Crispy Falafel Salad with Pickled Red Onion, Cucumber, and Greek Yogurt Dressing

Step 1

Prep the ingredients: Wash and dry all produce. Peel and halve the cucumber lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon, then thinly slice into half-moons. Chop the lettuce into 1-inch pieces. Halve, peel, and thinly slice half the onion; finely dice the other half onion. Zest and halve the lemon. Pick half the parsley leaves off the stems and set them aside. Chop the remaining parsley leaves and stems. Mince or grate the garlic. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.

Step 2

Pickle the red onion: In a small bowl, combine the sliced red onion and squeeze in the juice of half the lemon.

Step 3

Make the Greek yogurt dressing: In a small bowl, combine ½ cup Greek yogurt, a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, half the chopped parsley, and up to half the garlic, to taste. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 4

Make the falafel mixture: In a medium bowl, mash together the chickpeas and hummus until smooth. Mix in the flour, ras el hanout, diced red onion, lemon zest, the remaining chopped parsley, and the remaining garlic. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Step 5

Cook the falafel fritters: Add the panko to a small bowl. Form the falafel mixture into 1½-inch balls and roll them in the panko. Flatten each ball into a patty. Heat ¼-inch oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the falafel fritters to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy. Set aside on a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt and pepper.

Step 6

Dress the salad: In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, parsley leaves, cucumber, and pickled red onion (to taste). Season with salt and pepper.

Step 7

Finish and plate: Top the salad with the falafel fritters and drizzle with the Greek yogurt dressing. Sprinkle with the feta and dig in!