Falafel is one of the most famous street foods in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. It is simply one of those dishes that is unforgettable once you try it. Falafel is made from ground chickpeas mixed with different herbs and spices and then formed into balls and deep-fried. These delicious fried balls of chickpeas have a crunchy texture on the outside and a fluffy, spicy herb flavor on the inside.
Falafel can be eaten on its own with some tahini sauce, or it is also commonly served as a sandwich. The toasted chickpea mixture is usually wrapped in a piece of warm pita bread or wrapped in lavash flatbread with tomatoes, lettuce, and tahini sauce. With a dish as tasty as falafel, it’s no surprise that you can serve it in many ways. Here are a few of my top favorite sides to serve with falafel.
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Deconstructed Falafel sandwich
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A deconstructed falafel sandwich has all the tasty ingredients of a falafel sandwich, but you get to choose exactly what proportions of each ingredient you want to eat. To make a deconstructed falafel sandwich, simply rearrange the warm pita bread, falafel, a few slices of tomatoes, cucumber, hummus, olives, and pickles, around a plate. Drizzle the falafel with tahini sauce, and pair your favorite ingredients, so you get the perfect bite of falafel.
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Falafel salad
My favorite way to eat falafel is to pair it with a Greek salad. Falafel salad is also the perfect healthy and filling meal for vegetarians. The combination of hot and fluffy falafel and fresh tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese, mint, dill, olive oil, and lemon juice is just so refreshing. When making this salad, don’t forget to dress the salad with extra dressing so that you can dip the falafel. You will be craving this tasty salad on hot summer days; there is no doubt about it!
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Mezze platter
Next time you have guests over, surprise them with a Mediterranean Mezza platter. Get a large platter, cutting board, or cheese board and simply assemble a combination of different Mediterranean dips. The most popular include hummus, baba ganoush, and muhammara. Then, get your falafel, tabouleh, stuffed grape leaves (dolma), pita bread, olives, and pickles. This mezze platter will be so popular that it will be a gathering your guest will rave about for days.
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Falafel with Tzatziki
There is something special and alluring about this creamy Tzatziki dip. This dip is made with Greek yogurt, fresh lemon juice, cucumber, and dill, making it bright and full of flavor. The light and slightly acidic sauce pairs well with the fried falafel. All you need to do is to dip that falafel into it and take a bite.
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Falafel for Dinner
Serve falafel next to a variety of grilled vegetables like eggplants, zucchini, tomatoes, and onion for a complete dinner. The grilled vegetables will contrast the crispy texture of the falafel. Be sure to add some dense tahini sauce and warmed pita bread on the side. This dinner combination will leave you happy and satisfied!
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Nothing Beats Hot French Fries and Falafel
French fries and falafel is a classic combination that is found throughout The Middle East. You can either add both ingredients into a pocket of hot pita bread and spread some hummus, or just plat
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A Warm Bowl of Split Lentil Pea Soup
Split lentil pea soup is a Mediterranean soup that is lemony and spicy. The hearty soup is perfect for dipping falafel. Once you dip the falafel, it will be soaked with amazing flavors that will melt in your mouth. Even though this is an entirely vegan dish, the meal is surprisingly loaded with protein!
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Falafel and Pickles
Falafel and pickles tend to go hand in hand. The salty, sour pickles are delicious when eaten with fluffy bites of falafel. Serve the falafel with a bowl of cucumbers, turnips, cauliflower, okra, and pickles. The fresh vegetables and sour pickles will give your mouth a nice change of taste from the hot falafel plate and warm pita bread.
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Kebab and Falafel
Next time you make lamb or beef skewers, don’t forget to serve some falafel on the side too! Drizzle both the meat and falafel with different sauces like warm tahini, minty chimichurri, or yogurt. Try out all the different sauces and see what you like best!
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Fattoush Salad
I can’t think of a better salad to serve on the side of a falafel plate. This salad is full of vegetables, fresh herbs, pita chips, and lemony dressing. Trust me; a Fattoush salad is everything your taste buds crave. You can even cut the falafel into smaller pieces and toss it with the Fattoush for extra crunch and protein. You won’t be disappointed.
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Labneh and Fresh Herbs
Labneh is a Middle Eastern spread made from yogurt that is strained and mixed with salt. This dense yogurt spread is perfect for falafel. The labneh compliments the crunchy, fluffy falafel and tastes delicious with some fresh chopped dill, parsley, and mint.
Bio:
Hi, I’m Rana and I blog at ranasrecipe.com. My passion for food began very early in my life. And after managing a cafe, a granola business and helping other food businesses scale up, I found my true calling in creating wonderful recipes so that everyone can enjoy cooking as much as I do! Don’t forget to follow me on my social channels- instagram and pinterest.
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