Falafel Pita with Tomato Feta Salad
Ancient Middle Eastern cooks didn't need fancy food processors, and neither do we! This favorite fritter is both hearty and light and bursts with flavor when paired with fresh tomatoes.
Servings
Produce
Cherry Tomato
5 2.5 oz
Shishito Pepper
3 1.5 oz
Garlic (Organic)
1 0.5 Clove
Carrot (Organic)
3 1.5 oz
Red Onion (Organic)
0.5 0.25 Whole
Cucumber
1 0.5 Whole
Parsley (Organic)
0.5 0.25 oz
Lettuce mix
2.5 1.25 oz
Lemon
1 0.5 Whole
Protein & more
Pita buns
1 0.5 Package
Chickpea
2 1 Can
Feta cheese
4 2 oz
Pantry items
Olive oil
1 0.5 tablespoon
Balsamic vinegar
To Taste
Flour
.5 0.25 cup
Sea salt
1 0.5 To Taste
Spice mix
Cumin powder
2 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder
1 0.5 teaspoon
Sea salt
1/2 0.25 teaspoon
Black pepper
1/4 0.125 teaspoon
Cardamom powder
1 0.5 Pinch
Tzatziki Base
Greek Yogurt
1 0.5 cup
Minced Garlic
1 0.5 Clove
Olive oil
2 1 teaspoon
White Vinegar
1/2 0.25 teaspoon
Sea salt
To Taste
Black pepper
To Taste
Prep ahead (optional)
a. Peel and grate cucumber and carrots. b. Grate red onion. c. Slice cherry tomatoes in half. d. Chop lettuce mix bite-sized. e. Trim shishito pepper stems; thinly slice. f. Finely mince garlic & parsley. g. Slice lemon in half and juice.
Instructions
1
Assemble tzatziki:
a. In small bowl, add cucumber (peel & grate) and tzatziki base.
b. Salt to taste; stir to combine. Set aside.
2
Assemble tomato and feta salad:
a. In small bowl, add cherry tomatoes (slice in half), shishito peppers (trim stem, thinly slice), 1 tbsp Italian parsley (finely mince leaves, reserve remaining parsley for falafel), and feta cheese (¼” cubes).
b. Add 2 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to marinate.
3
Make falafel:
a. Drain and rinse chickpeas and add them to a large bowl. With a fork or potato masher, mash chickpeas into as fine a paste as possible.
b. Add red onion (grate) and carrot (grate). Mix well.
c. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice, garlic (mince), remaining parsley (remove stem, mince leaves), and falafel spice mix. Continue mashing.
d. Add ½ cup chickpea or all-purpose flour and mix thoroughly until well combined. Mix will be dry. Form balls of about 3 tbsp of falafel mix each; flatten to no more than ½” thick.
e. In medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, add 1½ tbsp olive oil. Cook falafel in batches, frying in olive oil until golden, about 2 minutes each side.
4
Serve:
a. Warm pita in dry sauté pan or in microwave. Top with falafel patties and tzatziki sauce.
b. Garnish with lettuce mix (chop bite-sized).
c. Serve tomato and feta salad alongside.
Chef's notes
The tzatziki sauce can be used as a condiment for the falafel-filled pita or for dipping, or both! If you are unfamiliar with shishito peppers found in the salad, they are sweet with no heat. They make a beautiful and flavorful pairing with fresh tomatoes and salty feta.
All spice mixes and dressings made by Inner Chef from scratch with organic ingredients, local when possible.
This week’s local ingredients across all Inner Chef meal-kits come from:
Gundermann Acres,
Wharton County, TX
Wharton County, TX
Fagan Family Farm
Lone Star Herbs,
League City, TX
League City, TX
G&S Groves,
Mission, TX
Mission, TX
The Farm Patch,
Pleasanton, TX
Pleasanton, TX
Kitchen Pride,
Gonzales, TX
Gonzales, TX
Fruitful Hill Farm,
Bastrop, TX
Bastrop, TX
J&B Farms,
Hondo, TX
Hondo, TX
Martinez Farms,
Pleasanton, TX
Pleasanton, TX
J&D Farms
Village Farms,
Marfa, TX
Marfa, TX