Go Back
–+ servings
Balela Salad on a blue plate
Print

Balela Salad – Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad Recipe

Balela salad is a Middle Eastern chickpea salad with tomato, cucumber, herbs and a sumac lemon dressing. No cook and ready in just 15 minutes.
Course Salad
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Diet Gluten Free, Low Fat, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian
Dietary Egg Free, Nut Free, Plant-Based
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 128kcal
Author Amy Chung

Ingredients

Salad

  • 1 can chickpeas
  • 6 tomato vine-ripened, roughly chopped
  • 1 cucumber roughly chopped
  • ½ capsicum red, roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
  • ½ red onion sliced
  • 1 chilli roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup mint

Salad Dressing

Instructions

Salad

  • Drain and rinse chickpeas. Set aside to dry.
  • Roughly chop tomatoes, cucumber, red capsicum, and parsley.
  • Thinly slice onion.
  • De-seed chilli and roughly chop.
  • Pick mint leaves to yield ¼ cup.

Salad Dressing

  • In a small mixing bowl, add all ingredients except the olive oil.
  • Slowly drizzle olive oil and mix as you pour. This helps to emulsify the dressing properly.

Assembly

  • Add all salad ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
  • Pour salad dressing over and mix until well combined.
  • If you have time, let it sit for 30 minutes so flavours meld together more effectively.
  • Serve.

Notes

Variations And Substitutions
  • Add another legume: Black beans are a popular addition in some versions of balela salad — use half a can alongside the chickpeas for a heartier dish with more visual contrast.
  • Dial the chilli up or down: One chilli with seeds removed is mild. Leave the seeds in for more heat, or use a bird's eye chilli for a significant step up. Leave it out entirely for a chilli-free version.
  • Add cucumber differently: For a less watery salad, deseed the cucumber before chopping. Simply cut it in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds with a spoon before dicing.
  • Herb swaps: If mint is not your thing, coriander works well in its place. Fresh dill is another option that adds a slightly different but complementary herbal character.
  • Make it a meal: Add a soft-boiled egg, poached chicken, or grilled halloumi to turn this salad using chickpeas into a complete lunch or dinner.
How to Make This Salad Perfectly [Expert Tips]
  • Dry the chickpeas before dressing: Wet chickpeas will dilute your dressing and the flavours will not penetrate as well. After draining and rinsing, spread them on a tea towel and pat dry. It takes 30 seconds and makes a real difference.
  • Chop everything to a similar size: This is not just about presentation because uniform pieces mean every forkful has a balanced mix of chickpeas, tomato, cucumber, and herbs rather than a mouthful of all one ingredient.
  • Emulsify the dressing properly: Add the olive oil last, drizzling it in slowly while mixing constantly. This creates a cohesive, glossy dressing that coats every ingredient evenly rather than pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Rest the salad if you have time: The 30-minute rest is not mandatory, but it genuinely transforms the dish. The chickpeas absorb the dressing, the tomatoes release their juices into the mix, and the whole salad becomes more cohesive and deeply flavoured. Make it first, let it sit, then serve.
  • Taste before you serve. After resting, the acidity and salt levels may need a small adjustment. You can add more lemon or salt if desired.
  • Use the best tomatoes you can find. In a no-cook salad this simple, the quality of the produce is everything. Ripe, flavourful vine-ripened tomatoes make this balela recipe sing. Underripe tomatoes will make it flat.

Nutrition

Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 162mg | Potassium: 690mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2604IU | Vitamin C: 77mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg