Balela Salad or Dip Recipe
This Balela Salad or Dip recipe is a tasty middle Eastern salad that is gluten-free and vegetarian, made with a variety of beans and fresh herbs. It’s great served as salad or dip, and feta cheese is optional. We love it with crunchy pita chips. Perfect for any potluck or party!
I love a good bean salad! This middle eastern Mediterranean style black bean salad is called a Balela Salad, and we’ve been making it for years. It’s also great for dipping with sturdy chips (like pita crackers), and I call this recipe our favorite “anytime” salad.
Balela Salad or Dip Recipe
Recently we served this at a bridal shower, and it’s truly great for any party! This Balela Salad with chickpeas seems to be the first dish devoured quickly at any gathering.
This salad is a scrumptious combination of garbanzo beans and black beans, mixed with diced tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, cucumber, onion, garlic, parsley and basil!
Why I love this recipe
- It’s popular at every party.
- Not just for game days.
- It’s light, healthy, and can meet many dietary needs: gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian.
- Optional to leave out the feta cheese!
What is Balela Salad?
Balela is a Middle-Eastern bean salad made with garbanzo bean (or chickpeas) and black beans, drizzled with an oily, spiced vinaigrette.
Of course there are other delicious ingredients, like fresh herbs.
Gather these ingredients:
- Garbanzo beans (or chickpeas)
- Black beans
- Onion and jalapeno
- Sun dried tomatoes
- Grape tomatoes
- Fresh dill, basil, Italian parsley
- Lemon juice
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Garlic
- Apple cider vinegar
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Feta cheese, optional – leave out if you want to make this salad Vegan
How do you make a Balela Salad or Dip Recipe?
- In a medium bowl, mix together the garbanzo beans, black beans, onion, jalepeno pepper, sun dried tomatoes, tomatoes, and herbs.
- Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, vinegar, and salt and pepper.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad mixture; lightly stir.
- Refrigerate salad several hours or overnight to meld flavors.
- Optional to add feta cheese.
Tips and substitutions:
It’s nice to serve salad as a side dish (delicious paired with recipes like Honey Lime Boneless Chicken Thighs or Mexican Pasta Shells Recipe or Mexican Rice Salad), or as an appetizer (serve in small shot glasses, with mini forks), eat in a wrap, or add to a salad.
Looking for a Mexican-themed dessert? I’ve got it for you: Mexican Flan Cake (watch the video).
How to serve balela salad
- As a side dish
- As an appetizer (small shot glasses)
- In a wrap
- Mashed, on a sandwich
- As a dip, with crackers and chips
- Super easy to serve in these shot glasses! How cute is this? Little bites for a party!
I really love the versatility of this salad. Oh, and you can even serve it as a dip, perfect for crackers or chips! Dig in and enjoy!
More bean salads to try:
Get the Recipe:
Balela Salad (or Dip) Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 15 oz cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup chopped onion, about half a small one
- 1 jalapeno, finely chopped (optional)
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes, best if use the ones in oil in a jar
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
- ⅓ cup fresh dill, chopped
- ⅓ cup fresh basil, chopped (or mint)
- ⅓ cup fresh Italian parsley, flat leaf, chopped
Make the dressing:
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Feta cheese, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the garbanzo beans, black beans, onion, jalepeno pepper, sun dried tomatoes, tomatoes, and herbs.
- Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, vinegar, and salt and pepper.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad mixture; lightly stir.
- Refrigerate salad several hours or overnight to meld flavors.
- Optional to add feta cheese.
Notes
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
served it as lunch at camp. everyone gobbled it up!
A coworker of mine made this 5 years ago and I was obsessed – she sent me the recipe. We now make it all the time. Soooo good! This is such a versatile recipe/can add in extra veggies or swap out items. Sometimes we add dried herbs if we don’t have fresh herbs on hand (especially in winter!) – we love it!
Sounds like this would be perfect in a sandwich on a ciabatta roll or focaccia with some fresh mozzarella. I’m gonna try that!!
This salad is so amazing! I keep making it so this time I decided to leave a review as a thank you for it! I leave the cheese out as I usually have it during lent. It’s so delicious and filling!
This is by far my favorite salad. So many colors, which means nutrients, and the flavors!
You can add so many layers and flavors that not one bite will be the same.
For instance, I add raisins to it, also, sometimes I add walnuts , coconut, mint, or English cucumber. You can’t go wrong!
Love it and thank you for the intro to it.
I’ve made this many times! Love it! Great for potlucks! I would like to have the calorie count and nutritional facts.
Delicious! I added 4 oz of feta and served it as a vegetarian main course with homemade bread. We ended up with leftovers, which I’m sure will be fabulous for lunch tomorrow. Thank you so much for the recipe inspiration :)
Have made this a couple of times for parties. Delicious!!
Also, it’s a wonderful side salad to bring during the hot summer months if dining outdoors!
It was SOOOOO DELICIOUS! The only thing I adjusted was adding some vegan mozarella and I hate dill so I added thyme instead. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Great idea to add vegan cheese!
I made that salad a couple of years ago. It’s really delicious.
Great recipe! We added Trader Joe’s lentil pasta. So hardy!
Great idea!!
This looks delicious. I’m not a fan of chickpeas and thought I could substitute with corn or another can of black beans….what do you think?
Yes, for sure you can subsitute for another type of beans (or black beans). Corn would be good, too!
This is probably a silly question … How do you make this as a dip? Seems too chunky, as-is.
Not too chunky at all. Serve with LARGE taco chips! Delicious!
I just made this and it’s delicious. It was easy so that’s another plus!
It tastes pretty good..kind of like 3 bean salad
I’m going to be making this on Monday to have for lunches this week. I’m going to put the salad on top of some greens. Do you think kale, spinach, or arugula would go best with it?
Probably spinach!
Sandy, do you mince the two cloves of garlic ( as per video) or literally just press them (per recipe)? Thanks!
Either way! ENJOY!
Many thanks for the recipe. I just made this and it is delicious. I did put Greek yogurt instead of Feta, and added some pomegranate molasses, which is native of the Middle East cuisine. Definitely a keeper
This looks so yummy! I plan on making it very soon, but I’m thinking I shall add some chopped up artichoke hearts as well. If it doesn’t work, I guess I’ll be tasked to pick them out one by one and eat them myself! ha! win/win situation there!
After scrolling to bottom, see recipe and hit print, still unable to get recipe to come up on iPhone.
I see the recipe. Can you go to a desk top to print it?
I am having a hard time finding the actual recipe? Where do I find the written ingredients?
Scroll down to the bottom of the post. You’ll see the recipe and hit PRINT to the right of the title.
Can you recommend a cheese to replace the feta?
Edna, you can just leave out the cheese (it’s optional). Still yummy without it.
Hi, Absolutely love it! Can I freeze this?
Julie, I have never frozen this recipe, so I’m not sure. If you try it, come back and let me know if it’s as good (I’m thining it would not be).
I’m trying this tonight. I don’t have the fresh basil or parsley but I do have the fresh Dillard some cilantro too. I can’t wait!
LOOKS DELISH.. IM MAKING THEM FOR XMAS GIFTS.. PUTTING INTO A JAR.. HOWLONG DO YOU THINK IT WILL KEEP.. IM THINKING IT CAN ONLY GET BETTER AS IT SITS..
I would say if refrigerated, it’s good for 3-5 days?