The Ultimate Falafel Platter with Hummus, Tahini, Tzatziki & More

This falafel platter is a lavish combination of homemade crispy falafel, tzatziki sauce, harissa hummus, maple dijon tahini sauce, an easy Middle Eastern cucumber tomato chopped salad, and many other things. It will be the star of your dinner party or picnic.

Do you need more ideas to serve with falafel? Take a look at these gorgeous falafel sandwiches or these delicious falafel gyros in pita bread.

What to expect from this recipe?

Originating in the Middle East, West Asia, and the Balkans, the mezze platter is an assortment of small dishes eaten as a light meal – dips, salads, and bread. Each dish can stand as a separate element, and the platter is a meal in itself. Many dishes can be turned into a meze dish. In this post, we show you how to build a lavish falafel platter, including how to make

• homemade crispy falafel (which is actually vegan and gluten-free),
• light tzatziki sauce,
• maple dijon tahini sauce,
• harissa hummus, and
• an easy minty chopped tomato and cucumber salad.

We also show you different variations to give you even more ideas on what else to add, including

• dips,
• salads,
• veggies,
• fruits,
• other items, and
• accessories to use.

Ingredients

We added 5 main items to this easy falafel platter and we will show you how to make them from scratch. You can always build your mezze plate with store-bought falafel and dips, but you are here since you want homemade items. Am I right? So here is what you need to make each item.

Falafel

There are a variety of falafel recipes, but we used this easy falafel recipe to add to this platter.

• Dried chickpeas – We know it would be an easy shortcut to use canned chickpeas instead of dry chickpeas, but we recommend not doing it. The reason is that canned chickpeas are really really soft and it is easy to puree them mush with just a couple of pulses. If you do that you will lose the texture of classic falafel.
• Onion – We recommend red onion.
• Garlic
• Fresh parsley – This falafel recipe will not work with dried ground herbs. Fresh leaves have the best flavor not to mention you only get the vibrant green color if you use them.
• Fresh cilantro – The same goes here.
• Cumin
• Sesame seeds – It is an optional ingredient, but it gives an additional subtle nutty flavor. It also makes the falafel balls lovely.
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Baking soda – You need just a pinch really to make sure that it is fluffy inside.
• Cold water

🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Maple Dijon Tahini Sauce

• Tahini paste (ground sesame seeds turned into a paste) – This sauce was specifically developed with tahini. Our favorite is this brand* since it has no bitter after-taste. However, if you want to look for a substitute for any reason, check out our complete list of tahini substitutes.
• Garlic – Fresh, raw cloves of course.
• Dijon mustard – There is a difference between yellow mustard and Dijon mustard. Not just its light yellow color compared to the vibrant color of classic mustard but it is creamier and spicier than that. It is the perfect ingredient to give a bit of a kick to this dressing.
• Maple syrup – A lot of recipes use honey, but since honey is not vegan, we choose pure maple syrup out of these honey substitutes.
• Water – To get the desired consistency.
• Apple cider vinegar – I don’t know about you but a bit of tangy after-taste makes it a refreshing sauce just like in chimichurri sauce. You can use lemon juice, but we love it more with ACV.

🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Tzatziki

• Grated cucumber
• Garlic
• Fresh dill (or dried)
• Yogurt – We used this unsweetened dairy-free yogurt, but you can use your favorite brand.
• Sour cream – We used this dairy-free sour cream, but you can also use your favorite brand. If you need a homemade nut-free recipe, try our vegan sour cream recipe.
• White wine vinegar –
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Harissa Hummus

• Canned chickpeas – As opposed to falafel, where we recommend using dry chickpeas, canned ones work perfectly to make hummus.
• Aquafaba (water from the canned chickpeas) – It is in place of oil since this recipe is based on our oil-free hummus recipe.
• Tahini (aka toasted sesame paste) – Our favorite is this brand* since it has no bitter after-taste. If you don’t want to use tahini, try our hummus without tahini recipe and add the harissa paste to that.
• Harissa paste – We used a relatively mild unseasoned harissa paste like this one*. If you love your dishes spicy and hot, choose a stronger one*.
• Fresh garlic
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Salt

🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Chopped Veggie Salad

It is an easy, minty Lebanese-inspired chopped vegetable salad, which is THE refreshing item you absolutely need to complement all these other elements of your mezze plate. So what do you need?

• Tomatoes – Any types really. Choose sturdy and firm tomatoes that hold their shape when being finely chopped like Roma tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or simple cherry tomatoes. Don’t choose very juicy ones like heirlooms because you will end up with a lot of unnecessary liquid.
• Cucumber
• Red bell pepper – To be honest, red ones look the best. But don’t worry if you have yellow or green bell peppers, just use those.
• Onion – Red or purple onions work well.
• Fresh mint leaves
• Fresh parsley
• Olive oil
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice

🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Instructions

How to make homemade falafel?

1. Soak dry chickpeas in cold water overnight.
2. Drain them and add them to a food processor. Add peeled and roughly chopped onion, peeled garlic cloves, parsley, cilantro, salt, black pepper, cumin, baking soda, and water.
3. Blend until you got a creamy but not completely pureed texture.
4. Take a large bowl and empty the food processor into it. Chill the falafel mixture in the fridge for at least 1 hour. This is easier to form a ball after that.
5. Use a spoon or your palms and form balls or patties out of the chilled mixture.

6. Preheat a large pan over medium heat. Add sunflower oil or coconut oil (something that is high-heat resistant and suitable for deep frying).
7. Gently place the balls in the hot oil. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry them for approx. 5 minutes. They should be brown but not burnt and vibrant green in the middle like in the below picture.

