Vegan Richa

Vegan Food Blog with Healthy and Flavorful Vegan Recipes

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • (new) Recipe Filters
    • Popular Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch / Dinner
    • Dessert
    • Indian
    • Instant Pot
    • Burgers
    • Pizza
    • Recipe Index
  • Videos
    • Instant Pot
    • Dessert
    • Holidays
    • Easy Vegan Meals
    • All Recipe Videos
  • CookBooks
    • Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen (Print & Digital)
    • Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen (Print & Digital)
  • Resources
    • How To Start A Food Blog
    • Resources for Food Bloggers
    • Vegan Subs & Resources
    • Our Vegan Journey and FAQs
    • Indian Pantry
    • Indian Dal / Lentil Names
  • Shop
  • About / Contact

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad – Balela Salad

September 22, 2020 By Richa 12 Comments

Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe

This colorful Mediterranean Chickpea Salad known as Balela salad is hearty, refreshing, and bursting with fresh herbs and zesty flavor from the fresh lemon garlic dressing. So easy, so delicious, and so satisfying! Turn it into an easy weeknight meal by serving it with pita bread! Jump to Recipe
overhead shot of Balela Salad with a fork and a napkin on the side

Coming at you with a protein-packed power salad that is as satisfying as delicious: Balela Salad! A very popular salad in the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Don’t you love how fresh and festive it looks?

In Arabic, the word “balela” means “cooked chickpeas and they are indeed the main ingredient in this salad. However, we also add some extra crunch from cucumbers, peppers and a zesty sumac lemon garlic dressing takes this salad to the next level.  It is simple, wholesome, bright, and flavor-packed and you will LOVE every bite of it.

side view of a dish of Mediterranean vegan chickpea salad with lemon garlic dressing

While you would normally think of a bean salad as a typical summer side dish, I can assure your that this Mediterranean chickpea salad is so delish, it could be easily the star of the meal. If served with some oven warm pita, it could even be a light main!

Balela Salad with a fork and blue cloth napkin
Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

How to make Mediterranean Balela Chickpea Salad

This colorful Mediterranean Balela Chickpea Salad is hearty, refreshing and bursting with fresh herbs and zesty flavor from the fresh lemon garlic dressing. So easy, so delicious, and so satisfying! Turn it into an easy weeknight meal by serving it with pita bread!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time5 mins
Total Time20 mins
Course: Appetizer, Side
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Keyword: Balela salad recipe, healthy chickpea salad vegan, Mediterranean chickpea salad
Servings: 4
Calories: 416kcal
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

  • 2 15 oz (850 g) cans of chickpeas drained or 3 cups cooked
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper diced small
  • 1 small cucumber chopped Small
  • 1/4 cup (11.25 g) chopped mint
  • 1/4 cup (15 g) chopped parsley
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Dressing:

  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar or use a mix of balsamic and apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp or more lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp sumac or use cumin
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne or red pepper flakes
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • Chop up all your veggies, Add the washed and drained chickpeas, garlic, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper to a bowl and toss. Add the mint and parsley, and 1/4 tsp salt, and toss well.
  • In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dressing, and mix well.
  • Add the dressing to the salad bowl, and toss well to combine.
  • Serve immediately, or chill and store for upto 3 days. This side can also be served in toasted pita bread with Tahini dressing.

Notes

This side can also be served in toasted pita bread with Tahini dressing
  • To allow for all the flavors to blend and develop, make the balela salad a bit ahead of time, at least half an hour before serving!
  • You can use a mix of balsamic and apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar.
  •  Feel free to add some chopped olives and sun-dried tomatoes to this recipe.
  •  

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
How to make Mediterranean Balela Chickpea Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 416 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 179mg8%
Potassium 1078mg31%
Carbohydrates 68g23%
Fiber 18g75%
Sugar 16g18%
Protein 21g42%
Vitamin A 2057IU41%
Vitamin C 79mg96%
Calcium 140mg14%
Iron 8mg44%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Ingredients for Balela Salad

  •  Chickpeas, drained canned, or cooked chickpeas work well here.
  • Garlic for that Mediterranean twist.
  • Veggies: cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, and cucumbers. All veggies should be chopped up small for that fun colorful look and all the flavor of all the veggies combined in each bite.
  • Chopped mint and parsley – a flavorful combination that is common in Mediterranean cuisine. You can chop them in the food processor – it does the work in no time.  Don’t skimp on these! The herbs are what gives this chickpea salad its distinctive flavor.
  • The zesty dressing is made with extra virgin olive oil,  red wine vinegar,  and lemon juice seasoned with sumac (see below), cayenne or red pepper flakes, and salt.
  •  Sumac is a bright red Middle Eastern spice made from the berries of the sumac bush and it looks a little like chili powder but is not spicy, but rather lemony. If you cannot find it, use lemon zest instead.

