This Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad called Balela Salad, is vegan and healthy! Made w/ finely chopped veggies, fresh herbs, lemon & olive oil. Serve it in a pita with tahini sauce or over greens.
Use 3 cups of fresh cooked chickpeas, remembering if you live in the Northwest, we grown our own lovely chickpeas here, in the Palouse, so try to seek them out. Soak and cook. Or, alternately use 2 cans, drained and rinsed. For veggies, add bell pepper, cucumber and tomatoes when in season. Mint, parsley and scallions give it a burst of flavor.
I really load it up with herbs- not only flavorful but full of nutrients.
Place everything in a bowl, then drizzle with oil, lemon, salt and pepper and toss.
Sometimes I also make tacos out of it.
Balela Salad
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: Vegan Salad
- Method: Tossed
- Cuisine: Middle eastern
Description
This Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad called Balela Salad, is vegan and healthy! Made w/ finely chopped veggies, fresh herbs, lemon & olive oil. Serve it in a pita with tahini sauce or over greens.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked garbanzo beans- ( 2 cans, drained and rinsed)
- 1 red bell pepper-diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper-diced
- 1 cup chopped vine ripened tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped cucumber
- 5 scallions, sliced on the diagonal
- ½ cup to 1 cup fresh mint- chopped
- ½ cup to 1 cup Italian parsley – chopped
- 1 garlic clove finely minced
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, plus more to taste
- ½ cup olive oil
- zest of one lemon
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sumac ( optional)
- ¼–½ teaspoon cayenne or aleppo chili flakes
- Optional sides –toasted pita bread, or tortilla wraps, baba ganoush, tahini sauce for drizzling, hummus, crumbled feta or a big bed a of greens.
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a big bowl.
- Toss well and taste, adjusting salt, lemon, and spice level.
- Serve with salad greens or pita and tahini sauce,
Notes
Keeps up to 4 days in the fridge!
Nutrition
- Calories: 256
Keywords: chickpea salad, chickpea salad recipe, balela, balela salad, vegan chickpea salad recipes, vegan chickpea salad
I had no mint or sumac so I omitted those. Also reduced the olive oil as I don’t like it too oily. It was a hit with my dinner guests! Will definitely make it again.
★★★★★
Great to hear Kate!
Love how fresh the salad was I added a little more mint but very very good and made a wrap with tahini sauce excellent thank you
★★★★★
Thanks so much, more herbs are always good in my book!
Had to omit the tomatoes, and cut the olive oil by half. This was easy to make, delicious, and perfect with toasted naan. I’m going to serve this when friends come over! Also would be great for work lunches.
★★★★
thanks Christy!
Asssome salad.
★★★★★
Thanks so much Nathalie!
I really enjoyed this, but 1/2 cup olive oil was way over the top. I suspect 1/4 cup might even be excessive, so next time I’ll start with 1/8. Also added a healthy splash of aged balsamic vinegar for the win.
★★★★
I tried this recipe. I love this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing.
Followed the recipe exactly. Delicious! Definitely a keeper.
★★★★★
Thanks Kristen!
Great recipe! Substituted a few bits for young children to eat, no onion or pepper, used paprika spice instead of cayenne. Added a piece of chicken and it made a great dinner! Or enjoyed alone for a good lunch/snack.
★★★★★
where can I buy your cook book?
I don’t have one. 😉
Love this balala salad! Served with chicken shawarma as a side. Delicious, and so fresh. Also Sylvia, you can style a bowl of soup like nobody’s business! Made your Thai broccoli soup the other day, it’s my favorite.
Super easy to make and so tasty. Lasted well for lunches through the week. Will be on regular rotation.
★★★★★
Excellent
★★★★★
We love this salad
★★★★★
This is such a versatile salad!
★★★★★
This looks really good! I was just wondering how long it would last in the fridge?
4 days!
I’m currently eating a bowl of this as I type this – 10/10 this recipe is SO GOOD! And I have to admit, I normally eat pretty unhealthily but I’m trying to change that, and this salad was calling my name so I made and DANGGGGGG, I made it with onion powder and garlic powder instead of fresh garlic and onion, and I added a lot of coriander, and accidentally too much red pepper flakes haha and drizzled it with tahini and BOY OH BOY is it good!
★★★★★
Great to hear!
I made this a couple of weeks ago for a potluck and I can’t stop thinking about it. I’m making it again on Friday. This may have to be a weekly thing.
★★★★★
Great to hear!
This looks very good, I will leave out the oil.
This was my dinner tonight, along with some homemade baked pita chips. It was delicious, and I am looking forward to leftovers tomorrow. Thanks so much!
★★★★★
This looks delicious! Do you have a favorite brand of tahini paste? I’d like to try and make my own tahini sauce.
Thanks!
Thank you Kelly! I usually use Alwadi or Joyva Tahini Paste.