Balela: salad of chickpeas and black beans
Balela salad is a dish with Egyptian roots that became famous after a popular organic food supermarket began selling it, making it one of the store's signature dishes.
This is a salad rich in high-quality protein with a delicious combination of tangy, fresh notes and a delicate kick of heat from the jalapeño. The dressing also brings out each and every ingredient in the salad, adding a very tasty and juicy touch.
Although it usually includes grape tomatoes, we wanted to give it a livelier, more autumnal flavor and replaced them with sun-dried tomatoes, which also gives an even more exquisite contrast.
When serving, Balela is an ideal dish to accompany with pita bread or rice, and even for dipping with nachos or serving with tortillas.
As for its nutrients, this dish is rich in protein, fiber, lecithin, omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids; complex carbohydrates (slow-absorbing and filling), flavonoids, beta-carotene, lycopene, allicin, alliin, vitamins A, C, E and the B group (B1, B6 and B9 or folic acid), sulfur, calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, selenium, sodium, iodine and, in smaller amounts, copper and zinc.
Categories
Measurement system
Tap on the ingredients to add or remove them from the shopping list
For the salad
For the dressing
Notes
Tap on the steps to mark them as done
- Step 1Rinse the chickpeas and beans under water, drain them and transfer them to a large bowl.
- Step 2Finely chop the onion and add it to the bowl.
- Step 3Drain the tomatoes, cut them into strips and add them to the bowl.
- Step 4Wash and dry the parsley, chop it finely and add it to the bowl as well.
- Step 5Wash the jalapeño, remove the seeds, cut it into slices and add it to the bowl.
- Step 6Wash the mint, dry it with paper towels, chop it with a knife and add it to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Add the salt and toss everything a couple of times. Set aside.
- Step 7In a small bowl, prepare the vinaigrette with the chopped garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper and lemon and, little by little, pour in the oil while whisking well until the vinaigrette emulsifies.
- Step 8When all the oil has been added and the vinaigrette has emulsified, pour it over the salad in the bowl and toss so that the ingredients are well mixed and dressed. Let it rest for about 30 minutes so the flavors meld (optional) and serve.