Toush Salad Bowl

Salad

Ingredients:

1 glass jar/700g giant white beans (best quality are found in glass jars) (or butter or lima beans work just as well) *alternatively soak dry beans overnight and cook in unsalted water with bay leaf, oregano, and thyme for about one hour. Drain, and toss with olive oil, lemon, and salt

1 head of romaine lettuce, rolled and cut into fine ribbons

7 Multicolored radishes, thinly sliced with a mandolin

1 large red onion, halved, thinly sliced with a mandolin

6 baby cucumbers/or one large, peeled in stripes, then thinly spiced with a mandolin

2 bunches of cherry tomatoes, sliced in halves  

1 bunch each of dill/picked from stem

1 bunch of parsley/finely chopped

1 bunch of mint/ ribbon chopped 

4 tbsp sesame seed

1 pomegranate, deseeded

1 tbsp of sumac

Roasted Pita chips

Ingredients:

2 stale pita breads, cut into 2 inch squares 

4/5 tbsp Rapeseed oil

1 and half tbsp Garlic powder

1 and a half tbsp Onion powder 

2 tbsp Zha’tar

1 and half tbsp Sumac 

Salt to taste 

Method:

Heat the oven to 180 C on the baking setting. Prepare a baking sheet. Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and toss well to thoroughly combine. Place onto baking sheet and roast for about ten minutes. Toss well and roast another five. Toss again and finish in oven until crispy. 

Chickpea Couscous with coriander and Zha’tar

Ingredients:

2 cups of chickpea couscous (or organic corn couscous)

2 cups vegetable broth 

2 tbsp zha’tar 

2 tbsp olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

1 bunch of coriander, roughly chopped 

Salt to taste 

Method:

Boil the broth. Add the couscous and zha’tar and cover for five minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and fluff well with a fork. 

Pomegranate dressing

Ingredients:

1 tbsp pomegranate molasses 

1 shallot, quartered 

2 cloves of garlic, peeled 

1 cup of olive oil

2 tsp red wine vinegar 

1 tsp honey

Salt to taste 

Method:

Add all of the ingredients into a blender/bullet until smooth. 

To Plate: 

Prepare the dressing, croutons, and couscous as instructed above and set aside. 

Mix the soft herbs with the ribbon romaine. Add the sumac, pomegranate, and sesame seeds. Mix well. Place a portion into each bowl as a base. Add the radishes, onions, cucumber, tomatoes and couscous on top of the lettuce mixture in succession. Top with the croutons. Serve the dressing on the side.