Balela Salad
Balela salad - a Mediterranean 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 with some pita bread or flatbread. (gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free)
Servings: 6
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 15 ounce cans of chickpeas drained or 3 cups cooked
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 bell peppers diced small, use 1 red and 1 green, if possible
- 1 small cucumber chopped small
- 1/4 cup chopped mint
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Dressing
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or a mix of balsamic and apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice or more, to taste
- 1 teaspoon sumac or use cumin, baharat, chipotle
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or red pepper flakes
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Chop up all your veggies. Add the washed and drained chickpeas, garlic, cherry tomatoes, and bell pepper to a bowl and toss. Add the mint and parsley, and 1/4 teaspoon of the 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, then season to taste with more salt and lemon. Serve immediately, or chill and store for up to 2 days.
Video
Notes
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 serve this as a side dish or make it a quick lunch served in toasted pita bread or flatbread with hummus or tahini dressing.
Feel free to add some chopped olives and sun-dried tomatoes to this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 217mg | Potassium: 733mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1441IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 5mg