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.
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?!
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.
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.
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?
Easy Vegan Falafels 5 ways Recipe
For the vegan falafels base:
- pre-soaked chickpeas
- small red onions
- garlic
- falafel spice
- salt
The different colours/ flavours:
- 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:Â beetroot
For frying:
- baking powderÂ
- sunflower oil (enough to fill up your saucepan)
Vegan Tahini dip:
- Plant-based yogurt, tahini
- Lemon juice. garlic
- Cumin powder, salt
- Filtered water (in case the dressing is too thick)
Rainbow veggies:
- Â 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.Â
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.Â
Drain and rinse well, when ready to proceed with the falafel recipe.
Separate them into 5 bowls – one large 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 teaspoon 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 tablespoon 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.
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.
Fry the falafels for 3-4 minutes, then carefully turn them over. The falafels are ready when they become golden-brown in colour.Â
Lay on a piece of paper towel or in a colander to drain any excess cooking oil, although there shouldn’t be much!Â
To prepare the vegan tahini sauce, 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!
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
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 teaspoon falafel spice 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional) - that's 1 teaspoon 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 tablespoon baking powder 1 tablespoon 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.
Suggested Equipment
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.Â
- 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 teaspoon falafel spice and a pinch of salt. Blend them in a food processor/blender until you obtain a smooth uniform mixture.Â
- 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 tablespoon 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.Â
- Lay on a piece of paper towel or in a colander to drain any excess cooking oil, although there shouldn't be much!Â
- To prepare the vegan tahini dip, mix all the dip ingredients together well and set aside.Â
- 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
Nutrition
Kathrine
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?
Support @ Alphafoodie
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 🙂
Cees Corbijn
Tipje
Gekookte kikkererwten; Basis voor humus / hoemoes
Ongekookt maar geweekte kikkererwten; basis voor falafel
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi,
I think you are saying
– boiled chickpeas for hummus
– uncooked but soaked chickpeas for falafel.
And that’s right 🙂
April
Hi! Any purple alternatives? It might be hard to get purple potato from where I am. Thank you.
Samira @ Alphafoodie
Hi, you can use roasted purple cabbage, please check my post about the rainbow hummus, that uses purple cabbage!
Matt
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!
AlphaFoodie
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 🙂
Nihan
Hi! Thank you for amazing receipe 🙂 Is the beetroot raw? And do you have a galafel mixed spices receipe? thank you in advance.
Support @ Alphafoodie
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.
Megan
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?
Alpha Foodie
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 🙂
Ahlam Al Balushi
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
Alpha Foodie
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 🙂
Sande
These look delicious and almost too pretty to eat. Should the oil be 350 degrees to fry them?
Support @ Alphafoodie
Hi Sande,
Yes, the oil needs to be at about 350ºF – it needs to be bubbling softly.
Rhiana
Hi There
Do you think you’d be able to bake these rather than fry?
Looking forward to giving them a go 🙂
AlphaFoodie Support
Yes, you definitely can do that. Here is my method for healthy baked falafels, so you could cook these in a similar way. I hope you enjoy <3