My wife recently had some middle eastern salad from Trader Joe's called Balela. She challenged me to try and replicate it at home and the result is this Garbanzo and Black Bean Salad.
The first thing I did was look at the list of the ingredients on the packaging itself. I stripped away all the preservatives and all the other ingredients they use in commercially sold food to come up with a list of ingredients I could work with.
Then I proceeded to experiment with the quantities of each ingredient. The salad from the store listed sumac as one of its ingredients but since I didn't have any on hand, I substituted for some lemon pepper seasoning.
💭 Recipe Variation
I used Apple Cider Vinegar but you can also use some rice wine vinegar or in a pinch some white vinegar. The canola oil can be substituted with some vegetable oil or just more extra virgin olive oil.
💭 Recipe Tip
Chickpeas and Garbanzo beans are the same thing! Depending on what part of the country and what brand you are using, the cans may be labeled differently.
For more great recipes like this one, I suggest you check these recipes out:
📋 What Ingredients do I need
You will need the following ingredients to make this Garbanzo and Black Bean Salad recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Garbanzo Beans, Black Beans, Roma Tomatoes, Canola Oil, White Vinegar, Red Onion, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Lemon Pepper Seasoning, Salt, Garlic Powder, Cayenne, Fresh Mint Leaves and Fresh Italian Parsley.
🥣 How to make Garbanzo and Black Bean Salad
In a mixing bowl, combine the rinsed beans, tomato and red onion. Stir till well combined.
Pour the canola oil, apple cider vinegar and olive oil over the bean mixture and stir.
Add the lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder and cayenne and toss until well combined.
Fold in the fresh parsley and fresh mint and stir.
While not necessary, I recommend letting the salad sit in the refrigerator covered for about 1 hour to allow all the flavors to meld.
Garbanzo and Black Bean Salad
Equipment
- Bowl for Mixing
Ingredients
- 15 oz Garbanzo Beans, drained & rinsed
- 15 oz Black Beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 Roma Tomato, diced
- 1 tablespoon Red Onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon Canola Oil
- 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Mint Leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the rinsed beans, tomato and red onion. Stir till well combined.
- Pour the canola oil, apple cider vinegar and olive oil over the bean mixture and stir.
- Add the lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder and cayenne and toss until well combined.
- Fold in the fresh parsley and fresh mint and stir.
- While not necessary, I recommend letting the salad sit in the refrigerator covered for about 1 hour to allow all the flavors to meld.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 1 serving. This information is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.
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