Balela Salad (Trader Joe's Copycat) (2024)

FAQs

Where can I buy Balela? ›

Trader Joe's Balela is a mildly spiced, tangy chickpea bean dip with it's origins in the Middle East and it's absolutely killer. I know what you're all thinking – “A middle eastern chickpea bean dip?

Try them as a side dish with grilled poultry or fish; spoon them on top of a Greek salad; or make a mezze platter with our Dolmas, Greek Style Eggplant, and some Vegan Tzatziki.

Trader Joe's' Greek Chickpeas with Parsley & Cumin is one of the best products I've ever tried from the store, and it costs just $2 a can.

1 container of balela (Trader Joe's) contains 362 Calories. The macronutrient breakdown is 50% carbs, 41% fat, and 9% protein. This is a good source of protein (14% of your Daily Value), fiber (43% of your Daily Value), and vitamin a (16% of your Daily Value).

If you're struggling with the pronunciation of this item, you are not alone. So, here are some tips for getting it right: rhymes with Clapton's most classic song, sounds like it's spelled (bah-lay-lah) and finally if you say it really fast, no one will be the wiser if you need to take some poetic license.

Overall Favorite: Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips. Just like last year, Trader Joe's zesty, crunchy rolled-up corn chips have taken home the prize of overall favorite.

Best: Black Bean-and-Avocado Salad

The beans are a good source of disease-fighting antioxidants, and they have protein and fiber, as well as energy-boosting iron. Avocado adds creaminess and fiber. Plus, its fats help your body take in nutrients, including heart-healthy lycopene.

Normally I like to eat this salad for lunch over mixed greens or spinach but you can also enjoy it as is. It's full of plant-based protein from chickpeas, a great option to pack for lunch, or even as an easy side dish for a BBQ or potluck, so let's do it up!

Are chickpeas and garbanzo beans the same thing? ›

The honest answer—there's no difference between chickpeas and garbanzo beans. They're just two (of many) different names for the same type of pulse. (Pulses are basically seeds of legume plants.) The word chickpea doesn't come from chickens at all—it's an evolution of the plant's Latin name, cicer arietinum.

If you are using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them with water to cut the sodium (salt) content by almost a half. Rinse well in cold water to make them easier to digest and less gas-producing.

Dried beans are cheaper to purchase and have a higher yield than canned beans. That is straightforward.

Since lentils have more fiber, lentils win this round. Lentils contain more protein than Chickpeas. Both chickpeas and lentils are great sources of vegetable protein. However, since lentils have more of this healthy nutrient, lentils win this round.

Perhaps the best substitute for chickpeas across the board is white beans. They have both a similar taste and look to chickpeas. Any white bean will do, including cannellini beans (white kidney beans), lima beans (butter beans), great northern beans, and navy beans.

Chickpeas. Although their names are very different, garbanzo beans and chickpeas refer to the same bean. And to confuse things a little more, chickpeas are beans, not peas.