Middle Eastern & North African · Lunch · Dinner · Snack
Balela (Chickpea and Black Bean Salad)
بليلة (Balela)
A bright, herby salad of chickpeas and black beans tossed with juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber and red onion in a zesty lemon and garlic dressing. Filling, fresh and ideal for packed lunches.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- No cooking
- Total
- 15 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 55% · Fat 29% · Protein 16%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 1 1/2 cups (1 can)240 gCanned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups (1 can)240 gCanned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups225 gCherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 small150 gCucumber, diced
- 1/2 small50 gRed onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup30 gFresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup10 gFresh mint, chopped
- 1 cloveGarlic, minced
- 3 tbsp45 gLemon juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp20 gExtra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tspGround cumin
- 1 tspGround sumac (optional)
- 1/2 tspSalt
- 1/4 tspBlack pepper
Steps
- 1
Drain the chickpeas and black beans in a colander, rinse well under cold water and shake dry.
- 2
In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, salt and black pepper to make the dressing.
- 3
Place the chickpeas and black beans in a large bowl.
- 4
Add the cherry tomatoes, cucumber and red onion.
- 5
Add the chopped parsley and mint.
- 6
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently until everything is coated.
- 7
Taste and adjust with a little more lemon if needed.
- 8
Sprinkle with sumac, if using, and serve, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Swap the black beans for canned kidney beans or white cannellini beans if that is what you have.
- Use chopped fresh cilantro instead of mint if you prefer, or simply double the parsley.
- If you can't find sumac, add a little finely grated lemon zest for a similar tangy finish.
- Replace the cherry tomatoes with diced regular tomatoes or roasted red peppers from a jar.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 3 days; the herbs and cucumber soften over time, so it's freshest on day one. Do not freeze, as the vegetables turn watery.
Make ahead
Rinse the beans, chop the onion and cucumber, and whisk the dressing up to a day ahead, storing each separately in the fridge. Add the tomatoes and fresh herbs and toss everything together shortly before serving.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
No major allergens in the ingredients.
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (254 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 211 kcal | 83 kcal |
| Protein | 9.2 g | 3.6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 30.3 g | 11.9 g |
| of which sugars | 5.5 g | 2.2 g |
| Fiber | 9.5 g | 3.7 g |
| Fat | 7 g | 2.8 g |
| of which saturated | 0.9 g | 0.4 g |
| Sodium | 658 mg | 259 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
