bean & lentil fritters

Satisfy your cravings and reset your gut with these fresh, flavorful fritters.

Tips

forming and frying

Forming these fritters is pretty easy. A small or medium size ice cream scoop. When oil reaches temp, just scoop and release into oil. Get as close to the oil as possible before releasing to avoid back splash. If you do not have an ice cream scoop, you can use a rounded tablespoon, or a regular spoon. Dipping the spoon into the water, will help it slide off easier.

In the recipe below, I make spherical fritters. If you’d like to make a patty and do a shallow fry instead, follow these instructions.

To make fritter patties: In a large deep skillet, add 3 tablespoons of frying oil. Form about 1 tablespoon of mixture into a ½-inch thick patty. (Having wet hands or using gloves will help you form these patties.) Fry for 3 to 5 minutes.

make it a mezze bowl

while these are a great snack or appetizer, they can be the meatless protein boost for any meal. Make it a mezze bowl by adding some grains, vegetables and fresh herbs. Here are my personal favorites

Grains: quinoa, couscous, rice
Finely diced cucumbers
Cherry tomatoes
Bell peppers
Fresh herbs: parsley, mint, dill
Pickled vegetables

how to roast garlic

This recipe calls for roasted garlic. Roasted garlic adds a much needed layer of flavor. Follow instructions below to roast garlic, if needed.

To make roasted garlic: Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Take as much skin off the garlic bulbs as possible, while leaving the bulb whole. Cut straight across to remove the tips to expose the cloves of garlic. If you can’t get the outer cloves, go in individually with a knife. Drizzle garlic with olive oil, and wrap with foil. Roast in the oven until fragrant and soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool before handling.

bean & lentil fritters

Preparation Time: 1 hr 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Serving size: 20 fritters

Gather

fritters

• 1 15.5 oz white beans canned (or any cooked white beans), drained
• 1 ¼ cup lentils, cooked (I used green lentils)
• 1 cup parsley, stems removed
• ¾ cup fresh cilantro, stems removed
• ½ cup fresh dill, stems removed
• 1 medium size, shallots roughly chopped
• 6 to 8 cloves of of garlic, peeled
• 2 teaspoons salt, plus more as needed
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika (optional)
• 1½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ¼ cup All purpose flour 
• Oil, for frying

Roasted garlic & lemon tahini

• 2 bulbs roasted garlic (see tip below)
• ⅓ cup tahini 
• ½ cup greek yogurt 
• Juice from 2 Lemons 
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped (or grated) shallots  
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Follow

fritter

1. Make fritter mixture: At least 1 hour, but preferably 24 hours before you’re ready to cook, add drained white beans, lentils, herbs, shallots, garlic and spices to the large bowl of a food processor. Run for 40-second bursts until all is well combined. Taste the raw mixture and add additional salt if necessary.
2. Remove the blade from the food processor. Fold in baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch and flour.
3. Let the mixture rest for at least an hour, and up to 24 hours, before working with it to fry.
4. Make the fritter spheres: In a deep sauce pan, heat 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees. Set up a plate with a paper towel. When the temperature is reached, use a small 1-inch ice cream scoop. Scoop the mixture and drop the spheres into the oil. Fry for 3 to 6 minutes. (Don’t overcrowd the pan; cook in batches as needed.) Place the fried fritters on the prepared plate. (Prefer patties over spheres? See tip below.)
5. Serve fritters in a bowl with dipping sauce on the side. Or you can make a Mediterranean bowl: Make the base of the bowl with your preferred, cooked grain, add the fritters and other vegetable accompaniments, and then drizzle with the tahini. Enjoy!

roasted garlic & lemon tahini

Make the sauce: Squeeze roasted garlic into the bowl of a food processor. You can also use an appropriate bowl for an immersion blender. Be sure to remove any skins that may have fallen in. Add remaining ingredients and pulse (or blend) until desired texture is reached.