{"id":1789,"date":"2021-07-15T17:18:34","date_gmt":"2021-07-15T21:18:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/?page_id=1789"},"modified":"2024-08-16T08:12:34","modified_gmt":"2024-08-16T12:12:34","slug":"balela-salad","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/rwb-food\/salads\/balela-salad\/","title":{"rendered":"Balela Salad"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Words and Images by Robert Wesley Branch<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Balela (Ba-lee-la) salad is a Mediterranean dish. The word \u201cBalela\u201d in Arabic means \u201ccooked chickpeas.\u201d It is often categorized as \u201cMiddle Eastern\u201d cuisine, although I have always had issues with that term, as traditionally and historically it has included the country of Egypt, which as we all know is located in North Africa. Mainstream historians have always associated Egypt with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern culture instead of continental Africa. I\u2019m more comfortable with this descriptor: Afro-Asiatic. But I digress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I first learned of this recipe from an Instagram page called The Kemetic Kitchen<\/em>; the word Kemet, of course, being the ancient term for prehistoric Egypt. Shortly after reading the recipe, I made it, and enjoyed it immensely. That was a few years ago. This is my second outing with Balela salad and, after researching the recipe more thoroughly, I have added a few extra ingredients. This is one of those dishes that is very forgiving; you can give and take on the ingredients as you like, and it will still turn out tasting absolutely delicious. That\u2019s the great thing about cooking at home: it\u2019s your kitchen, your palate, and (like that Burger King commercial from back in the day) you can \u201chave it your way\u201d every single time. Customizing a recipe to your own liking is one of the true joys of standing up in your own kitchen and preparing food.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\"AAs always when beginning a recipe, put all your things in place; the French call this mise en place<\/em>, meaning \u201cputting in place\u201d or \u201ceverything in its place.\u201d That means reading through the recipe, line by line, and assembling every ingredient and utensil that you will need \u2013 and placing it all out on the countertop before you, just as I\u2019ve done (left). There are a few things missing in this photograph: a chef\u2019s knife, which you\u2019ll see in subsequent pictures; a bench scraper, which is used to collect chopped veggies and herbs, and easily move them into the mixing bowl; and a whisk (shown below), used to mix up the dressing. A bench scraper, most commonly used for moving dough when baking, is a totally optional piece of equipment, but it makes life a lot easier (and tidier!) in the kitchen. Same thing for the whisk, optional, but the more you cook, the more you\u2019ll want to keep one on hand. What is essential, though, is a good cutting board. I\u2019m using a super-strong butcher block these days, but when I first started out in the kitchen, back in the mid-90s, I used a very inexpensive plastic cutting board that you can get at nearly every corner grocery store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 (15 0z.) can chickpeas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 (15 oz.) can black beans<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 cup scallions<\/strong> (about 7 scallions) or red onions<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 \u00bd cup chopped fresh tomato<\/strong> (4-6 Roma tomatoes) or 1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley<\/strong> (about 1 healthy bunch, but buy 2, because you can never get enough chlorophyll). A generous sprinkle of dried parsley will do, if you don\u2019t have fresh parsley. I keep a jar of dried parsley in the spice cabinet, because I like a sprinkle in my scrambled eggs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00bc cup finely chopped mint leaves<\/strong> (or a good sprinkle of dried mint is just fine!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 English cucumber<\/strong> (the ones vacuum-packed in plastic!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 yellow, red, orange or green Bell pepper<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00bd Jalapeno pepper<\/strong>, if you like things spicy \u2013 and I do!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 cup pitted Greek Kalamata olives<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00bd cup Sundried Tomatoes<\/strong> (julienned and jarred in oil \u2013 see photo below!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feta cheese<\/strong> (as much as you like or none at all, if you don\u2019t eat cheese). I love feta cheese; it\u2019s probably my favorite cheese, and I add it to lots of dishes. If you are using feta, buy the block of cheese, and not the crumbles, as they tend to taste like sawdust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Toasted Pine Nuts<\/strong> (as much as you like or none at all). These add a very nice depth and texture to the salad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

(Dressing)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 tablespoons (tbsp.) freshly squeezed lemon juice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 tbsp. Balsamic (or red wine) vinegar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

finely minced fresh garlic<\/strong> (to your taste; I use 2-3 cloves)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil<\/strong> (EVOO)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00bd teaspoon (tsp.) salt<\/strong> (I use coarse Kosher salt)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