Tips :

  • To allow for all the flavors to blend and develop, make the balela salad a bit ahead of time, at least half an hour before serving!
  • You can use a mix of balsamic and apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar.
  •  Feel free to add some chopped olives and sun-dried tomatoes to this recipe.
  • Make this a whole meal by serving it in a pita and drizzling with some Tahini Dressing.

overhead shot of Balela Salad with a fork and a napkin on the side
How to make Mediterranean Balela Chickpea Salad

overhead shot of ingredients needed to make balela salad recipe

Chop up all your veggies, add the washed and drained chickpeas, garlic, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper to a bowl and toss. Add the mint and parsley, and 1/4 tsp salt, and toss well.

ingredients for balela salad combined in a bowl

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dressing, and mix well.

Add the dressing to the salad bowl, and toss well to combine.

balela chickpea salad ingredients being tossed with dressing in a white bowl

Serve immediately, or chill and store for 3 days. This side can also be served in toasted pita bread with Tahini dressing

 

MORE VEGGIE PACKED RECIPES FROM THE BLOG:

  • Spicy BBQ Cauliflower Salad
  • Peanut Butter Roasted Cauliflower Bowl. GF
  • Quinoa Cauliflower Bowl with almond Sriracha sauce GF
  • Sprouted Lentil Bowl with Cajun Spied Sweet Potatoes GF
  • Turmeric Cauliflower Rice Bowl with Moroccan spice chickpeas.  GF

 

Filed Under: Appetizer Recipes, gluten free, grain free, kid approved, refined sugar free, side, snack, summer Tagged With: bell pepper, chickpea, cucumbers, garlic, lemon, mint, olive oil, parsley



⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

« Vegan White Cake (Eggless vanilla cake)
Coconut Date Caramel Snack Bars »

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Susan says

    September 22, 2020 at 7:20 pm

    This is on my list of MUST make.

    Reply
  2. Jeanne says

    September 23, 2020 at 10:44 am

    5 stars
    Made this today, and it is as refreshing as promised. Didn’t have sumac, so used cumin and lemon zest. Though I used the recommended amount of mint and parsley, ended up putting in more…just as well, my mint is taking up more than it’s fair share of garden real estate, and needed some beating back.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      September 23, 2020 at 11:06 am

      Awesome

      Reply
  3. Desicart says

    September 23, 2020 at 10:55 pm

    5 stars
    Very nice recipe. We have to try. So easy, flavorful and delicious.

    Reply
  4. Maneesha says

    September 25, 2020 at 6:43 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious recipe, Richa! I love how this is so delicious and so easy to make! Perfect for picnics/BBQs, and I love that it does not have to be heated! I added some harissa paste and some zaatar seasoning, and it added a great flavor! I don’t have sumac , so I followed your recommendation and added ground cumin and lemon zest. Sooo good!

    Reply
  5. Lynne says

    September 27, 2020 at 12:05 pm

    We loved this! It made a nice cool lunch during a warm early fall day. I was able to use vegetables and herbs fresh from the garden, only substituting chopped cucomelons for the cucumber. Very nice flavors in the vinaigrette. I used the cumin option. Will definitely make again while the garden is still going.

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      September 28, 2020 at 1:32 pm

      interesting!

      Reply
  6. GABRIELLE OTTAVIO says

    September 28, 2020 at 6:02 am

    5 stars
    I made this on Friday for Lunch and my husband ate every last drop. This salad was delicious and satisfying. Leftovers on Saturday was even more delicious since the flavors had a chance to develop

    Reply
    • Richa says

      September 28, 2020 at 8:52 am

      Awesome

      Reply
  7. Cat says

    October 25, 2020 at 1:14 pm

    This is exactly the recipe I needed this week! We’re about to take a road trip, and I was looking for something easy to pack in the cooler for lunch in the car. This is perfect.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      October 25, 2020 at 2:00 pm

      Awesome

      Reply
  8. Deeksha says

    October 26, 2020 at 1:48 am

    This looks so tasty and healthy. thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

ORDER TODAY!

Vegan Richa's Everyday Kitchen Cookbook Now Available everywhere where Books are Sold | VeganRicha.com
Amazon // Barnes & Noble // BAM! // Chapter Indigo // International

Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options. Read more about me and the blog...

Lets get Social! Join 1Million followers and friends

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Vegan Richa 's Indian Kitchen Cookbook
Amazon || Barnes & Noble || BAM! || IndieBound || Details & International

Affiliate Links

All content on this blog is owned by Vegan Richa LLC.  Links on some posts are affiliate links for e.g. we are participant in Amazon services LLC Associates program. Vegan Richa is monetized in part through the use of such affiliate links. More Details

LINKSPOPULAR POSTSKEEP IN TOUCH
My Favorite ThingsBuffalo Chickpea PizzaYouTube
Recipe IndexLentil Quinoa LoafFacebook
Advertise, Work With MeCrispy Orange CauliflowerInstagram
Privacy PolicyPumpkin Cinnamon RollsPinterest
Terms Of UseSweet Potato Peanut BurgersTwitter
Copyright and Disclaimers
Copyright © 2021 Vegan Richa LLC