Lentil And Mini Falafel Salad

• 3 pinches Kosher Or Sea Salt
• 3 pinches Ground Black Pepper
• FOR THE FALAFEL:
• 1-1/4 cup Dried Chickpeas, Soaked In Water At Room Temperature For 12 To 24 Hours, Drained, And Rinsed
• 1/2 cups Chopped White Or Yellow Onion
• 1/4 cups Packed Parsley Or Cilantro Leaves
• 2 cloves Garlic, Roughly Chopped
• 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoons Ground Coriander
• 1/4 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoons Ground Turmeric
• 2 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
• 2 cups Vegetable Or Canola Oil
• FOR THE DRESSING:
• 1/3 cups Chopped Roasted Red Bell Pepper
• 1/3 cups Tahini
• 1/3 cups Cold Water
• 4 teaspoons Lemon Juice From Half A Lemon
• FOR SALAD ASSEMBLY:
• 1 cup Cooked Lentils
• 3 heads Romaine Lettuce, Chopped
• 6 whole Scallions, Thinly Sliced
• 1 whole English Cucumber, Seeded And Chopped
• 1 cup Diced, Seeded Tomatoes, Or Halved Baby Tomatoes
• 1/2 cups Chopped, Toasted Walnuts

1. For the falafel:
2. Finely chop chickpeas in a food processor by pulsing and scraping down sides as needed. To the processor, add onion, fresh herbs, garlic, baking soda, dry spices, and 11/4 teaspoons salt. Process until everything comes together into a grainy dough. Empty into a bowl and stir in the flour, then press plastic wrap over the surface of the dough and refrigerate at least 15 minutes (up to several hours).
3. Turn falafel dough onto a work surface, flatten into a thick disc, and divide into quarters. Form a disc from each quarter (this helps to end up with equal sized falafel) and divide each into sixths. Roll each portion (24 total) into a ball (about 11/4" diameter) and place on a plate or baking tray covered with wax paper. You can refrigerate the balls at this stage, covered with plastic wrap, for an hour or two.
4. Fill a 10 to 12 inch heavy skillet with 1/2 inch of oil (you may have some oil left over). Heat gradually to just over medium heat, or 365u0b0F. Gently lower 6 to 8 falafel into the pan: they should bubble moderately, and you may need to increase heat slightly to maintain the correct temperature. Fry falafel for 2 to 3 minutes, then roll them to the other side with a wooden spoon and fry another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to paper towels or a wire rack and sprinkle with salt. Fry remaining falafel in batches until done. They're just fine served at room temperature, but to keep warm, transfer to a low (170u0b0F) oven and cover with foil if they begin to darken.
5. For the dressing:
6. Combine ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Thin dressing to desired consistency with more water. Keeps for nearly a week in the refrigerator.
7. To assemble the salad:
8. Toss lentils, romaine, scallions, and cucumber with plenty of dressing to coat. Top with tomatoes and walnuts, and serve each individual portion with three to six mini falafel.

salt, ground black pepper, chickpeas, chopped white, ubc, garlic, baking soda, ground coriander, ubc, ground turmeric, allpurpose, vegetable, dressing, red bell pepper, tahini, water, lemon juice, salad, scallions, cucumber, tomatoes, walnuts

Taken from tastykitchen.com/recipes/salads/lentil-and-mini-falafel-salad/ (may not work)