Vegetarian Falafel Platter

5 from 3 votes

This loaded vegetarian falafel platter is the ultimate Mediterranean mezze, filled with crisp falafel, creamy tahini sauce and fried halloumi and more!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Soaking8

Total Time8 45

Course: Appetizer, Mezze

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Keyword: falafel platter, Mediterranean falafel platter, vegetarian falafel platter

Servings: servings

Calories: 297kcal

Author: Samantha Ferraro

Ingredients

Falafel

1 cup dried chickpeas
½ onion cut in quarters
2 garlic cloves peeled and roughly chopped
½ cup fresh parsley
½ cup fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1-2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
Vegetable or grapeseed oil for frying

Tzatziki

½ cup plain Greek yogurt
½ Persian cucumber grated with the large holes of a box grater
1 small garlic clove grated
1 tablespoons lemon juice
2 sprigs fresh mint leaves leaves chopped
1 sprig fresh dill leaves chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil + more for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

Tahini Sauce

½ cup tahini paste
1 small garlic clove roughly chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juiced
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
½ cup water + more if needed

Other Additions

Sumac Onions
Pita Bread
Cubed Feta Cheese
Castelvetrano Olives
Cherry Tomatoes
Persian cucumbers sliced
Spicy Zhoug Sauce
Pickled peppers

Instructions

Falafel

Soak the dried chickpeas overnight in a large bowl filled with water.
The next day, drain the chickpeas and pulse in a food processor until crumbly and there are no whole chickpeas left. Transfer to a large bowl.
In the same food processor, pulse the onion, garlic, parsley and cilantro until it almost looks like a paste, then add the parsley mixture to the beans.
Use a large spatula to everything together along with the cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper and flour and mix well. Add the baking powder and soda just before frying and give everything a final mix.
Heat a large skillet with vegetable oil and bring oil up to about 370 degrees Fahrenheit. You can test to see if the oil is hot by dropping a small piece of batter. If it sizzles, it's ready.
Use a large tablespoon and form the falafel mixture into balls about 1-2 tablespoons worth. Then carefully place the falafel in the hot oil, about 4-5 at a time and fry on the first side until you can see it browning on the sides, about 4-5 minutes. Then flip over and fry other side.
Once done, remove the falafel from the hot oil and place on a wired rack over a baking sheet to drain excess oil. Sprinkle with more salt, if desired.

Tzatziki

To a bowl, add the grated cucumber, yogurt, grated garlic, fresh lemon juice and fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper and add a little olive oil. Mix the sauce until well incorporated and taste for seasoning.

Tahini Sauce

In a food processor, add tahini paste, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, spices and water and blend until smooth.
Use a small spatula to scrape down sauce as needed and add more water if sauce is too thick.
Blend until desired consistency and sauce has similar consistency as honey.

Arrange the Platter

Arrange the falafel on a wide platter along with bowls filled with tzatziki sauce, zhoug and tahini sauce.
Fill any openings with pita bread, sumac onions, olives and vegetables.

Notes

Yields 12 falafel.
Falafel freeze and reheat well! Once fried, lay the falafel on a flat baking sheet and freeze, then place in resealable plastic bag for up to 3 months.
Tzatziki, cilantro zhoug sauce and tahini sauce can all be made ahead of time up to 3 days in advance.
To re-heat falafel, place the falafel on a wire lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until warmed through and crispy on the outside.
Save time and use store bought frozen falafel.

Nutrition