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Balela Salad Recipe | The Mediterranean Dish. Bright, flavor-packed Mediterranean chickpea salad with chopped veggies, lots of herbs, and favorites like olives and sun-dried tomatoes. A zesty dressing brings it all together! A simple recipe from TheMediterraneanDish.com #balela #chickpeasalad #mediterraneanfood #mediterraneanrecipe
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4.96 from 69 votes

Balela Salad

This festive and wholesome Balela Salad is a Middle Eastern favorite! Filled with tons of nutrition from chickpeas and chopped veggies. And packs lots of flavor from fresh herbs, a zesty dressing, and Mediterranean favorites like olives and sun-dried tomatoes. A must-try!
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Servings: 6 to 7 servings
Author: The Mediterranean Dish

Ingredients

For the Salad

  • 3 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas), drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, finely chopped (optional)
  • 2 1/2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved if you’d like (or you can leave them whole)
  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
  • 3-5 green onions, chopped (both white and green parts)
  • 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives
  • 1/4 cup pitted green olives
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley leaves
  • 1/2 cup chopped mint or basil leaves

For the Dressing

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon sumac
  • 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper

Instructions

  • Mix the salad. In a large bowl, mix the chickpeas, bell pepper, jalapeno (if using), tomatoes, green onion, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and herbs.
  • Make the dressing. In a separate bowl or jar, add the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, sumac, Aleppo pepper, and red pepper (if using). Season with salt and pepper to taste and whisk to combine.
  • Dress. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and mix gently to coat. Ideally, leave aside for 30 minutes before serving, or cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
  • Serve. When ready to serve, give the salad a quick mix and taste to adjust seasoning if at all needed. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • Turn your babela into a meal! This wholesome, nutrition-packed salad can easily be turned into a meal. Serve it in warm pita pockets with a drizzle of tahini. Or add it to an impressive vegetarian mezze platter with baba ganoush and roasted red pepper hummus.
  • Recommended for this recipe: Early Harvest Greek extra virgin olive oil (from organically grown and processed Koroneiki olives). And from our all-natural spice collection: Sumac and Aleppo Pepper.
  • Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams, and spices.

Nutrition

Calories: 302.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 36.8g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 1.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.7g | Sodium: 234.5mg | Potassium: 848.3mg | Fiber: 10.5g | Sugar: 10.4g | Vitamin A: 1451.3IU | Vitamin C: 35.2mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 4.6mg

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