Easy Rainbow Vegan Falafels 5-ways

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These easy, delicious, rainbow vegan falafels 5 ways are perfect served along-side a mezze platter of various mezze, pitta, vegan tahini dip and a selection of your favourite rainbow veggies.

Rainbow falafel with veggies, yogurt tahini dip, pita bread and edible flowers

Recently I wrote a post all about the traditional falafel and how  to cook vegan falafels, which included a list of ways to serve them as well as tips for cooking them. If you haven’t read that yet then feel free to check it out here! We use the same authentic falafel method here in order to make these rainbow vegan falafels 5 ways as part of a delicious, beautiful mezze platter alongside a vegan tahini dip!

What’s even better is it gave me an excuse to pull out my Tea Set collaboration with Royal Albert. I’ve been super excited to find new ways to use this set aside from the traditional afternoon tea because, why not?!

Rainbow falafel with veggies and edible flowers as part of a mezze platter

As part of that traditional recipe:

I used a mixture of broad beans alongside chickpeas – however, this updated, modern version has a simple chickpea-only base but still tastes absolutely delicious! I decided to omit the broad beans because of the addition of other vegetables we’ll be adding to create the gorgeous rainbow colours, so there’s no need for a complicated base mix.

Rainbow falafel

If you did read the other post, then you’ll know that one of the serving suggestions was as part of a platter. Within this recipe, I’ll be showing you how to create rainbow falafels 5-ways, with a simple, vegan falafel base and then what you can use to change the colours and flavours. These are perfect to serve alongside a mezze platter including Rainbow Hummus 3-ways, and my aubergine ‘Moutabal’ dip and for an alternative afternoon-tea selection!

With just a single ingredient addition, this falafel mix can go from normal to rainbow-tastic – a true show-stopper and perfect for entertaining! One baked purple potato turns the mix a beautiful shade of purple, beetroot creates a lovely pink, Butternut squash ( and possibly turmeric) for a golden orange and a mixture of coriander and parsley for a gorgeous green.

Rainbow vegan falafels as part of a mezze platter

A few tips for making these rainbow vegan falafels

  • Although you can use canned chickpeas, I prefer to use fresh ones that have been soaked overnight for taste and texture.
  • Remember: If the falafel mix is too crumbly, simply add a tiny bit of water to form a paste.
  • If you’re wanting to make a single colour/flavour type only – simply adjust the recipe accordingly.
  • These rainbow falafels are best served as part of a mezze platter with rainbow veggies of your choice, pitta bread, a vegan tahini dip and other mezze of your choice ( I have included suggestions below).
  • These vegan falafels can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge/freezer. If freezing the paste, then simply add the baking powder to the mix once thawed and about to fry.

As usual, if you do give this recipe a go then let me know what you thought in the comments below! Any particular favourite falafel flavour from the 5 choices?

Rainbow falafel with veggies and edible flowers as part of a mezze platter

Easy Vegan Falafels 5 ways Recipe

For the vegan falafels base:

Ingredients for making falafel

  • pre-soaked chickpeas
  • small red onions
  • garlic
  • falafel spice
  • salt

The different colours/ flavours:

Ingredients for making rainbow coloured vegan falafels

  • yellow: just use the base, no need to add anything
  • green: a small bunch of coriander; optional – some parsley
  • purple: baked purple potato
  • orange: baked butternut squash; optional – a pinch of turmeric
  • red: beetroot

For frying:

  • baking powder 
  • sunflower oil (enough to fill up your saucepan)

Vegan Tahini dip:

Ingredients for homemade yogurt vegan tahini dip

  • Plant-based yogurt, tahini
  • Lemon juice. garlic
  • Cumin powder, salt
  • Filtered water (in case the dressing is too thick)

Rainbow veggies:

  •  A selection of your favourite veggies – cucamelons, candy beetroot, golden beetroot, red beetroot, rainbow carrots, purple radish, watermelon radish, rainbow tomatoes, mushrooms, pink radicchio, or any others that you like. 

Rainbow carrots, radish and beetroot for a mezze platter

Here are the steps:

Wash the chickpeas and then leave them to soak in cold water overnight. You can even soak them for up to 24 hours. 

Soaking chickpeas

Soaking chickpeas

Drain and rinse well, when ready to proceed with the falafel recipe.

Pre-soaked chickpeas

Separate them into 5 bowls – one large bowl for each colour.

Pre-soaked chickpeas

To prepare the falafels 5 ways, you’ll need to prepare each colour ingredient.

First – the butternut squash. To prepare this simply slice and de-seed the squash, chop into sections, brush lightly with oil and season salt and pepper. Bake in the oven at 170°C fan assisted, for about 25-30 minutes.

