May 11, 2010 8

balela (middle eastern bean salad)

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I spend a lot of time making Middle Eastern food. I spend a lot of time eating Middle Eastern food. I spend a lot of time thinking about making and eating Middle Eastern food (no really, it sometimes keeps me up at night). But I hadn’t ever heard of balela, a bean-based salad with parsley and mint, until I saw it at Trader Joe’s. The balela at Trader Joe’s comes in small 8 ounce containers, but at $3 or so a pop I decided it was time to start making it myself. Enjoy balela on its own, or for a more substantial meal, tossed in a lettuce salad or in a wrap.

Balela

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1 15-oz can garbanzo beans
1 15-oz can black beans
1 small onion chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
3/4 cup tomatoes (I used sundried), chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sumac
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Drain and rinse the beans thoroughly. Pour them into a large mixing bowl and toss gently with the remaining ingredients. Let stand about a half hour before serving.

Serves 4-6

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Related posts:

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  2. mujaddara (middle eastern rice and lentil pilaf)
  3. lentil salad with feta and sun-dried tomatoes
  4. bulgur and lentil salad
  5. green bean curry

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8 Responses to “balela (middle eastern bean salad)”

  1. Cherine says:
    May 14, 2010 at 11:13 pm

    This looks so good!

  2. Rose says:
    May 14, 2010 at 11:16 pm

    It was! I finished it up within 24 hours… oops!

  3. Mary says:
    June 7, 2010 at 10:00 pm

    Oh, yum! I would love to have this is a lettuce wrap!

    xxMK
    Delightful Bitefuls

  4. erica says:
    June 8, 2010 at 9:52 am

    this was fantastic. i had never heard of balela before but had all the ingredients on hand so whipped it up for a quick and satisfying lunch. i ate it in a whole wheat pita with a sprinkle of feta. thank you so much for the recipe!

  5. Rose says:
    June 10, 2010 at 10:26 am

    Sure thing, Erica. I always mean to have balela as a base in a wrap, but I always end up eating it right away as is. One of these days, though…

  6. VeggieOption says:
    December 21, 2010 at 9:00 am

    I love Trader Joe’s version and this recipe is fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

  7. Charles says:
    March 6, 2011 at 1:58 pm

    cool

  8. Rose says:
    March 6, 2011 at 5:19 pm

    shut up cory

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