falafel waffle
My love affair with falafel started the summer I turned 16. I went to Israel (via Poland, another post…) for over two months. I went with my youth group and when we were in Jerusalem they gave us bus passes and lots of free time. It was exceptionally freeing to be in Israel as a 16-year-old kid with a bunch of friends and have the opportunity to explore the city on your own. We ate so much falafel and shwarma, and ice cream. In hindsight and as a parent now this stresses me out but I’m still here!
In Israel, you order your falafel or shwarma and then add in all the “salad” to finish it off. It’s not salad like we think about but a bunch of different toppings. I love all the pickled business so that’s what I always added. And a vat of hummus always ended up in my falafel. When I returned home to Spokane, Wa there was no falafel. I had to wait another two years before I could engage in my love affair again.
I went to college in Providence, Rhode Island. Providence is an amazing college town because there are a lot of schools in this tiny city. Mine was downtown but I spent a lot of time on or near the Brown University campus. Thayer Street was the spot with all the shops, cafes, and bars. It’s where you stumbled late-night after you’d left the bar in search of food.
I met East Side Pockets during the day in all its glory. This tiny outpost on Thayer Street churns out falafel from 10 AM - 2 AM every day. While you wait in line they give you a sample of their unique donut-shaped (it actually has a hole!) falafel that’s been dragged through creamy hummus. They’re so fast and move you through the line with efficiency like you’ve never seen before. And, they are truly the nicest family. East Side Pockets is run by a wonderful family from Syria and opened in 1997. I ate there at least six days a week in college, whether it was lunch, dinner, or 2 AM I was there. They never knew my name, just my order, and once they saw me bumped me to the front of the line. For a college student to get a complete meal packed with a bunch of veggies for $5 (now $7) was crazy! Back then, if you tipped even $1 they gave you the dreamiest piece of baklava you’ve ever tasted. So, ESP if you’re reading this no hot sauce, extra hummus still loves you.
In all my travels since 2000 when I left Providence I have to find a falafel that comes even close to East Side Pockets. I can’t even make it as they did but I certainly try. This leads us to my falafel waffle, fawaffle, waffle falafel; you decide on the name. The thing with chickpeas is they’re dense and falafel can be so dry that it crumbles. You don’t want that otherwise you will never love falafel as much as I do and we can’t have that. I haven’t tried air-frying falafel balls so I can’t recommend it, but using the waffle maker worked wonders.
I wanted a salad with as many of my favorite falafel toppings as I could get my hands on. I had pickles, tomatoes, hot peppers, red onion, hummus, and made my shortcut Tzatziki super fast. I piled it on top of thinly chopped romaine. Because it’s a salad I needed my greens dressed so I made some Italian dressing using a Penzey’s spice blend. This salad was killer! The waffles can easily be made ahead, frozen, and then pulled out when you’re ready. As long as your lettuce is washed all you need to do is assemble the salad. This is filling, plant-based (if you omit the egg in the falafel mix), and an easy meal prep meal.
I’ll tell you how I made this, but if you are ever in Providence or Boston (it’s worth the drive) head to East Side Pockets for a falafel.
Falafel Waffle Salad
Falafels
Ingredients
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Zest and juice of one lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4-1/2 C parsley, roughly chopped
Handful of spinach (optional)
1/4 red onion, chopped
1 egg (omit if you are vegan, just add 3 tbsp water)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp each of cumin, coriander, and paprika
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp cornstarch
Add all of these ingredients to a food processor, pulse for about 15-20 seconds. Scrape down the bowl a few times so everything combined.
Plug in your waffle iron and spray it well so things don't get sticky! Add waffle mixture into each section in 1/4 cup portions and cook for 7-9 minutes, checking at 7 minutes to ensure they’re cooked through.
Salad- get creative here. You can add anything you like!
3-4 Cups per person of chopped romaine
Sliced red onion
Sliced tomatoes
Pepperoncini
Hummus (I use Zahav’s recipe because it’s the BEST)
Sliced pickles (I love pickles so I always add extra)
Italian Dressing (see link above)
While waffles are cooking make your quick Tzatziki sauce. All I do is press a clove of garlic through a press or mince it with a knife. Squeeze 1/2-1 lemon on top and add 1/2 C of plain yogurt. Sprinkle some fresh or dried dill and mix well. I didn’t have the time to make real Tzatziki sauce but this works in a pinch.
Make your salad, add falafel waffles and all your toppings and dig in. Baklava is optional.