What to serve with falafel pitas - 13 side dishes!
Delicious sides to serve with falafel pita
Growing up in a Greek household with a dad who grew up in Egypt and whose non-blood-related was from Lebanon, I’ve had my fair share of Greek, Mediterranean, and Arabic food growing up. What I’ve grown up with may not be 100% traditional, but it has been a mix of the most delicious of all words (in my humble opinion).
Falafel is rich in cumin and coriander and the two herbs stimulate your guts. Their taste may almost make your nose wiggle like a wild rabbit. It is perfect for an outdoor or indoor party as it can be served either hot from the fryer and in a comfortable room. I love pairing it with traditional foods such as tzatziki, hummus, tabbouleh, and chimichurri, and naan bread. You won’t think again about falafels!
What to serve with Falafel pita: My list of side dishes
Hummus (1)
Serve Hummus with Falafel Pita on the side.
Let me just say, that generally speaking if you are making something Lebanese or Arabic inspired, You can bet your bottom dollar that hummus on the side is always the right idea. Don’t ever doubt yourself, just assume that you will be putting hummus on the side.
Hummus is a beautiful blend of chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, lemon, salt, and cumin. However, these days there are a plethora of different hummus flavors to try.
I highly recommend buying your hummus ready to go personally. I just don’t feel like the cost to labor ratio for making hummus pays off, and my hummus has yet to beat this store-bought hummus brand I’ve found recently.
Pickles, Turnips & Olives (2,3,4)
Serve pickles with Falafel pita.
This is very authentic Lebanese. You need some full-on pickles, some pickled turnips (they’re bright pink!), and some olives. I didn’t know what sub-section to put olives under so they are going there. You need a side dish for olives, pickles, and turnips. That’s a three-in-one hot side dish tip!
Vegan feta and Pita/Naan Bread (5,6)
Fresh Naan and Vegan Feta as a Falafel pita side.
Whether or not you are serving your falafels in a pita, it’s always a good idea to have some naan or pita bread on the side.
People may choose to dip the pita in hummus or put their falafel pieces on top of some pita as they eat it. This is a comforting, delicious side that is easy to find at your local grocery store or fairly simple to whip up.
I like to use this recipe when making homemade vegan pita bread.
The salty and acidic flavor of feta (though not traditional) pairs incredibly as well. Even if you just end up eating the feta on pita, it is a very satisfying side that fits perfectly with falafels.
Stuffed Grape Leaves (7)
Vegan Stuffed Grape leaves are a perfect falafel pita side.
Again, I highly recommend you pick it up at a local Persian or Arabic grocery store. It seems like a tonne of work per roll when buying a can of this pre-made is extremely affordable.
I like buying the plain lemon, olive oil style ones.
Ensure your stuffed grape leaves are room temperature when serving so that all the flavor comes through and the texture is the most enjoyable.
Lemon Cumin Spiced Cauliflower (8)
lemon cumin cauliflower falafel pita side
This is an extremely easy side dish that packs a tonne of flavor. The smell of this baked cauliflower fills the room with a magical aroma. This is extremely easy and your guests will love it.
Enjoy these with the falafels, dipped in tzatziki, drizzled in more lemon juice, or just as they are!
Tzatziki (9)
Vegan tzatziki as a great falafel pita side.
This is where my Greek side is coming through. Tzatziki just makes everything better. Its creamy, cooling, yogurt texture pairs perfectly with the bright herbal aromatic falafels.
I have an extremely easy-to-follow tzatziki recipe below that packs a lot of flavors and can be whipped up in minutes.
Tabbouleh (10)
Tabbouleh is an Arabic salad that features parsley as its main ingredient! This dish comes from Lebanon and Syria.
There are no leafy greens in this salad, just leafy parsley. Leafy parsley with bulgur (soaked, not cooked), lemon, diced cucumber, diced tomatoes, mint, salt, diced red onion, and olive oil.
It is insanely refreshing and a unique treat to eat compared to most salads people from North America are used to.
Fattoush Salad (11)
Fattoush salad is more Lebanese/ Levantine. This salad features more leafy greens than you might be used to.
It combines toasted pieces of flatbread, mixed greens, and vegetables like cucumber, tomato, radish, green onion, parsley, and green pepper.
It can be dressed with a mix of lemon juice, olive oil, sumac spice (found at your local Arabic or Persian grocer), dried mint, salt, cracked black pepper, and optionally pomegranate molasses (recommended though!).
Your favorite fries (12)
Fries as a side with falafel pitas is a crowd pleaser.
Maybe this harkens back to my love of Greek gyros that include fries in them. Greeks generally eat fries as a side for most things, fries and fish, kebabs, in their gyros, etc. Eating some delicious fries with your falafels is always a great idea.
I like to buy my favorite type at my local grocery store and cook them as the last item to go so they are hot and crispy.
Fresh Lemon Wedges! (13)
You can’t serve falafels without a side of fresh lemon wedges. You thought I forgot but of course, I didn’t! Best for last. Lemon helps brighten up the flavor of your falafels and makes it an incredible experience!
I would recommend pre-slicing a bunch of wedges and having them on their own little plate.
What sauces go with falafel?
Beyond the classic suggestions of tzatziki and hummus, I’m going to hit you with 2 others that are incredible either drizzled over the falafel balls or as a delicious sauce to serve in a pita.
Tahini Sauce
This is a must when it comes to serving falafels, especially when serving them in a pita.
You can either make this sauce by checking out the recipe below or buying a ready-made tahini sauce. Personally, I highly recommend buying the store-bought option. It’s usually insanely tasty and quite cheap with a perfect texture. I found a bottle of tahini sauce at my local Persian grocery store.
Baba Ganoush
Baba ganouj doesn’t get enough credit! It is surprisingly easy to make however you can also find it ready-made at most grocery stores or local Arabic/ Persian grocery stores. This sauce is made from roast eggplant and sesame seeds, olive oil, lemon, and garlic.
How to serve falafel in pita bread!
To learn what to serve in a falafel pita bread, one need not look further than the menu of the world-famous Mamoun’s Falafel menu from Greenwich Village, New York.
Ingredients you must serve with falafel in a pita:
Falafels (obviously)
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Onion (white)
Tahini sauce
On top of your base 5 ingredients, you can experiment with adding:
Tabbouleh
More lemon and olive oil
Hummus
Pickles
Pickled Turnips
Olives
Baba ganoush
I hope you now feel empowered to serve falafels any which way your heart desires! Whether in a pita or accompanied by delicious sides, this is a crowd-pleasing dish everyone will enjoy.
13 sides to serve with falafel pitas.