Falafel is a tasty budget friendly Middle Eastern recipe that has traveled throughout the whole world and enjoyed by many. They are often served as an appetizer or meze but falafel can be more than just that. Here are some suggestions for what to serve with falafel to take it to the next level.
What to serve with falafel pitas is a question I get often from my readers. As a girl from the Middle East I've lived my life with falafel for the longest, let me just tell you that there hasn't been a single week in my entire life that went by without eating falafel!
Why you'll love a Great Falafel Sandwich
- A simple recipe with few ingredients available anywhere in the world.
- Freezes very well for when you do not feel like cooking.
- Nutritious, high in protein, vegan and budget friendly.
- Works for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Falafel can be served in a variety of ways, such as in a sandwich or wrap, on top of a salad. We were brought up to the Egyptian falafel and my mom knew how to make a delicious falafel sandwich from a Syrian friend. While my kids go nuts over stuffed falafel and if you do not want to fry them check out this recipe for baked falafel.
So, hopefully you are now convinced that you need falafel in your life —but what should you serve with it?
🥙 Bread
Falafel balls are usually served in warm pita sandwiches or as a wrap. Here are some bread ideas to get you started.
- Pita bread.
- Whole wheat pita bread.
- Fino bread ( hot dog buns).
- Flatbread.
- Skillet bread.
- Or any sandwich bread you like.
🥣 Dips
Whether you are serving falafel patties as a bowl or stuff them in a sandwich, you will most definitely need to drizzle with some dips.
- Tahini sauce, my favorite and the most common dip to serve with falafel.
- Vegan hummus, another favorite too and very popular in Middle Eastern restaurants.
- Tzatzii sauce or as we call it yogurt with cucumber.
- Hot Sauce.
- Harissa.
🥗 Vegetables
In the Middle East we love to pack falafel sandwich with sauces and vegetables. Many people will stuff their sandwiches with arugula, falafel and a drizzle of tahini sauce. In the last decade or so there was this falafel sandwich that has almost everything like hard boiled eggs, french fried, eggplants, onions, cucumber ... you name it. This sandwich is usually named "Habashtakanat".
- Egyptian salad.
- Tomato slices.
- Cucumber slices.
- Onion slices.
- Pickles.
- Roasted eggplant slices.
- Radish.
- Pickled Turnip, a personal favorite.
- Eggplant with garlic sauce, very common especially in Egypt.
- Arugula.
- Salad greens.
- French fries.
🫖 Drinks
Teas, sodas and coffee are usually enjoyed after a hearty falafel meal.
- Mint tea.
- Cardamom tea.
- Karak tea.
- Ginger tea.
- Green tea.
- Jasmine tea.
- Cola, sprite or any soda.
- Turkish coffee.
- Ginger latte.
Falafel is a delicious recipe that is hearty enough for lunches yet simple enough for breakfasts. Serve it with a variety of sides as a charcuterie for parties or for dinners.
What would you serve it with? Let me know in the comments!
Marla
I was running out of ideas what to serve to my friend, who is a vegan. Thank you so much for these wonderful ideas. I will certainly serve this for dinner. Thank You so much for your help!!
Amira
Glad it helped Marla.