Tuesday, February 24, 2009

falafel salad w/ vegan tzatziki dressing

falafel has been one my favourite foods since i went vegetarian at 16. there is a great restaurant in town that makes the best yogurt tzatziki for their falafel pita wraps, and is what inspired me to make a vegan version. so the other day when i was craving falafel, but was out of pita, i just threw everything on top of a salad and made this vegan tzatziki dressing. i'll post my personal falafel recipe later, but this post is actually about the tzatziki dressing which i thought was the highlight of my meal.


  • 1 bed of salad (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers)
  • 4 falafel balls
for the tzatziki dressing:
  • 1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fat-free nayonaise
  • pinch of dill
make a bed of salad, and place 3 or 4 falafel balls on top. you can find a pre-made falafel mix at most grocery stores (i think fantastic foods brand is pretty good), or you can find many recipes online. personally, i bake mine (i'll post my recipe later).

in a magic bullet or food processor, blend up dressing ingredients. you can add more olive oil or lemon juice if it's too thick. top salad with vegan tzatziki dressing and enjoy your falafel bowl!

22 comments:

Chris said...

I can't wait for your falafel recipe! I've never made my own tzatziki dressing before, but only because I never knew how! I always figured it was really tough but your recipe is way easy :) Thanks for sharing.

Meg said...

Yum! I need to try falafel.

Lauren said...

You've read my mind! I have been craving falafal and was planning on getting one this weekend!! Yumm..serious, now I really can NOT wait!

Jen said...

i like me some falafel too, and prefer it as a salad rather than in a pita. way to go.

allularpunk said...

ooooh! i've actually never had tzatziki dressing (creamy dressings never really whet my appetite as an omni/vegetarian), but i will totally have to try this out. as since i've become vegan, i'm all over creaminess like it's going outta style. and i was just talking about falafel yesterday...it must be fate!

Anonymous said...

I love falafel too. I'm always ordering it without sauce. I guess next time I'll bring yours :D

jessy said...

falafel is one of my favorites! mmmmm! thanks for the rock'n tzatziki dressing recipe, miss v! i'm going to have to try it - i haven't had tzatziki since going vegan! i can't wait! your salad looks so colorful & delicious!

Katy said...

I've never thought to put falafels on salad, but it look delicious!

Katy said...

I've never thought to put falafels on salad, but it look delicious!

Anonymous said...

Yeah, falafel is just my most favourite thing to eat! I need to make some now, thanks!

Anonymous said...

Great idea! You could top with crumbled pita chips- yum!

Anonymous said...

what is falafel again??

what's the difference between falafel and hummus?

AnuSriram said...

Thats a nice idea of using falafels in salad.. Just now read a recipe about falafels in gravy... Wherever it is, falafels always taste delicious!

Bianca said...

I was at a Middle Eastern restaurant last night and wondered what tzatziki dressing was...I'd heard of it and knew it wasn't vegan, but didn't know what was in it. Now that I know, I want some!

Jenn Shagrin said...

Thanks Ms. V :) Yellow Rice is definitely amazing. I want to go down south and try the real deal, but I'm afraid they probably flavor it with chicken broth.
Damn, woman. Vegan Tzatziki. I want to make some, then go pick up some falafel to chow down with it!

Anonymous said...

Tzatziki! It's so good on anything...veggies, falafels, salads, sandwiches. Great!

Anonymous said...

I love falafels and tzatziki too - they sound excellent together! Yum!

Lo said...

Love this combo. Haven't made falafel in a while... this is giving me a craving.

V.Streit said...

Hmm..now i'm craving gyros. Great tzatziki recipe.I've been searching for a good one. I may have to try this one.

Unknown said...

Yum! Thanks so much for sharing!

Unknown said...

Just any FYI: Your "vegan tzatziki" is not vegan at all....Mayonnaise, even "fat-free" contains egg yolks!!! Better to use soy yogurt or silken tofu in place of the mayo, and adjust other ingredients accordingly...

Elizabethan said...

Another FYI, mainly for Susanna, Nayonaise is entirely vegan. :)