Balila (Lebanese Chickpeas)

Balila, consisting of brothy, Lebanese chickpeas, surrounded by fresh crudités and pita bread for serving.

Balila (Lebanese Chickpeas)

Balila is a warm mezze dish of tender chickpeas simmered in a garlicky, cumin-spiced broth and finished with lemon and olive oil. This plant-based Lebanese chickpea dish takes just 30 minutes with canned chickpeas and brings authentic flavor to your table.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Course Appetizer, Breakfast

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Servings -4 people

Calories 176 kcal

Equipment

1 2 qt. stainless steel saucepan

Ingredients

2 15 oz. cans chickpeas (~3 cups cooked) or 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
1 cup water + more as needed
1 teaspoon salt + more to taste
2 teaspoon cumin
3 cloves garlic minced
4-6 tablespoon lemon juice juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup olive oil + more for drizzling
¼ cup parsley leaves chopped
¼ cup toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds (optional)**

Instructions

Add 2 cans of chickpeas along with their liquid and 1 cup of water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat and simmer for 20-25 mins, until very tender. Skim any foam and loose skins if desired. If liquid drops, add hot water ¼ cup at a time to keep them covered. (I typically end up adding ½ cup extra water total.) See notes below for the dried chickpeas method.*
2 15 oz. cans chickpeas, 1 cup water
Add salt, cumin, and garlic, and simmer for 2-3 more mins.
1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon cumin, 3 cloves garlic
Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and olive oil. Taste and adjust salt and lemon if desired.
4-6 tablespoon lemon juice, ¼ cup olive oil
Top with cumin, olive oil, fresh parsley, and toasted nuts. Serve warm with bread or pita and crudités.
¼ cup parsley leaves, ¼ cup toasted pine nuts

Notes

Dried chickpeas method:

Soak 1 cup dried chickpeas overnight. Drain and rinse. Add to a pot along with 6-8 cups water and bring to a boil (cover by 2-3 inches).
Skim any foam, and lower to a simmer for 60-120 mins (plan on ~90 minutes), until very tender but holding shape. If liquid level drops, add hot water ¼ cup at a time to keep covered. If you end up with too much liquid, simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes to reduce. Continue with the method above from step 2.

**Toasting nuts: Toast nuts in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until golden, about 2-3 mins. Keep a close eye on them, and remove from heat once golden.

Brothy texture: Aim to finish with about ½-¾ cup of cooking liquid left in the pot.

Canning liquid: If you prefer to avoid the can liquid, drain and rinse the chickpeas and simmer them in fresh water instead (just add a pinch more salt to taste). Make sure to add enough water to cover the chickpeas by a few inches.

Nutrition

Calories: 176kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gSodium: 785mgPotassium: 86mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 440IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mg

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