Not sure what to serve with falafel? We have your back with these delicious sides to make this comfort food shine.
Falafel is an Arabic vegetarian dish made from chickpea flour, garlic, and parsley. The ingredients are combined and rolled like a meatball before they’re deep-fried. As such, falafel has a crunchy layer outside and a soft, fluffy filling inside.
This Arabic delicacy is a perfect party or cookout food. And you can serve falafel either hot from the fryer or at room temperature. Falafel delivers a savory, earthy taste and is loaded with cumin and coriander.
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What To Serve With Falafel?
Falafel, the delicacy of the Arabs, is made with chickpea flour. The ball is crispy outside with a rich, savory, and grainy taste. It combines the mildly spiced, herbaceous flavors of cumin and coriander. While you can serve these crunchy balls alone, serving a side dish along them can enhance their flavor.
Here are some simple but effective sides you can pair with your next falafel meal.
1. Green Pea Hummus
Falafel and green peas go exceptionally well together. The earthiness of the chickpeas and the mild, sweet flavor of green peas complement each other. You can make creamy hummus out of green peas as a dip. And this will enhance the overall flavor of your dish.
2. Lemon Rice
You can pair falafel with toasted lemon rice if you want a complete meal. The dish contains slightly toasted rice with peanuts, curry leaves, and a touch of heat from cayenne pepper. The sour tinge of the lemon uplifts the overall flavor of your dish. And lemon rice served with falafel makes a complete, delicious meal.
3. Tzatziki
Crunchy balls of falafel will pair exceptionally well with a decadent dipping sauce. Tzatziki is a bright and flavorful dip with a fresh, tangy flavor. It’s made by mixing Greek yogurt with lemon and cucumber. The refreshing taste of Tzatziki compliments the mild spicy flavor of falafel. And it’s incredibly easy to make.
4. Kimchi
If you want to add a tinge of spice to your falafel, kimchi is the perfect pairing. Kimchi consists of pickled vegetables, particularly cabbage and radish. This Korean side dish compliments the crunchy texture of falafels pretty well. Kimchi’s taste can vary depending on the seasoning. But it usually provides a fantastic combination of spicy tanginess with a slight crunch.
5. Sautéed Mushrooms
While everyone loves sautéed mushrooms with their meat, they also complement this vegetarian dish. Simply cut up your mushrooms and sauté them in salted butter. The soft, creamy mushrooms will complement your crunchy falafel well.
6. Baba Ganoush
Baba ganoush is a classic Mediterranean dish made using eggplant and other vegetables. It has a spread-like consistency, a slightly sour but earthy flavor, and pairs well with falafel. Baba ganoush can also have smoky notes when the eggplant is grilled or slightly charred.
The earthy and slight sour tinge of the spread compliments the mildly spicy flavor of falafel. These dishes have different textures, thus complementing each other well.
7. Israeli Salad
Who doesn’t like a satisfyingly seasoned salad with crunchy falafel? As the name suggests, Israeli salad originated in Israel and has loads of fresh vegetables and seasoning. Apart from the refreshing flavor, this salad is quite simple to prepare.
You can add multiple vegetables to this salad but make sure to add cucumbers and ripe tomatoes. Simply season the salad with dried parsley, pepper, and vinegar. It serves as a fantastic side dish with falafel.
8. Dolmas
Dolmas is a dish that is native to Turkish cuisine. These unique delights are essentially stuffed grape leaves and a popular delicacy in the Mediterranean. The leaves are loaded with exciting flavors from a combination of rice, meat, herbs, and spices like cumin and cardamom. It is a great side dish and will complement falafel’s mildly earthy flavor quite well.
9. Avocado Sauce
A creamy avocado sauce is the perfect side and dips for your warm, crunchy falafel. This sauce requires no cooking and can be made in just a few minutes. To make this creamy, buttery sauce, you will only need avocados, cilantro, lemon juice, and olive oil. The lemon gives this rich dip loads of bright flavor.
10. Pickled Onions
Do you love a sour and tangy side dish? Well, there is nothing better than a jar of pickled onions to go with your falafel. The bold and bright flavor of onions will complement the mildly earthy and spicy flavor of the falafels. Additionally, the texture of onions pairs exceptionally well with your soft falafel filling.
11. Hummus
If you are looking for a traditional pairing, there is nothing better than hummus for your falafel. Both of these are Israeli delicacies that pair seamlessly with each other. Hummus is a creamy dip prepared using chickpeas, garlic, and sesame seed oil. Lemon juice is added to give our dip a bright punch.
Remove the outer shell from your chickpeas to make your hummus richer and creamier. If you serve hummus as a side dish, make sure you serve falafels straight out of the fryer. Nothing is better than a warm, crispy falafel dipped in creamy, fresh hummus.
Conclusion
Falafels are crunchy on the outside and have a soft fluffy filling. No matter how you serve them, adding a side dish is always a good idea. A side dish can easily uplift the falafel’s subtle and mildly spicy flavor. So, if you’re thinking of serving falafel at your next dinner party, now you know what to serve with falafel.