This week marks the last entry of the first phase of The Marinate Recipe challenge and I have to admit, I almost decided not to participate. I was completely stumped when I saw the ingredients for this week: lima beans, Himalayan sea salt and pickling spices. But after a lot of brainstorming and a few bouts of crying, the idea for these lima bean falafel wraps with overnight pickled veggies was born.
Like pinto beans, I’d never used lima beans before so I had zero idea what to do with them. And I freakin’ hate pickles so I wasn’t fired up to attempt making anything with them either.
And then I remembered this amazing shawarma wrap I had a couple years ago starring pink pickled turnips. I usually got the most boring toppings ever but one day the manager finally convinced me to give the pickled turnips a try and they literally blew my mind away.
I haven’t had shawarma in ages so I’d forgotten how much I loved those pickled turnips . But with that memory fresh in my mind, I set out to create something similar for this week’s challenge.
Lima Bean Falafel Wrap with Overnight Pickled Veggies
This meal comes together pretty easily despite having to prep the pickled veggies the night before.
The overnight pickled veggies: I decided to skip the turnips and went with overnight pickled veggies instead. The overall concept is the same; pack veggies into a jar, top with pickling liquid, refrigerate and let the magic happen. But overnight pickled veggies are ready overnight (duh) while pink pickled turnips can take anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks. Since I’m last minute AF I literally had less than 24 hours to pull this together. So those pickled turnips will have to wait.
The lima bean falafel: I really didn’t have enough time to find a way to make shawarma using lima beans so I went with lima bean falafel instead. The recipe is pretty similar to my spinach almond falafel but the lima beans seem to add a bit more moisture. Regardless, the resulting falafel is still crispy on the outside, moist on the inside and flavourful AF. Plus, it pairs perfectly with the sweet and sour overnight pickled veggies.
The Challenge
If you’re a fan of these lima bean falafel wraps, I’d love it if you could head over to Progressive Nectar when voting opens on Monday and vote for me. If my photo gets the most likes I win a prize & you have a chance to win too.
Here’s how to vote:
- Go to @progressive_nectar & follow
- Find my photo of these lima bean falafel wraps, like and comment on it
- If I win the recipe competition Progressive Nectar will randomly pick one of the commenters on my post & reward them with a prize too
Oh, and if you make these falafel wraps, I’d love to hear what you think. Leave a comment and rate the recipe or take a pic and tag me @ExSloth on Instagram!
- 1½ cups vegetables (I used 6 small radishes, 1 small carrot and ½ an english cucumber)
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1½ cups water
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 tbsp agave
- 1 tbsp Himalayan sea salt
- 2 tsp pickling spices
- 1 can lima beans, drained and rinsed (~ 1½ cups cooked lima beans)
- ½ cup cilantro
- ¼ cup spinach
- juice of ¼ a lemon
- 2 tbsp almonds
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 2 - 3 tbsp spelt flour, as needed
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- salt & pepper to taste
- olive oil for cooking
- 4 - 5 pitas or pita pockets
- lettuce
- tomatoes
- vegan garlic mayo
- tahini
- Food Processor
- Large saucepan
- Frying pan or skillet
- 1 pint mason jar
- Bring the water, vinegar, agave, salt and pickling spices to a boil and let simmer for 4 - 5 minutes
- While the pickling liquid is simmering, prepare veggies. I cut my carrots into ¼ inch sticks, the radishes into rounds about a ¼ inch thick and the cucumber into ¼ inch ribbons
- Pack veggies and sliced garlic into a 1 pint mason jar and pour pickling liquid over top until the veggies are completely submerged
- Place the lid over the jar and let sit on the counter until it cools to room temperature
- Transfer to the fridge and allow to sit overnight
- The pickled veggies will be ready after about 18 - 24 hours but the flavours get more intense the longer it sits
- Add all ingredients for the falafel to the bowl of a food processor and pulse. scraping down the sides, until everything is broken down and a crumbly 'dough' is formed. You may need to add more lime juice to get the food processor working or more spelt flour if the mixture is too moist
- Transfer the falafel mix into a bowl and continue to mash with a fork if necessary (i.e. if there are any large lima bean chunks still visible)
- Optional: At this point, you can refrigerate mixture for a couple hours or overnight. I've made the falafel with and without this step and I like it both ways
- Scoop out spoonfuls of dough and form into small patties or disks. I used a tablespoon for this and was able to get about 15 falafel patties
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat
- Once the oil is hot, place the falafel into the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until the patties are golden brown. Watch them carefully as they burn easily
- Transfer the patties to a paper towel to drain off any excess oil
- Serve with a warm pita, lettuce, tomatoes, pickled veggies and tahini or vegan garlic mayo
Want more falafel recipes? Try this one:
Liked this recipe? Pin it for later:
What about you?
- Have you ever made your own pickles before? What kind?
- What’s your favourite lima bean recipe?
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That sounds so good! Lima beans used to be my brother and mine’s favorite while growing up! Haha! I don’t have them often enough now!
Yes! I’ve made quick pickles!!! So fun and so good!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine recently posted…Friday Finisher 6/3/16
This looks SOOO good. I love pickled veggies! But they normally have a lot of sugar in them. I’ve never made them so I should make this :))
Masala Girl recently posted…Race for the Cure & Weekly Workouts & Foods
I love that you switched it up and used lima beans for your falafel. Big falafel lover over here. Wish I had known about the challenge. Looks fun! Check out our meatless Monday linkup if you’d like to join us next week with this. Good luck!
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner recently posted…How To Deal With Race Day Anxiety
I have the WORST memory of Lima beans! Ha! But, I’d totally try this.
Christina Bauer recently posted…Black Bean Pesto Pasta
I haaaaate those pickled turnips, which is funny because I like turnips and I like other things pickled. Pickled radishes are amaze!
Melissa @ Mango About Town recently posted…May Half Marathon Training Recap
I don’t know how I feel about Lima Beans. But this recipe sure looks good!
This is SO fun, Giselle! So creative and ridiculously fresh and summery. You’re speaking my language, girl 🙂
Alexa [fooduzzi.com] recently posted…9 Vegan Pantry Staples for Summer
Ugh Giselle, these look DELICIOUS. Now I need some!
Carmy recently posted…What’s In My Gym Bag (June 2016)
I’ve never made pickled veggies – but this recipe looks pretty simple. Bet they’re delicious over those falafel!
This makes pickled veggies look good! Just may have to try! This recipe looks pretty simple.. and who doesn’t love falafel?!
I can’t wait to try the pickled veggie recipe. Yum.
Wow! I’ve never tried falafel made with anything other than chickpeas! This sounds really good! And I love the idea of pickling those veggies. I love that kind of flavor!
This sounds amazing! I have not tried the wraps, but will check them out. Thanks you for sharing…the pickled veggies look fabulous as well 🙂
Angela @marathonsandmotivation.com recently posted…The Friday 5: Essentials for the Long Run
I’ve never had Lima beans but this looks delicious and like something I should branch out and try!
Tee recently posted…Fit Friday | Classpass
So I’ve wanted to make falafel for foreeeeeever. Maybe now is the time?
looks delicious! great recipe. thanks for sharing!
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I love pickled veggies, and now you’ve inspired me to make my own! Falafel is always a good way to go, no matter what beans you have on hand. I say throw some hummus on it and it’ll be good no matter what.
Emilie @ Emilie Eats recently posted…Gluten-Free Vanilla Peach Cake