10 tasty ways to use falafel

Falafel is deep fried patties or balls which are made from chickpeas, herbs, spices, onion and dough. They have a bold and spicy flavour and are suitable for anyone following a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Falafel is a great source of fibre as well as plant-based protein, containing around 13g of protein for every 100g serving.³ Vegetarians and vegans may find it difficult to get the daily recommended amount of protein since they do not eat any meat or fish and, in the vase of vegans, eggs or dairy. Therefore, it is important that this is substituted with plant based protein, as protein is essential for muscle repair, growth and maintenance. Both fibre and protein fill you up quicker and keep you feeling fuller for longer which means that you will not have to snack between meals or end up overeating or making unhealthy choices at mealtimes.

Yes, most types of falafel are vegan. You can easily make homemade falafel so you will know exactly what is going into it. Or just make sure that you check the ingredients if you are buying ready made from the supermarket.

There are lots of different ways to eat falafel making it a versatile food, which can be eaten for a variety of lunches or dinners. Here we have put together a list of ideas to give you some inspiration:

The most common way to eat falafel is by putting it inside a pitta bread and adding tomatoes, cucumber and pickled onions before topping with hummus, tahini or a spicy sauce.⁴ Perfect for a light lunch or a falafel kebab fakeaway.

These protein falafel balls are packed with B vitamins to help our bodies convert food into energy. They are made with lentils, spring onions, black beans and chick peas plus herbs and spices. Grab one as a snack when you need an energy pick me up.

Stuff a red pepper with falafel, before seasoning with fresh lemon juice, basil and parsley. Bake in the oven and serve with a hot sauce for a tasty, filling lunch.⁵

For this light and healthy Asian-inspired summer salad, just add your falafel to a bowl with rice, radishes, avocado, cucumber and edamame beans and season with a soy sauce dressing.⁶

This is a great dish for vegan nibbles at a dinner party.⁷ The tabbouleh adds some super-fresh tasting ingredients and you can eat these with your fingers, dipping the falafel into the hummus and tabbouleh, or with a knife and fork.

Some delicious vegetarian junk food for treat day! For this, you will need to place your falafel balls into mini burger rolls and top with lettuce, onions and tomatoes. Add ketchup or mayonnaise and a slice of cheese or vegan cheese for some yummy mini veggie burgers.

Thanks to their round size, falafels make the perfect vegetarian substitute to meatballs. Serve with spaghetti (or courgetti if you are cutting down on carbs) and a tomato sauce for an easy mid-week meal.

This one is not suitable for vegans, but makes a great vegetarian alternative to picnic favourite scotch eggs. Simply surround boiled eggs with your falafel mix and then coat with panko or breadcrumbs before frying.⁸

Packed with plant based goodness, falafel lettuce wraps are a great low carb alternative to fajitas. Simply stuff little gem lettuce leaves with falafel and add other vegetables like mushrooms and peppers if you wish. Serve with guacamole and tomato salsa for some Mexican flavour.

Staying with the Mexican theme, top warm tortillas with falafel, salad, avocado and radishes before topping with tahini sauce.⁹ An easy midweek dinner that the whole family will love.