Learn how to make the best Balela Salad for a vibrant, colorful, and nutritious Middle Eastern chickpea salad that’s sure to win your heart. Bursting with chopped veggies, refreshing herbs, and an olive oil dressing, it’s the ideal stuffing for pita bread or the perfect addition to a bed of greens!
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Trust us when we say you’re gonna want to keep this Balela Salad recipe on hand for all your summer potlucks, barbecues, and pitch-ins! It’s our go-to recipe for every event and is always a hit. Even better, it comes together with super simple, budget-friendly ingredients that provide tons of flavor without breaking the bank.
You may have seen pre-made balela on the shelves of your local Trader Joes! It makes for a great grab-n-go option when you need something filling and quick. But! It doesn’t compare to our homemade version. There’s just something about the texture of the freshest veggies and the ability to adjust the flavor that makes it unbeatable. One bite of our Balela Salad, and we guarantee you’ll agree!
What Is Balela Salad?
Balela Salad pronounced “bah-lay-la”, is a Middle Eastern salad that translates to mean “cooked chickpeas”. Super popular all throughout the Middle East, it is a quick recipe that features chickpeas, black beans, and fresh veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onion tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh herbs like sumac. As a result, it’s super nutritious, zesty, and delicious!
Ingredients You’ll Need
The beauty of Balela Salad lies in its simplicity and budget-friendly ingredients, making it a perfect choice for feeding even the hungriest and largest crowd! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chickpeas – We love to use canned chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) to keep this recipe super simple and quick.
- Black Beans
- Fresh Veggies – We use red bell pepper, baby tomatoes, Persian cucumber, and red onion.
- Fresh Herbs – Parsley and mint add a fresh flavor to this salad is known for.
- Sumac – This is key to creating the best Balela Salad recipe. Truly unique, sumac has a flavor that is sour, bitter, sweet, and salty all at once. However, if you don’t have it, your salad will still taste great!
- Spices – Just a dash of salt and pepper helps bring out the flavor of the rest of the ingredients.
- Lemon Juice – Used to cut through the heaviness of the fat and provide a bright, refreshing taste.
- Olive Oil – Extra virgin olive oil forms the base of the dressing, adding a peppery flavor and healthy fats to keep you full.
- Vinegar – White wine vinegar helps balance out some of the tangy taste of the veggies, particularly the onions.
How to Make an Easy Balela Salad
This is hands down one of the easiest recipes you’ll ever whip up. Don’t be shocked if you catch yourself making it on repeat!
- Prepare. Chop the veggies into even-sized pieces. Then, drain and rinse the chickpeas and beans.
- Toss. Add everything to a large mixing bowl, and toss to combine. That’s it!
*Pro-Tip: If you want to reduce the strength of the onion flavor, soak them with vinegar for a few hours before tossing the salad.
Serving Suggestions
Savor Balela Salad just as it is at room temperature, or let it chill in the fridge for that extra refreshing vibe! Whether you dish it up as a side or make it the star of a vegetarian meal, it’s also fantastic:
- Stuffed in warm pita bread with a drizzle of tahini and shawarma chicken.
- As part of a mezze platter along with tabbouleh and hummus.
- Over a bed of greens for a vibrant salad.
How to Store
Balela Salad is your go-to make-ahead champion, making celebrations a breeze or ensuring you have quick, nutritious options to enjoy throughout the week. Once everything is tossed together, transfer it to an airtight container, and keep it stored in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Just give it a good toss before you serve.
We do not recommend freezing this recipe as it’s likely to become wet and soggy once thawed.
More Middle Eastern-Inspired Salad Recipes
Craving more salads bursting with flavor? Check out more easy recipes listed below!
- Chickpea Cucumber Feta Salad
- Chickpea and Lentil Salad
- Lentil Salad Recipe
- Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Balela Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas rinsed drained
- 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 2 cups baby tomatoes sliced in quarters
- 1/2 small Persian cucumber chopped
- 1/2 red onion chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- 1 squeeze lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the chickpeas, black beans, bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, parsley, and mint.2 cans chickpeas, 1 can black beans, 1 red bell pepper, 2 cups baby tomatoes, 1/2 small Persian cucumber, 1/2 red onion, 1/4 cup fresh parsley, 1/4 cup fresh mint
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the salt, pepper, sumac, lemon juice, olive oil, and vinegar.1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon sumac, 1 squeeze lemon juice, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- Pour the dressing over the salad, and toss to combine. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days, and toss to combine before serving.
Equipment
Notes
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’d like to try this recipe and am looking for salads that will increase my protein intake. This salad sounds good but your nutrition information only states 1 g of protein. Is this a typo? Could you evaluate this please? When I researched both types of beans I found that a half cup of chickpeas contain 6.3 g of protein and a half cup of black beans contains 7.6 grams of protein. Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you.
Hi Patricia! Thank you for catching that. We updated the nutrition information. You can always add extra protein by including chicken, shrimp, etc. We hope you enjoy!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
I love ALL of your recipes. Can’t wait to receive your cookbook.
Thank you so much, Monica! 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
I made this to go with your Pan Chicken Shwarma recipe. I didn’t have the sumac or the fresh herbs and it still was delicious. I also made your Tzatziki sauce and served it all in pita bread. We were so hungry from the delicious smells emanating from the chicken we forgot to take a picture of it!! Thanks for your healthy recipes.
You’re very welcome, Blayne! Thank you for trying them out. We’re so glad you enjoyed everything!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
First time using Sumac so I was concerned, but didn’t need to be, this recipe is delicious. Definitely added to my favorite salad recipes.
Thank you, Donna! We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Refreshing! I I usually add more seasoning and lemon because I like a little more intensity of flavor.
Thank you, Sarah! We’re glad you’re able to make it work for you!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Delicious! The mint makes this salad. Served with Greek Chicken Souvlaki and pita bread. Perfect meal!
love, love, love this salad!
Thank you, Debbie!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Tried it with chickpeas but also black eyed beans. Very tasty and very refreshing especially now that the weather is so hot!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Georgia!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
This salad was amazing, thank you for sharing it. I have a question please and thank you 😊.
What do you consider a serving size that you got it makes 6 servings?
Thank you, Rosa! We’re so glad you enjoyed it. About a scant cup or so is typically a serving. 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa