Vegan Balela Salad is a delicious, vibrant, and super refreshing dish! It’s packed with chickpeas, black beans, fresh veggies, and herbs, with a zesty lemony dressing that ties it all together. Here’s a simple recipe for you:
Ingredients:
For the Salad:
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, drained and rinsed)
- 1 cup cooked black beans (or 1 can, drained and rinsed)
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (or cilantro, if you prefer)
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped (optional, but adds a refreshing touch)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Dressing:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (or more, to taste)
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional, for a smoky flavor)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, cumin, paprika, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Prepare the salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the chickpeas, black beans, diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, and red onion.
- Toss with dressing: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything gently to combine, making sure all the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
- Add fresh herbs: Stir in the chopped parsley and mint (if using). These fresh herbs really add a bright, aromatic flavor to the salad!
- Chill and serve: You can serve the salad immediately, or let it chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. This salad can be served as a side dish, a light lunch, or even as a filling for wraps or pita bread.
Balela Salad is healthy, filling, and full of protein from the beans, making it perfect for meal prepping. You can even add some avocado or olives for extra richness if you’d like!
How does this sound to you? Would you like to add anything else to it?