grinds of pepper and 3 tablespoons of the reserved chickpea liquid. Pulse until finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Add the chickpeas and broccoli and pulse again, scraping down the sides as needed, until both are finely minced, about 2 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl, stir in the panko, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- While the mixture chills, stir together the yogurt, olive oil, harissa (to your preferred heat level), 2 teaspoons water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper in a small bowl. Keep refrigerated until serving.
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees F and set a wire rack inside a baking sheet.
- Scoop the chickpea-broccoli mixture with a tablespoon or medium scoop into 1 1/2-inch balls, each about one heaping tablespoon. Arrange them evenly on the wire rack and coat generously with olive oil spray. Bake until deep golden and crisp, about 45 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through and spraying the balls again. Serve warm alongside the yogurt sauce.
Notes
Frozen broccoli florets work for this recipe too; simply steam them according to the package directions.
