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)

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 5 minutes
  • Total time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 6
  • Category: Appetizer, Side
  • Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Ingredients

For the Salad

  • 2 15 ounce cans of chickpeas (drained or [adjustable]3 cups[/adjustable] 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)

Method

  1. 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.
  2. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dressing, and mix well.
  3. 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.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.