Cranberry Falafel Burgers with "Yogurt" Sauce

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Enter into burger heaven… I’ve had these four times in one week LOL!!! I know I say that everything is so good, so either I am the world’s UN–pickiest eaters or you should just take my word for it… but these are SO GOOD! Falafel is something I just recently got into. It’s no secret of mine that I love chickpeas, so when I get to include them in a recipe I get super stoked. The other thing that I get really excited about is trying new foods! Maybe it’s weird, but I like get really excited. For this recipe I added opo squash. Huh?! What the heck is that?! That’s actually what I said when I saw it at the store. Now before I lose you, you don’t have to go on an opo squash hunt to make these delicious burgers, BUT I will say if you can find them, it’s worth trying! It’s a cross between a cucumber and zucchini and it has an almost buttery taste. It’s so yummy! You could substitute the opo squash for zucchini in this recipe, but go ahead and challenge yourself to try this new veggie 🙂 So let’s break it down:

We have gluten-free buns- check

Next, we have fresh arugula subbing in as our lettuce- check

Placed on top of this pink, oozy, addicting garlic tahini “yogurt” sauce. (Pink is optional, but so much more fun!)- check

All loaded on top of these cranberry opo falafel patties! check

Gluten-free, plant-based, vegan, and delicious- double check

So without any further ado… let’s do this!

Now you might be wondering why the pink sauce. Well for one, I like pink- pink food is fun, haha. BUT I use dragon fruit powder in a lot of my recipes as you might have noticed. Aside from being some of nature’s most beautiful fruit, dragon fruit (as well as in powdered form) is loaded with health benefits and has a very mild flavor so it’s not overbearing. Also known as Pink Pitaya Powder, this superfood is:

Good source of fiber
Rich in Antioxidants
Vitamin C
B1,B2 & B3
Magnesium zinc Calcium

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Cranberry Falafel Burgers with Garlic Tahini "Yogurt" Sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Cranberry Opo Falafel Patties

1 can chickpeas, (drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup oats
1 cup chopped opo squash, (alternatively you can use zucchini)
1 tsp basil, (I used partially dried, but you can use fresh also)
2 tbsp vegan ricotta cheese, (see recipe below)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 tsp salt
pinch pepper

Other

buns
arugula
garlic tahini yogurt sauce, (see below)

Vegan Ricotta Cheese

2 cups slivered blanched almonds
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
3 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp salt
1/2-3/4 cup water
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Garlic Tahini "Yogurt" Sauce

5.3 oz cup vegan yogurt (greek style), (I used Rippl vanilla unsweetened)
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup tahini
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4-1/2 tsp cumin, (adjust according to taste preference)
water to thin (if desired)

optional

1 tsp dragon fruit powder

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
In your food processor or blender, make your vegan ricotta. Blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a glass container
* This is great kept in the fridge for use with other recipes, on a bagel, or used as dip!
Next, place all the falafel ingredients in the same food processor/blender and blend until well combined
Form the mixture into patties and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping once halfway
While your falafel is baking, make your tahini garlic sauce by whisking all the ingredients together in a small bowl (or you can alternatively blend it)
I like to slightly grill my bun, you can alternatively place it in your oven for a bit too
Assemble your burger and devour! Store leftover patties and sauce in the fridge

Notes

** Vegan Ricotta Cheese adapted slightly from Minimalist Baker

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Cranberry Falafel Burgers with Garlic Tahini “Yogurt” Sauce