freshly-ground black pepper<\/strong> (to your taste)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00bd tsp. Sumac<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(this is the only specialty ingredient and the salad still tastes great without it! I get mine from Amazon.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cayenne Pepper<\/strong> (if you dare \u2013 and I do!). About \u00bc tsp. or so will do you just fine, if using.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Directions<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prepping ingredients is, sometimes, more time-consuming than anything else, when cooking. Rinse all your vegetables and herbs under cold running water and wrap them in paper towels (or in a clean kitchen cloth) to dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using a can opener, remove the beans from their tins, pour into a colander, and rinse under cold water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let the rinsed beans drain (thoroughly) in a colander while you prepare the other ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the beans are draining, chop the scallions and add them to a large mixing bowl. The knife I\u2019m using is a cleaver and I like using this knife because of its wide surface; it can be used to scrape under the cut veggies, to lift them up, and place them into the mixing bowl, just like you would do with a bench scraper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Chop the tomatoes and add them to the same large mixing bowl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Chop the parsley and add it to the same large mixing bowl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Here, I am using a Mezzaluna \u201chalf-moon\u201d knife, which is very good for finely dicing large quantities of vegetables and herbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If using fresh mint, finely chop it, just as with the parsley, and add it to the mixing bowl. The fresh mint I ordered for this salad arrived black and wilted, so instead I sprinkled in some dried mint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remove the plastic from the cucumber, if using the English variety. Place the whole cucumber on the cutting board in a horizontal position. Slice the whole cucumber in half. Then, cut each half, lengthwise. You should end up with four pieces (right).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Using a spoon, scoop out the insides of the cucumber, which contains mostly seeds, that I find indigestible. This is an optional step, but one I always do when it comes to cucumbers, which is one of my favorite fruits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Chop the cucumber and add it to the same mixing bowl with the other ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Chop the yellow, red, orange or green Bell pepper, and add it to the same large mixing bowl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

For this salad, I used a yellow pepper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Finely chop the Jalapeno pepper and add it to the same mixing bowl with the other ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Chop the pitted Greek Kalamata olives and add them to the same mixing bowl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and add them to the bowl. The kind I use are already julienned (sliced into matchsticks) in the jar, so I just drain them and throw them straight into the bowl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

To toast the pine nuts, put them in a small saucepan on medium heat. When you start to smell them, shake the pan, moving the nuts around, so that they toast on all sides. Whatever you do, don\u2019t walk away from the pan, as this process only takes a few minutes, and I have burned many nuts on the stovetop in my day. Throw the toasted pine nuts into the mixing bowl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chop the feta cheese into bite-size chunks and throw it into the same large mixing bowl with all of the other ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pour the well-drained beans on top of all the other ingredients in the same large mixing bowl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour over the bean-herb mixture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stir together, just enough to combine and coat all the ingredients with the dressing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I usually don\u2019t use all of the dressing. I pour over just enough to coat the ingredients until the salad glistens. Sometimes, the salad takes all the dressing at once, and sometimes it does not. If I do have dressing remaining, I put a piece of plastic wrap over the cup containing the dressing, and let it rest in the fridge till serving, so that I have it to add to leftover portions of the salad, if needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Let the finished Balela salad stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, preferably in the fridge overnight, as it will taste even better the next day, after all the flavors marry up together. Just bring it back to room temperature before serving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adjust (salt and pepper) seasonings, to your taste, just before serving, if necessary. Serve and enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Balela (Ba-lee-la) salad is a Mediterranean dish. The word \u201cBalela\u201d in Arabic means \u201ccooked chickpeas.\u201d It is often categorized as \u201cMiddle Eastern\u201d cuisine, although I have always had issues with that term, as traditionally and historically it has included the country of Egypt, which as we all know is located in North Africa. Mainstream historians have always associated Egypt with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern culture instead of continental Africa. I\u2019m more comfortable with this descriptor: Afro-Asiatic. But I digress. I first learned of this recipe from an Instagram page called The Kemetic Kitchen; the word Kemet, of course, being the ancient term for prehistoric Egypt. Shortly after reading the recipe, I made it, and enjoyed it immensely. That was a few years ago. This is my second outing with Balela salad and, after researching the recipe more thoroughly, I have added a few extra ingredients. This is one of those dishes that is very forgiving; you can give and take on the ingredients as you like, and it will still turn out tasting absolutely delicious. That\u2019s the great thing about cooking at home: it\u2019s your kitchen, your palate, and (like that Burger King commercial from back in the day) you can Read More …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":3554,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1789","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nBalela Salad - Robert Wesley Branch<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This is a fresh and tasty salad for veggie lovers.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/rwb-food\/salads\/balela-salad\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Balela Salad - Robert Wesley Branch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This is a fresh and tasty salad for veggie lovers.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/rwb-food\/salads\/balela-salad\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Robert Wesley Branch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-08-16T12:12:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Balela-Salad-1-2.jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/rwb-food\/salads\/balela-salad\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/rwb-food\/salads\/balela-salad\/\",\"name\":\"Balela Salad - Robert Wesley Branch\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/rwb-food\/salads\/balela-salad\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/rwb-food\/salads\/balela-salad\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Balela-Salad-1-2.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-07-15T21:18:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-16T12:12:34+00:00\",\"description\":\"This is a fresh and tasty salad for veggie lovers.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/rwb-food\/salads\/balela-salad\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/rwb-food\/salads\/balela-salad\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/rwb-food\/salads\/balela-salad\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Balela-Salad-1-2.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Balela-Salad-1-2.jpeg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":768},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/rwb-food\/salads\/balela-salad\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"RWB Food\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/rwb-food\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Salads\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/rwb-food\/salads\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Balela Salad\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.robertwesleybranch.com\/robertwritings\/\",\"name\":\"Robert Wesley Branch\",\"description\":\"Cosmos-conceived. 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