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This Falafel Salad with Lemon Garlic Tahini Dressing is an easy and delicious meal, loaded with fresh crisp lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, onions and crunchy falafels. Add a dollop of tzatziki for an added creaminess and hit of fresh dill, perfect any time you’re craving Mediterranean flavours.
I love salads, but I will admit, sometimes I’m left wanting more substance to my meal. Which is why I am head-over-heals for this hearty Falafel Salad! This salad combines the best of both worlds: heaps of vegetables, piles of healthy vibrant flavours, and perfectly cooked crunchy falafels that are so satisfying!
As a busy mom, I don’t always have the time to make a complicated meal when I get home. I will therefore often use a pre-packaged falafel mix as it is SO easy and takes one less step out of this recipe. Of course, I’ve given you the option to make your own! Also for the veggies in the salad, feel free to add more should you wish: sweet peppers would be amazing, for instance!
What is Falafel
Falafel is a Middle Eastern dish made of spiced mashed chickpeas formed into balls and fried. They are crispy, high in protein, and very delicious. They make a great meatless meal on a salad like this or wrapped inside a pita with piles of fresh veggies.
Quick Homemade Falafels
A boxed falafel mix will do the trick for this recipe. Should you feel like going the extra mile, you can use the Quick Falafel recipe below (this uses canned chickpeas: more authentic recipes use dried chickpeas that have been soaked). I created a version that uses a mini food processor, which makes putting these together super quick! Don’t let the length of the recipe intimidate you I promise!
540 mL 19 oz. or about 2 cups can chickpeas, drained and dried with a towel
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
1 ½ teaspoons cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ curly parsley
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
vegetable oil for frying, canola, sunflower or other neutral oil
1.Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the mixture is uniform and crumbly and starts to stick together. You may need to add a drizzle of water if your mixture is very dry. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Form into about 10 patties using your hands and fry in a medium pan in oil, in batches, until golden brown on each side, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a rack lined with paper towel.
How to Make Tahini Dressing
This Lemon Tahini Dressing is a really nice companion to this salad. It’s a creamy, rich sauce made of tahini (which is sesame paste), lemon juice, garlic and maple syrup or honey. You will need water to thin this dressing to get to your desired consistency, depending on how you want to use it! It tastes great on falafels, salads, wraps, or bowls.
Homemade Tzatziki
Tzatziki is a dip made with plain yogurt, cucumber, olive oil, fresh herbs, garlic, lemon juice and salt. It gives refreshing creaminess to this dish, and homemade truly beats store-bought every time. Full recipe HERE. Like the falafel though, if you’re pressed for time, I encourage you to just go for the pre-made tzatziki out of the deli. There’s zero shame in that!
Mediterranean Recipes
If you are looking for more recipes with similar flavours here is a list of some that come to mind. I LOVE Mediterranean dishes and it shows!
If you make this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #fraicheliving or leave a comment/rating below. I would love to know how you liked it!
xo Tori
Falafel Salad with Lemon Garlic Tahini Dressing
This hearty, healthy salad is loaded with nutrition and vibrant Mediterranean flavours! For added crunch, top with pita chips (store bought or homemade)
Ingredients
- 1 -284 gram box Falafel mix OR 1 recipe for Quick Falafels below
- vegetable oil for frying the falafels
- 4 cups loosely packed green leaf lettuce torn into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups diced long English cucumber
- ¾ cup chopped curly parsley
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- Tzatziki
optional for garnish
Lemon Garlic Tahini Dressing (Makes 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup tahini
- ¼ cup water, or more to thin
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Lemon Garlic Tahini Dressing
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Place all of the ingredients in a blender or a small food processor and blend until smooth. Season with additional salt if needed and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Falafel Salad
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Mix the falafel mix according to the manufacturers directions or follow the directions below for Quick Falafels and set aside (they typically need to sit for at least 10 minutes before cooking for the packaged ones).
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In a large bowl or platter, combine the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley and red onion.
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Prepare the falafels in 1 tablespoon portions, as per the directions. Cook over medium heat in oil (or air fry) in batches and set on a platter lined with paper towel until they are all cooked.
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To assemble the salad, place the cooked falafels on top of the prepared salad and drizzle with the Lemon Garlic Tahini Dressing and a dollop of Tzatziki (if using) on each serving. You may drizzle a bit of extra olive oil on top of the salad which is a nice touch!
Recipe Notes
Pita Chips: If you wish to add pita chips, preheat the oven to 400 F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, brush pitas with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake the pitas for about 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown, remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly before cutting into wedges.
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