Fattoush-Inspired Chopped Salad with Tahini-Buttermilk Dressing and Sumac

Ingredients

• 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 small Persian cucumbers, diced in pieces about 1/2 inch
• 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
• 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
• 1 tsp. finely minced garlic
• Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Pour the garbanzo beans into a colander in the sink, then run cold water over them until the foamy liquid is gone. Set them aside to drain until they are fairly dry, or pat them with paper towels if you want to hurry things along.
2. As the beans drain, make the dressing: whisk the olive oil with the Tahini, lemon juice, buttermilk, red wine vinegar, Sumac, dried mint, garlic, salt, and pepper until smooth. Once the beans have drained well, transfer them to a small bowl and coat them with 1/4 cup of the dressing. Leave them to soak up that flavor while you prep the vegetables.
3. Cut the cucumbers, tomatoes, and radishes into pieces that are roughly the same size. The original pieces were about 1/2 inches across, though you can choose the chop you like best. Slice the green onions, then combine them with the cucumbers, tomatoes, and radishes.
4. Add the dressed garbanzo beans, including the dressing in the bowl, to the chopped vegetables and toss everything together. Spoon in additional dressing until the salad is as moist as you like it. About 2 T more dressing was used.
5. If you are adding pine nuts, place them in a dry frying pan over high heat and toast for about 1-2 minutes, only until their aroma comes out. Scatter the pine nuts over the salad portions.