 

 At the same time, pierce the purple potatoes a few times with a fork and bake alongside the squash.

Baking butternut squash and purple potatoes

To make the yellow falafel, just mix the base ingredients: 1.5 cups of chickpeas, 1 small onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp falafel spice and a pinch of salt. Blend them in a food processor/blender until you obtain a smooth uniform mixture.

 Basic falafel paste

To make the green falafel, mix the base ingredients together with a small bunch of coriander – and, optionally, add in some parsley. Blend in a food processor/blender until you obtain a smooth uniform mixture.

Green falafel paste, obtained by using fresh coriander

Green falafel paste, obtained by using fresh coriander

To make the purple falafel, mix the base ingredients together with the baked purple potato. Blend till a smooth uniform mixture.

Purple falafel paste, obtained by using a baked purple potato

Purple falafel paste, obtained by using a baked purple potato

To make the orange falafel, mix the base ingredients together with the baked half butternut squash and blend till smooth.

Orange falafel paste, obtained by using a baked butternut squash

Orange falafel paste, obtained by using a baked butternut squash

To make the red/pink falafel, mix the base ingredients together with a large beetroot and blend till smooth.

Red falafel paste, obtained by using a beetroot

Red falafel paste, obtained by using a beetroot

Falafel paste in 5 rainbow colours

When you are ready to fry the vegan falafels, add 1 tBsp baking soda to each bowl and mix well. The baking powder should only be added at the last moment before frying. This adds an ‘airiness’ to the mix that is needed for the perfect texture.

Orange falafel paste with baking powder, ready to be fried
Falafel paste in 5 rainbow colours ready to be fried

Heat up a few inches of sunflower oil in a saucepan over medium high heat until it bubbles softly. Using a falafel scoop or a spoon/fork, form the falafels balls/patties and carefully dip them in the hot oil.

Green falafel

Red falafel

Purple falafel

Fry the falafels for 3-4 minutes, then carefully turn them over. The falafels are ready when they become golden-brown in colour. 

Falafel

Lay on a piece of paper towel or in a colander to drain any excess cooking oil, although there shouldn’t be much! 

Rainbow falafel
Rainbow falafel as part of a mezze platter

To prepare the vegan tahini sauce, mix all the dip ingredients together well and set aside.

 Homemade tahini dip

Serve these 5 way falafels with rainbow veggies, pita bread and vegan tahini dip as part of a mezze platter. It’s great for dinner parties!

Veggie platter with rainbow veggies as part of a mezze platter
Rainbow falafel with veggies, yogurt tahini dip and edible flowers as part of a mezze platter

If you love falafel as much as I do, you might like these recipes: Easy Vegan Healthy Baked Falafel, Healthy Vegan Popcorn Falafel Cups, and Traditional Falafel Wrap.

Easy Rainbow Vegan Falafels 5-ways

5 from 20 votes
By: Samira
These easy, delicious, rainbow vegan falafels 5 ways are perfect, served along-side a mezze platter of various mezze, pitta, vegan tahini dip and a selection of your favourite rainbow veggies. 
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 24 falafels

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

For the vegan falafels base:

  • 7.5 cups pre-soaked chickpeas divided into 5 bowls (1.5 cups each)
  • 5 small red onions
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 5 tsp falafel spice 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp ground coriander, a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional) - that's 1 tsp for each bowl
  • a pinch of salt

For the different colours/ flavours:

  • for green: a small bunch of coriander; optional - some parsley
  • for purple: 1 baked purple potato
  • for orange: 1/2 baked butternut squash; optional - a pinch of turmeric
  • for red: 1 large beetroot

For frying:

  • 5 tBsp baking powder 1 tBsp for each colour
  • sunflower oil enough to fill up your saucepan

Vegan Tahini dip:

  • 1/2 cup plant-based yogurt
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 garlic clove
  • a pinch cumin powder
  • a pinch of salt
  • filtered water in case the dressing is too thick

 Veggies:

  • A selection of your favorite veggies cucamelons, candy beetroot, golden beetroot, red beetroot, rainbow carrots, purple radish, watermelon radish, rainbow tomatoes, mushrooms, pink radicchio, etc.

