From toasted pita bread to homemade hummus, lemon rice to baba ghanoush, here are some easy falafel side dish recipes and ideas. Today, learn what to serve with falafel.

Falafel is an excellent addition to any Middle Eastern or Mediterranean meze meal. It gives a crispy texture and a herby taste to everything it’s served with and is made from deep-fried chickpeas or fava beans.

Here’s what to serve with falafel, whether you’re preparing a large meze feast or a fast lunch wrap. Find your new favorite side dish or serving suggestion today, from tahini sauce to tzatziki.

Hummus

Hummus, the ubiquitous chickpea spread that has swept the Mediterranean, and now the rest of the globe, is a must-have on every meze plate.

Make your own hummus using cooked chickpeas, tahini, garlic, olive oil, and seasonings instead of purchasing store-bought. To create simple hummus, just combine the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad

Serve falafel with a side of this veggie salad for a truly vegetarian supper. Fresh vegetables like tomatoes and cucumber help to balance out the thick falafel, while popular Mediterranean herbs like basil, mint, and parsley complement the falafel’s herbs. Simply cut the veggies and combine them with the dressing.

Pita Bread

Serve your falafel with pita, and everyone can make their own falafel wraps for supper! Homemade pita bread is fluffier and more flavorful than store-bought bread. Flour, water, yeast, salt, and sugar are all required.

Tzatziki

Tzatziki is a famous Greek sauce that may be used to dip falafel or spread over pita bread to form a wrap.

You’ll need yogurt, cucumber, fresh dill, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt to create the greatest homemade tzatziki. Grate the cucumber, drain the excess liquid, and season with salt and pepper.

Lemon Rice

To make falafel into a complete dinner, add some satisfying carbohydrates. This lemon rice dish is full enough to feed you for the rest of the day, and it works nicely with falafel due to the vibrant lemon, which is prevalent in Mediterranean meals.

You’ll need parsley, butter, and salt to make this easy lemon rice. For fluffy, delicious grains, cook the rice in boiling water with the lemon.

Baba Ghanoush

Baba ghanoush must be on the menu if you want to provide a dinner that adheres to Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern customs. To prepare a classic meze, combine this traditional dip with hummus and falafel.

You’ll need eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt to create baba ghanoush. After frying the eggplant, combine it with the other ingredients to make a smooth dip.

Dolmas

Dolmades are another typical Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dish. These filled grape leaves are a mainstay of meze plates across the Ottoman Empire, as is falafel.

The filling for handmade dolmas consists of rice, currants, herbs, and olive oil. Once the filling is ready, roll the dolmas securely.

Roasted Chickpeas

Pair falafel with roasted chickpeas for a legume-rich lunch. Drain canned chickpeas and sprinkle with olive oil before roasting in the oven. For a unified taste profile, finish with Mediterranean herbs and spices.

Tabouleh

Tabouleh is another common ingredient in meze platters, falafel, pita, and dips like hummus and baba ghanoush. The freshness of this Middle Eastern salad cuts through the richness of the falafel.

Tomatoes, fresh parsley, scallions, olive oil, and bulgur wheat are the key components in tabouleh. Cook the wheat before combining it with the chopped veggies. Finish with olive oil and lemon juice drizzles.

Olive Salad

Olive salad is another dish that goes nicely with falafel. Although it is not customary, the saline tastes of the olives and Mediterranean herbs blend beautifully with falafel.

This salad’s major components are black and green olives, roasted red peppers, and giardiniera (a pickled vegetable relish from Italy). Garlic, red onion, and a dressing consisting of olive oil, red wine vinegar, and herbs give flavor to the salad. Make the salad a day ahead of time to allow the flavors to mingle.

Pickled Onions

Pickled onions are a delicious way to serve falafel, whether you’re creating a falafel wrap or offering a meze platter. Their bright, spicy taste complements the richness of falafel.

Finely cut red onion and soak in a combination of simmering vinegar, sugar, salt, and water to pickle.