Falafel Salad with Lemon Tehina Dressing

As we traversed the streets of the Geulah neighborhood of Jerusalem at 9:30 in the evening, the sidewalks teemed with shoppers accompanied by excited children and sleeping babies, everyone enjoying the cooler evening air. Welcome back Israel after a two-year Covid hiatus. With my cell phone clutched tightly to my ear, I listened attentively as my son gave me careful and detailed instructions directing me to his favorite bookstore in Mea She’arim. Our search for an out-of-print book was not successful but we were rewarded with the best falafel in Jerusalem, only steps away.

Falafel Salad with Lemon Tehina Dressing

Falafel Uzi, tucked just behind Mea She’arim, is a popular haunt for locals in the know. Uzi serves up light, crisp falafel balls spiced with the earthy, slightly nutty flavor of cumin, in a warm fresh pita. The soft interior of the pita is swiped with a generous shmear of hummus and filled with Israeli salad, pickles, eggplant and onions to order. Drizzled with tehina dressing and topped with a handful of crispy French fries, it’s worth going a few steps out of your way to experience this authentic traditional falafel. Falafel salad with lemon tehina dressing by uber-talented sisters Julia Albert and Lisa Gnat published in their outstanding cookbook Lick Your Plate is an easy way to recreate the Middle Eastern flavors of falafel at home, in between visits to Uzi’s.

Assemble your ingredients.

For the dressing: Zest the lemon and squeeze out the juice. Set aside. Combine the tehina, water, lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic, maple syrup, lemon zest, Sriracha or hot sauce of your choice and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth and refrigerate until ready to use. The dressing will thicken slightly on standing.

For the falafel: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set it aside. Using a food processor (there is no need to wash the bowl after making the dressing), combine the chickpeas, panko, red onion, parsley and garlic. Pulse several times to chop. Add the egg, 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, cumin, ground coriander, salt and cayenne pepper. Pulse a few times until a thick paste forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Using a cookie scoop, drop 20-22 balls of the falafel mixture onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Lay a sheet of parchment paper over the patties and flatten them slightly with the bottom of a measuring cup or a spatula. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper. You can also shape the patties with your hands. Brush the tops of the patties with the remaining olive oil. Bake the patties for 10 minutes. Remove the baking pan from the oven and flip the falafel patties over. Continue to bake them for another 5 minutes. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly.

For the salad: On a large platter, combine the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley and pickles if desired. Toss with 4 tablespoons of dressing until well coated. Cut each falafel patty in half and place on top of the salad. Drizzle with dressing to taste. Be generous. Garnish with pita chips and serve.

Print Recipe

Falafel Salad with Lemon Tehina Dressing

Soups and Salads

By Julie Albert & Lisa Gnat, Lick Your Plate – Serves: 5-6

Prep Time: 20 minutes – Cooking Time: 15 minutes – Total Time: 35 minutes

Deconstructed falafel salad with crispy, falafel patties that are baked rather than fried, drizzled with a zingy lemon tehina dressing

Ingredients

• Lemon Tehina Dressing
• 1/2 cup tehina
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 small garlic clove, minced or grated
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha, harissa or hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Falafel
• 2 cups canned chickpeas rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 small garlic clove, minced or grated
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salad
• 8 cups romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 Persian cucumbers, chopped in 1/2-inch dice
• 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely
• 1 sour dill pickle, chopped in 1/4-inch dice (optional)
• 1/2 cup pita chips (optional)

Instructions

For the dressing:

1

Zest the lemon and squeeze out the juice. Set aside. Combine the tehina, water, lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic, maple syrup, lemon zest, Sriracha or hot sauce of your choice and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth and refrigerate until ready to use. The dressing will thicken slightly on standing.

For the falafel:

2

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set it aside.

3

Using a food processor (there is no need to wash the bowl after making the dressing), combine the chickpeas, panko, red onion, parsley and garlic. Pulse several times to chop. Add the egg, 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, cumin, ground coriander, salt and cayenne pepper. Pulse a few times until a thick paste forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.

4

Using a cookie scoop or 2 spoons, drop 20-22 balls of the falafel mixture onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Lay a sheet of parchment paper over the patties and flatten them slightly with the bottom of a measuring cup or a spatula. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper. You can also shape the patties with your hands.

5

Brush the tops of the patties with the remaining olive oil. Bake the patties for 10 minutes. Remove the baking pan from the oven and flip the falafel patties over. Continue to bake them for another 5 minutes. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly.

For the salad:

6

On a large platter, combine the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley and pickles if desired. Toss with 4 tablespoons of dressing until well coated. Cut each falafel patty in half and place on top of the salad. Drizzle with dressing to taste. Be generous. Garnish with pita chips (optional) and serve.

Notes

The falafel patties freeze well and can be pulled out to make a salad anytime. You can also make the salad using prepared falafel balls found in the frozen food section of your local grocery store.