Instructions 

  • Wash the chickpeas and then leave them to soak in cold water overnight.
  • Drain and rinse well, when ready to proceed with the falafel recipe.
  • Separate them into 5 bowls - one bowl for each colour.
  • To prepare the falafels 5 ways, you'll need to prepare each colour ingredient. First - the butternut squash. To prepare this simply slice and de-seed the squash, chop into sections, brush lightly with oil and season salt and pepper. Bake in the oven at 170°C fan assisted, for about 25-30 minutes. 
  • At the same time, pierce the purple potatoes a few times with a fork and bake alongside the squash.
  • To make the yellow falafel, just mix the base ingredients: 1.5 cups of chickpeas, 1 small onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp falafel spice and a pinch of salt. Blend them in a food processor/blender until you obtain a smooth uniform mixture. 
  • To make the green falafel, mix the base ingredients together with a small bunch of coriander - and, optionally, add in some parsley. Blend in a food processor/blender until you obtain a smooth uniform mixture.
  • To make the purple falafel, mix the base ingredients together with the baked purple potato. Blend till a smooth uniform mixture.
  • To make the orange falafel, mix the base ingredients together with the baked half butternut squash and blend till smooth.
  • To make the red/pink falafel, mix the base ingredients together with a large beetroot and blend till smooth.
  • When you are ready to fry the vegan falafels, add 1 tBsp baking powder to each bowl and mix well. The baking powder should only be added at the last moment before frying. This adds an 'airiness' to the mix that is needed for the perfect texture.
  • Heat up a few inches of sunflower oil in a saucepan until it bubbles softly. Using a falafel scoop or a spoon/fork, form the falafels patties by hand and carefully dip them in the hot oil.
  • After 3-4 minutes, carefully turn them over. The falafels are ready when they become golden-brown in colour. 
  • Lay on a piece of paper towel or in a colander to drain any excess cooking oil, although there shouldn't be much! 
  • To prepare the vegan tahini dip, mix all the dip ingredients together well and set aside. 
  • Serve these 5 way falafels with rainbow veggies, pita bread and vegan tahini dip as part of a mezze platter. It's great for dinner parties!

Video

Course: Main
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Freezer friendly: 3 Months (uncooked)
Shelf life: 4 Days

Nutrition

Serving: 1Falafel, Calories: 113kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 272mg, Potassium: 202mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 14IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 187mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

 

 

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18 Comments

  1. Hi
    The recipe sounds great, but of many cups or gram chickpeas do you use before soaking? I assume presoaked means that will be 7.5 cups when they have been soaked for 12 hours? but how do i know how many to actually soak?

    1. Hi Kathrine,
      Chickpeas expand 2-3 times their size, so you’d need 3 to 4 cups of dried chickpeas (and you’ll probably have some leftover). I always soak way more than needed as I use the chickpeas for other recipes too 🙂

  2. Tipje
    Gekookte kikkererwten; Basis voor humus / hoemoes
    Ongekookt maar geweekte kikkererwten; basis voor falafel

    1. Hi,
      I think you are saying
      – boiled chickpeas for hummus
      – uncooked but soaked chickpeas for falafel.
      And that’s right 🙂

    1. Hi, you can use roasted purple cabbage, please check my post about the rainbow hummus, that uses purple cabbage!

  3. Have you attempted to make these with cooked chickpeas? I had already cooked mine before reading the full recipe (I soak and then sprout my dried beans before cooking) and had trouble getting them to stay together and cook in the oil. Eventually, I pulled them from the pot and baked them. The flavor was great but consistency not quite there. Note that I didn’t add anything for color so this was just chickpeas and seasoning. Thanks!

    1. Thank you for your comment. I tend to use just soaked because I think it has the superior texture, for sure. Glad to hear that you enjoyed it with the cooked chickpeas too though 🙂

  4. Hi! Thank you for amazing receipe 🙂 Is the beetroot raw? And do you have a galafel mixed spices receipe? thank you in advance.

    1. Hi Nihan,
      The beetroot is raw, yes.
      For a falafel spice mix – you can make it using: 1 part coriander powder, 1/2 part cumin powder, 1/4 part black pepper, 1/4 part red chili powder, 1/4 part cinnamon (optional).
      I hope this helps.

  5. These look delicious! So you just soak the dry chickpeas overnight before you blend them? You don’t need to boil them before making the falafel mixture?

    1. Hi Megan,
      Thanks very much. You only need to soak the chickpeas overnight. No boiling is required to make traditional falafel. Also presoaked chickpeas are a lot better than canned ones and it makes a big difference between a great Falafel recipe and not so great one. Hope that helps 🙂

  6. Thank you very much for your account i love everything you do it.
    have a question do you have any courses or anything I would like to learn more from you

    1. Thank you so much! I don’t have any workshops planned at the moment, although I have done some in the past. Let me know what it is you’d be interested in learning and I’ll make note 🙂

      1. Hi There

        Do you think you’d be able to bake these rather than fry?

        Looking forward to giving them a go 🙂