Balela Salad
Balela Salad is a healthy, flavorful, and easy recipe to enjoy for lunch, dinner, or as a side. It's a zesty mix of chickpeas, black beans, veggies, and fresh herbs that's high in protein and fiber!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 224kcal
Equipment
- Mesh sieve
Ingredients
- 15 oz can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 15 oz can of black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 3 Persian cucumbers diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- ½ cup fresh parsley roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh mint roughly chopped
Dressing
- 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For Serving
- Whole Wheat Pita
- Hummus
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, black beans, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and red onion.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Pour the dressing over the beans and veggies
- Add the fresh chopped parsley and mint.
- Toss until everything is well-coated. Adjust seasoning as needed.
- Let the salad sit for at least 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
Tips for Making Balela Salad
- Thoroughly drain and rinse your chickpeas and black beans. The liquid in the cans is incredibly salty and starchy, creating an unwanted texture to the salad.
- Toss your vegetables with the dressing; don't stir them. Stirring the mixture can smash those tender chickpeas and beans.
- Whisk your dressing vigorously to ensure the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add the dressing ingredients to a jar with a tight-fitting lid to make things even easier and shake vigorously.
- Let the salad sit for at least 15 minutes so the flavors meld. If you can let it sit longer, that's even better!
- Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 156mg | Potassium: 508mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 979IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 4mg