Warm Chickpea Salad (Balilah)
بليلة BalilahSay it: bah-LEE-lah
Balilah — balila in Lebanese Arabic — is a warm chickpea dish eaten from early morning across Lebanon, sold in the same little shops that turn out hummus and foul. Boiled chickpeas are tossed while still hot with lemon juice, garlic, cumin and plenty of olive oil, then showered with parsley. The result is comforting, tangy and deeply savoury, more of a warm breakfast salad than a side dish. It comes together in one pot and costs very little.
Warm Chickpea Salad (Balilah)
بليلة, Balilah
Pronounced bah-LEE-lah
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 15 min
- Total
- 1 hr 30 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: none of the major allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the chickpeas
For the dressing
Method
Drain the soaked chickpeas, rinse them well and put them in a heavy pot with the baking soda, the bay leaf and enough cold water to cover by 2 inches (5 cm). Bring to a boil over high heat, then skim off the grey foam that rises to the surface.
Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 60 to 90 minutes, until the chickpeas are very tender and a skin slips off easily when you pinch one between your fingers. Top up with hot water now and then so they stay submerged. If using canned chickpeas, simmer them in fresh water for 5 minutes instead.
While the chickpeas cook, pound the garlic with a pinch of the salt in a mortar (or mash it on a board with the flat of a knife) until it forms a smooth paste.
In a large bowl, whisk the garlic paste with the lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, the rest of the salt and the black pepper until the dressing looks smooth and slightly thickened.
Drain the chickpeas, keeping about 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the cooking liquid, and tip them into the dressing while they are still steaming hot. Toss well, then stir in a splash of the cooking liquid to loosen the mixture — it should look creamy, not dry.
Let the salad stand for 10 to 15 minutes so the chickpeas drink up the lemon and cumin, then toss again and taste; adjust with more lemon juice or salt if it tastes flat.
Fold in the chopped parsley just before serving so it stays bright green, drizzle with a little more olive oil and serve warm.
Regional variants
Some cooks stir in 2 tbsp of tahini or a spoonful of yogurt for a creamier, richer balilah, and in summer a handful of diced tomato, cucumber or sliced green onion is often folded in with the parsley.
Cook's notes
- Dress the chickpeas while they are hot — warm pulses absorb the lemon, garlic and cumin far better than cold ones.
- Stop cooking them as soon as they are tender but still whole; overcooked chickpeas turn the salad to mush.
- Use a generous, fruity olive oil here, since it carries most of the flavour along with the lemon.
Serve with
Warm pita bread, radishes, olives and a glass of hot mint tea — it is a classic Lebanese breakfast.
Make ahead and storage
The cooked chickpeas can be refrigerated in their liquid for up to 3 days; reheat them before dressing. Once dressed, balilah keeps 2 days in the fridge — add the parsley fresh.