How to make maple dijon tahini sauce?

We love to serve falafel with this maple dijon tahini dressing since it is a no-cook sauce, which you can make in 5 minutes. It is nutty, a little bit tart, but still sweet. Although we often change it up and use this lemon herb tahini sauce just to make things interesting. But here is how to make the one on the picture:

1. Peel the garlic clove and measure all ingredients.
2. Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor (tahini, dijon mustard, maple syrup, garlic, apple cider vinegar, and water).
3. Blend it until you get a smooth sauce. The desired consistency is like a thick flowing paste. Add a tablespoon of water to adjust it if needed.

How to make tzatziki?

It is a well-known sauce to add to gyros. Since we are a vegan blog, we prepare it with dairy-free ingredients and usually serve it with falafel gyros or this vegan gyros made of oyster mushrooms. So here is how to make vegan tzatziki sauce:

1. Wash the cucumber but you don’t need to peel it. Use a large hole cheese grater and grate it.
2. Take a bowl and place the grated cucumber in it. Sprinkle it with salt and wait for 5-10 minutes for the cucumber to release water.
3. When you see water, squeeze the grated cucumber in between your palms. Take your time with this step. If you leave a lot of moisture in it, then you’ll end up with a really runny sauce.
4. Take another bowl and add all sauce ingredients (yogurt, sour cream, white wine vinegar, olive oil, finely chopped garlic, dill, salt, and black pepper). Mix them well.
5. Finally, add the grated cucumber and mix again. Now it is ready to be added to your platter.

How to make harissa hummus?

You can buy store-bought hummus since they are usually smooth and fluffy. But I am telling you if you try this homemade hummus recipe, you’ll end up with the same texture and consistency.

1. Drain canned chickpeas but save the liquid (aka aquafaba).
2. Peel the garlic cloves.
3. Squeeze one lemon.
4. Measure tahini and harissa paste.
5. Use a high-power blender like Vitamix* and add all ingredients (need chickpeas, aquafaba, tahini, harissa pasta, garlic, lemon juice, and salad. Blend it until it is smooth.

How to make a chopped veggie salad?

We wanted a really simple and easy salad that looks colorful and is a refreshing addition to all those thick dips. It is more of a chopping work than a complex recipe for sure. Here is what you need to do:

1. Wash tomatoes, cucumber, and bell peppers. No need to peel any of them. Finely chop them into small equal pieces.
2. Peel onion and chop them into same-size pieces.
3. Chop fresh parsley and mint leaves finely.
4. Take a mixing bowl and add all chopped ingredients with olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Add a bit of salt if needed.

Variations

It is a vegetarian mezze option so you don’t usually find any meat items, but you’ll find lots of different veg mezze ideas like dips, salads, fresh veggies, fruits, and even cheese like feta cheese. So what else goes well with falafel?

Dips

You have probably heard of Baba Ganoush, made from roasted eggplants, or Muhammara, made from bell peppers, walnuts, and pomegranate molasses, but you can have many different vibrant dips.

Try classic hummus, roasted red pepper hummus, or roasted beet hummus which is soft, fluffy, and has the right balance of flavors.

Or try our hummus without tahini (which uses sunflower seeds as a tahini alternative), or this roasted eggplant red pepper dip which combines the best of both worlds from Baba Ganoush and Muhammara.

Salads

Tabbouleh is a Middle Eastern salad eaten the world over, and we simply adore it. It combines herbs, vegetables, and bulgur to create a filling appetizer that can be eaten as is. It is a key dish that is always a part of the traditional mezze. 

However, if you need your board to be gluten-free as well, swap it for this quinoa tabbouleh which we added to our Mediterranean grazing board.

Veggies

You have to have olives. But if you add vegetables with different colors, it will just make your falafel platter more vibrant. Think of veggies that are hard enough so you can dip them like carrots, radishes, or cucumber.

Fruits

Think of dried dates and figs or fresh grapes, pears, apples, and melons. Pomegranate seeds are quintessential Middle Eastern and are featured in many salad recipes and mezze platters.

Pitas and more

From warm pita to crispy crackers and breadsticks with a drizzle of olive oil, your platter can feature a range of bread. If you need your board to be gluten-free, we recommend adding gluten-free breadsticks*, and crackers. You can also make your own gluten-free pita bread. We have a super easy 3-ingredient flatbread recipe in our Express Vegan Cookbook.

Other things to add

We have a whole list of creative ideas you can serve with hummus. Since falafel and hummus are a must-have pairing, you can go and choose one or more out of those 16 ideas as well.

Accessories

While it is evident from the photo how we served it, here is the list of what you will need to build your own falafel platter:

• A 20-inch wooden platter/board (serves 6 to 8 people or guests)
• Bowls, small for dips, medium ones for salads. Additional bowls or ramekins for any other elements like olives, onions, etc.
• A few spoons for the dips, and tiny forks or toothpicks for the small items like olives.
• Napkins.

How to build a falafel platter?

The trick to setting up a showstopping platter is to get creative and have some fun. Be bold! Play with your ingredients and colors.

1. Prepare all items and spread them on your countertop, so you can see the colors and the textures next to each other.
2. Get all your bowls and plates ready to see which item fits where.
3. Start with placing a large bowl of falafel balls in the middle since they are the star item.
4. Continue with the larger ingredients like salads and dips. We recommend making 4 large items and placing them towards each corner.
5. Fan out your fresh veggies and pita bread around the bowls as well as towards the edges of the plate.
6. Finally, fill in the gaps with your selection of fruits, and garnish with fresh herbs and a drizzle of olive oil. And there you have it, your falafel platter is all ready and looking amazing!

More recipes with falafel

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