Fattoush-Inspired Chopped Salad with Tahini-Buttermilk Dressing, Chickpeas, Sumac, and Pine Nuts

(Makes about 4 servings; buttermilk dressing was inspired by the Fattoush salad in Ottolenghi's Jerusalem.)

Dressing Ingredients:
(This is a generous amount of dressing for this much salad, but it's tasty on many other things.)
2 T olive oil
2 T Tahini
2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Sumac
1 tsp. dried mint (probably optional, but good)
1 tsp. finely minced garlic
salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Salad Ingredients:
1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
3 small Persian cucumbers, diced in pieces about 1/2 inch (1 cup diced cucumber)
1 cup diced grape tomatoes, diced in pieces about 1/2 inch
1/3 cup diced radishes, diced in pieces about 1/2 inch
1/2 cup sliced green onion
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Instructions:
Dump garbanzo beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse with cold water until no more foam appears. Let beans drain until fairly dry (or blot dry with paper towels.)

While the beans drain, whisk together the olive oil, Tahini, lemon juice, buttermilk, red wine vinegar, Sumac, dried mint, garlic, salt, and pepper to make the dressing. When the beans are well-drained, put them in a small bowl and toss with 1/4 cup of the dressing. Let the beans marinate while you chop the other ingredients.

Chop the cucumbers, tomatoes, and radishes into same-size pieces. (I made pieces about 1/2 inches across, but the size is a matter of personal choice.) Slice the green onions. Toss together the cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, and green onions. Add the marinated garbanzo beans (with the dressing they're marinating in) and toss with the salad ingredients. Then add as much more dressing as you prefer until the salad is moistened to your liking. (I used about 2 T more dressing.)

If you're using the pine nuts, toast them in a dry frying pan over high heat for about 1-2 minutes, just until they start to become fragrant. Toss pine nuts over each serving of salad.




This printable recipe from KalynsKitchen.com.