Balela Salad
Published Feb 18, 2026
A classic Balela salad recipe made with chickpeas, lemon, olive oil, cumin, red onion, tomatoes, and fresh herbs.
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Make balela salad for lunch!
I grew up eating balela salad; it was always around, especially at family gatherings. It’s one of those Middle Eastern staples that just shows up on the table; it’s basically just a really good chickpea situation. Heavy on the lemon, lots of herbs, and super flavorful! The chickpeas sit in a cumin-lemon dressing and actually absorb it, which makes a big difference. I always let the red onion mellow in the dressing first, and I don’t skimp on the parsley or mint. This balela chickpea salad is simple, but it doesn’t taste simple, and that’s kind of why I keep coming back to it.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Balela Salad Ingredients
- Chickpeas: I use canned chickpeas for convenience, but if you want to use dried, here are my tips on how to cook dried chickpeas. Shell the chickpeas, it’s optional, but worth it, in my opinion! Put them in a large bowl filled with warm water. Rub them with your fingers to release the skins, which will easily float to the surface of the water. Skim the skins from the water with a slotted spoon and discard.
- Vegetables: You’ll combine diced red onion, diced tomato, and diced green bell pepper for the balela salad. You can use a diced shallot or any other color bell pepper that you have.
- Fresh herbs: I use fresh flat-leaf parsley and mint. They really make a difference, so I don’t recommend skipping.
- For the dressing: Just whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, salt, and pepper. Fresh lemon juice is best, and if you prefer, you can use avocado oil in place of the olive oil.
How to Make Balela Salad
Balela Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice about 2 lemons
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup finely diced red onion
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 large tomato finely diced
- 1 small green bell pepper finely diced
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, salt, and black pepper.
- Add the red onion to the dressing and stir to coat. Let sit for 5 minutes to mellow the onion while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, green bell pepper, parsley and mint on top of the dressing and onions.
- Gently stir until everything is evenly coated. Let rest another 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Add cheese: Sprinkle in some feta or goat cheese for creaminess.
- Finish with a citrus squeeze: I like to serve the balela salad with lemon wedges so people can brighten up the flavors even more.
Serving Ideas
- Grains: Serve the balela salad over quinoa, farro, or barley.
- Soup: Pastina Soup, Lentil Kale Soup, Potato Leek Soup
- Bread: Homemade Pita Bread, Olive Bread, Rosemary Focaccia
- Chicken: Yogurt Marinated Chicken, Greek Chicken, Hummus Crusted Chicken
FAQs
The tomatoes will naturally release moisture as they sit in the dressing, so some wetness is natural. But if it’s overly watery, you may not have properly drained and rinsed the chickpeas. Serve the salad with a slotted spoon to keep excess water in the bowl.
It means “cooked chickpeas” in Arabic!
