Recipe: Hemp Seed Salad with Hemp Seed Falafel

The barbecue season is in the starting blocks. Are you looking for delicious new side dishes or a light but tasty main course? How about a salad with hemp seeds? The hemp seeds are packed with protein, fibre, and essential fatty acids, making your salad a great nutritious option.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mixed salad greens
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup cucumber, diced
• 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Lemon Dressing:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp honey
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine salad greens, hemp seeds, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and feta cheese.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
3. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Pro-Tip:

To enhance the flavour of the hemp seeds, you can also roast them a little in a pan without oil before sprinkling them over the salad.

If you want to have the full hemp power, you can use hemp seed oil instead of olive oil. As it contains essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, it not only promotes heart health but also your general vitality.

To make the dressing creamier, you can put hemp seeds and olive oil in a blender and blend until you have a smooth, slightly runny mixture. Then combine this mixture with the other ingredients for the dressing. This binds the salad dressing and, together with the lemon, is a fresh, fruity and nutty extra that makes your salad even more special.

The salad itself is a great, nutritious side dish. If you want to eat the salad as a main course, how about homemade crispy hemp seed falafel as a little extra? Don't worry, it's really easy and quick. When you add hemp seeds to a traditional falafel recipe, you get a nutty flavour and extra nutritional value. Here's a hemp seed falafel recipe for you:

Hemp Seed Falafel

Ingredients:

• 1 can (~450g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 tbsp chickpea flour or all-purpose flour
• Olive oil for frying

Instructions:

1. Preparation: Place chickpeas, hemp seeds, parsley, cilantro, garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper (if using), salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is well combined but still slightly chunky.
2. Form Falafel: Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and mix well. If the mixture is too wet, add an additional tablespoon of flour until you can form patties without them falling apart.
3. Frying: Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Meanwhile, shape the falafel mixture into small patties or balls.
4. Cooking Falafel: Carefully place the falafel patties in the hot oil, cooking in batches if necessary. Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy.
5. Draining and Serving: Once cooked, remove the falafel from the pan and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.
6. Serve: Serve the warm hemp seed falafel with the hemp seed salad. The sweet sour lemon dressing fits perfectly to the nutty flavour of the Falafel.

If you don't want to combine the falafel with the salad, they also go well with warm tahini sauce, hummus or your favourite dipping sauce. You can also serve them in pita bread with fresh vegetables for a delicious falafel sandwich.

This recipe for hemp seed falafel offers a nutritious twist on the popular Middle Eastern dish. The hemp seeds are high in protein, fibre and essential fatty acids, making your salad a healthy and filling meal.

Enjoy cooking and sharing this tasty recipe with your family and friends!